Item 1 - Letter book

Alexander Russell Clark was an engineer, who settled in Tasmania in 1833 and undertook contracts such as the Port Arthur water and tread corn mill, works at the coal mines and Launceston water works.His son, A.I. Clark served as an engineering apprentice with him, but turned to Law later. See: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/clark-alexander-russell-1896

A. I. Clark (1848 -1907), barrister, politician and judge was the youngest son of Alexander Russell Clark. After qualifying as an engineer he studied law and was called to the Bar in 1877.He practiced law and was for a time in partnership with Matthew Wilkes Simmons. However he was also a member of the House of Assembly 1878-1882 and 1887 - 1897 and was appointed Attorney General in 188~. Humanitarian and progressive, he introduced many reform bills. In 1898 he was appointed Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court and Senior Judge in 1901,and he was also Acting Governor in J. Stokell Dodds absence from the State in 1901, He was a,delegate to the Federal Councils of 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891 and 1894 and drafted a constitution based mainly on the Constitution of the U.S.A. Clark visited America in 1890 and 1897 and corresponded regularly with Oliver Wendell Holmes and other lawyers and Unitarians. Clark was an active member of debating and literary societies and was also interested in the Unitarian Church and he wrote many essays and speeches on political, philosophical and reliious topics. Few were published but many copies handwritten in exercise books were circulated among his friends.
A.I. Clark married in 1878 Grace Paterson Ross, daughter of John Ross, a Hobart shipbuilder. They had five sons: Alexander, a marine engineer; Andrew Inglis. another lawyer and judge: Conway, an architect; Wendell, a medical practitioner, and Carrell, Clerk to the House of Assembly. Another son, Melvin, died in infancy and there were two daughters, Ethel and Esma.