William James Clarke FZS (1871– 22 October 1945) was a naturalist and folklorist from Scarborough in North Riding of Yorkshire.

He became interested in natural history after a meeting with George Massee, joining the latter's naturalists' club at the Unitarian Church in 1880.

At the age of 12 he gave a talk on reptiles at the Grand Hotel to raise funds for the Union Jack Field Club of the school.

[4][5] As a boy Clarke was "a lover of natural history, and he alarmed his master by taking frogs, toads and grass snakes in his pockets to business.

Clarke's collection held charms, that were "said to bring 'good luck', 'good fortune', or specific advantages–such as abundance, love, strength, protection, success in gambling, long life, fertility, and safety in childbirth or war."

The amulets in the collection were "expected to repel the evil eye, witches, demons and nightmares, sickness and discomfort (ranging from venereal disease to loose teeth), and to guard against fire, flood, theft, and hunger, travel accidents, drowning, and being struck by lightning.