John S. Clarke | |
|---|---|
 John S. Clarke, c. 1918 | |
| Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill | |
| In office 30 May 1929 – 7 October 1931 | |
| Preceded by | James Brown Couper |
| Succeeded by | Douglas Jamieson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 February 1885 Jarrow, England |
| Died | 30 January 1959 (aged 73) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Political party | Independent Labour |
| Spouse | Sarah Millicent Balkind |
| Occupation |
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John Smith Clarke (4 February 1885 – 30 January 1959) was a British author, newspaper editor, poet, socialist politician, and lion tamer.
Born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, Clarke began performing in a circus at age of 17 as a lion tamer. In his early life, he was also a sailor and gun runner for Russian revolutionaries. During the First World War, he wrote for publications that expressed an anti-war sentiment, which forced him to go into hiding. He was part of a group of Socialist Labour Party conscientious objectors called the 'flying corps' who evaded authorities and avoided prosecution. In 1920, he visited Russia as a delegate to the Second Congress of the Communist International.
Clarke joined the Independent Labour Party in the late 1920s and served on the Glasgow Corporation. In 1929 he was elected Labour MP for Maryhill in Glasgow. He lost the seat in 1931 and subsequently left the Independent Labour Party. Over his lifetime, he identified as a Bolshevik, anti-capitalist, and neither right nor left-wing.
Clarke was interested in the arts and held governance positions for the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Glasgow School of Art. He was a collector of antiquities and amassed a wealth of knowledge about military weapons, armour and Scottish history. He also continued to tame wild animals throughout his life; he demonstrated humane training methods in a lion and tiger cage whilst an MP, and brought a box of snakes to Parliament.