Thomas Clarkson - WHAT'S IN A NAME?

    Thomas Clarkson's signature abounds in the records of the various Colonial Departments and on multiple promissory notes which he signed during his years of residency in NSW.
    From the time he signed his marriage register, through to his Will, his hand remained basically the same, except for a few extra embellishments which he added at a later stage.
    At times quite boldly written and at others, shortened in haste, to Thos Clarkson, his hand proved unmistakable to us as we poured over the documents he'd signed.
    His was not the only signature in the family to adorn petitions and indentures. That of his wife, Catherine Clarkson, became a familiar sight in the years after Thomas' death. Hers too, had become shortened but bears a strong resemblance to that on her marriage record.
    The children also, could read and write, and their names were also visible on some documents as witness to their father's dealings, as well as in their own right on their own family records.
    What could be more personal than a signature?
    Perhaps to examine the signatures of the Clarkson family, is a little like meeting them on a more personal level and is as close as we will ever come to them.
Image of Signatures

Page last updated - 7 July 2006