Ralph Clarke (mayor) explained

Ralph Clark (died 1660) was an English tanner, notable for being the first Mayor of Chesterfield.

Clark came from the prominent Clark family of Chesterfield^[1] and was elected to the post of Mayor on 21 April, 1598^[2] following the Elizabethan charter issued that same year, which granted the town the right to elect a mayor.^{[3] [4]}

In 1641 when Poll tax was paid, Ralph paid the highest amount in the town.

At the time of his death in 1660, he was living in Cutthorpe, outside of Chesterfield.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Clarke Families of Chesterfield. 30 April 2016.
2. Web site: 2021-10-19 . Mayors of Chesterfield . 2023-03-21 . www.chesterfield.gov.uk . en.
3. Web site: Chesterfield Borough Council - Mayor and mayoress. 20 June 2018. www.chesterfield.gov.uk.
4. Familiae minorum gentium by John William Clay (1894)
5. Web site: The Discovery Service. The National. Archives. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk.