York Commission Warehouse attributed to Charles Williams. 1809. Coloured etching, 11 ¼ x 15 inches; 286 x 381 mm. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery London NPG D1371. Click on image to enlarge it.
Frederick, Duke of York, the second and favourite son of King George III, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was disgraced in 1809 when it was revealed that his mistress, Mary Ann Clarke, had acted as a broker for military commissions and promotions. A committee was set up to investigate the matter, which was taken up in the House by a Colonel Wardle, demanding that the Commander in Chief be removed from office. Canning asked the House to treat the Duke fairly, without prejudice, but also without favour, showing the House how even an innocent letter he himself had written could be wilfully misinterpreted by anyone wishing to castigate him. He pointed out that only the testimony of Mrs Clarke herself, a known prostitute, linked the Duke of York with the practices of which he was accused, and that only she had "proved the privity of the Duke of York”, i.e. had claimed that they shared a secret knowledge. Canning’s powerful argument showed how the Duke’s partnership with Mrs Clarke had ceased in 1806, but that she continued her malpractice of commissions for cash with a Colonel Sandon, having nothing more to do with the Duke. Despite Canning’s best endeavours, the Duke of York was charged, but Mrs Clarke and Colonel Sandon escaped the consequences. — Susan Matoff
Bibliography
Mattof, Susan. Conflicted Life. William Jerdan (1782-1869) London Editor, Critic and Author. [text on this site.]
Last modified 17 June 2020