George Somers Leigh Clarke

[2] He was a pupil of Sir Charles Barry and worked for him on designs for the Palace of Westminster in 1849.

Through working with Barry, he became sufficiently well respected to be invited to submit designs for buildings such as the Foreign Office, Law Courts and National Gallery, London.

His competition design for the Midland Grand Hotel, St Pancras, London, whilst not the winning scheme, was considered highly enough to receive a premium from the judges.

He married Louisa Harker Williamson in Croydon, Surrey, in March 1867.

He was for many years resident at Chislehurst, Kent at a time when it was becoming a suburban district and he designed a number of houses there.