Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke was a writer, poet, and photographer who resided in North Carolina. Described posthumously by the RaleighNews and Observer as "one of its most gifted daughters", Clarke set out to demonstrate the literary talent of her state while also learning from other cultures and styles of writing. Born and raised in Raleigh, Clarke began her work by compiling an anthology of North Carolina poetry, Wood Notes, before writing her own poetry which appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals in the United States and abroad.
Early Life and Family
Clarke was born on May 13, 1827 in Raleigh, North Carolina to Thomas Pollock Devereux and Catherine Anne Johnson Devereux. Clarke came from a prominent, wealthy family. Her paternal great-grandfather was Jonathon Edwards, theologian and president of Princeton University. Her grandfather, Thomas Polk served as governor and acquired large sums of land on which he built plantations. On her mother's side, she was descended from Samuel Johnson, another early American clergyman and educator who was the first president of King's College. Clarke's mother died when she was nine years old, leaving her to be raised by her father. Being a Yale graduate and lawyer, her father ensured each of his children received an education. Clarke was paired with a governess who followed the course of study offered at Princeton and Yale. She was particularly interested in learning other languages, notably German, French, Spanish, and Italian, and practiced translating their literature into English. Clarke traveled extensively in her early years. Before turning 20, she had lived in the West Indies and Texas. When visiting her uncle, Bishop Leonidas Polk, in Louisiana, Clarke became reacquainted with a childhood friend, Major William John Clarke. He was veteran of the Mexican–American War and made his living on a sugar plantation in Louisiana. The two were married on April 6, 1848 by her uncle. The couple lived in Louisiana for a few more years before returning to North Carolina and setting in Raleigh.
Writing Career
Mary Bayard Devereux Clarke was a writer from a young age. In fact, her sister saved some of her letters from the 1830s because she was appreciative of her writing. Her family valued her education and encouraged her to continue writing as she grew up. Clarke first gained prominence for her work as an editor. She wrote book reviews for publishers and compiled tomes of other writers' poetry. Clarke's career was varied, as she contributed to a number of magazines, books, collections of poetry, and other pieces of literature. She was an editor of Southern Field and Fireside in 1865, a writer for Peterson's Magazine, and a contributor for The Old Guard and Demorest's Monthly. Another of her notable works was her translation of French poet Victor Hugo’s works into English. Using pseudonyms, Clarke began her own career as a poet. One of her first works Woods-Note, also known as Carolina Carols: A Collection of North Carolina Poetry, was published in 1854 and gained significant recognition. This was a compilation of the works of many people, however most of the poems were her own. Her newfound recognition resulted in her being published in both newspapers and magazines. Clarke refused to allow her career to be confined by the typical restraints women experienced in this time period, and her husband was very supportive in this process.
Later Life
Between 1849 and 1858, Clarke had four children while developing her career. By 1853, she had established herself as a prominent writer in North Carolina, and composed her famous Wood Notes in the following years. She continued her writing career while traveling to Texas, Florida, Cuba, and the West Indies. The American Civil War had harsh effects on the Clarke family. William Clarke joined the Confederate Army and was captured and held prisoner in Fort Delaware. He never completely recovered from the injuries and illnesses he sustained during the war, and brought back heavy burdens to the Clarke household. He later developed a drinking problem that remained with him for the rest of his life. He managed to set up his law firm in New Bern and eventually became a judge, but was consistently unable to earn a sizable income due to his drinking. Clarke would continue to support her husband's dwindling income through her writing career for the rest of their lives. Her health began to deteriorate in the 1880s. Clarke suffered a stroke in 1883, which resulted in permanent paralysis of part of her body. Her husband died in January 1886. Clarke began to rapidly fade after his death, and suffered a second stroke on March 3. On March 30, 1886, she quietly ceased to breathe and was buried in New Bern.
Legacy
Mary Bayard Clarke did not conform to the typical expectations of a southern wife and mother in her era. She wrote poetry and appeared in news articles while raising her kids- an feat practically unheard of among her peers. She persevered through the discrimination of the times and showed that women were capable of more than motherhood. Clarke gained recognition for many of her smaller texts, but her most well-known work is Wood Notes, also known as Carolina Carols: A Collection of North Carolina Poetry. Although the collection was mostly of her own writing, some of the poems were other members of North Carolina society, and this work came to represent the society as a whole, for it included the voices of men, women, chief justices, congressmen, lawyers, and teachers. Furthermore, she gained recognition for her satirical political stories during the time of radical reconstruction. Ultimately, Clark was a trailblazer for professional women in the field of publishing, writing, and editing, particularly in the southern United States.
