Remembering Mississauga’s Mary Louise Clarke
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Mary Louise (nee Boustead) Clarke (1863-1931) was born in Toronto on February 26, 1863, the daughter of Isabella Jane (nee Griffith, 1837-1912) and James Bellingham Boustead (1833-1902).
The Honourable James Bellingham Boustead was a wealthy Toronto entrepreneur, an active member of his community, a member of the Central Methodist Church, the Temperance League, and an elected politician between 1865 and 1897. As a businessman, Boustead was a shareholder and the first president of the Toronto and Lorne Park Summer Resort Company (later known as Lorne Park Estates) here in historic Mississauga. The Boustead family spent their summers in Lorne Park, and Mary Louise continued that tradition throughout her life.
Mary Louise married Alfred Russell Clarke in 1887, and the couple had three children: Isabel Louise (1888-1910), Alfred Griffith (1890-1923) and Vivien Russell (1895-1970). Alfred Russell Clarke had relocated to Toronto from Peterborough in 1882 and first settled in Leslieville, and later moved to Rosedale. Alfred Russell, along with his two brothers, had established A.R. Clarke & Company Limited, a tannery and clothier. Alfred Russell Clarke was aboard the Lusitania on May 7, 1915 when the liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank. He was rescued, and suffered from pneumonia, and passed away on June 20, 1915 in London, England.
The Boustead and Clarke families were active in the affairs and social life in “the Park”, as Lorne Park was referred during their time, and during the summer the family was actively involved in First Methodist (later United) Church in Port Credit, where Mary Louise served as a mentor and leader of the Church’s Girl’s Club and for the local branch of the Girl Guides. Mary Louise and Alfred Russell Clarke built their own summer home in “The Park” in 1888, which they called Sunniholm.
In her life, Mary Louise had her share of heartbreak. Her eldest daughter died from influenza in 1910, followed by her husband’s passing in 1915. Her son Griffith became the president of his father’s company after Alfred Russell’s death, but under Griffith’s direction the company struggled. Griffith took his own life in 1923. After Griffith’s death, Mary Louise took over the helm of the company, and ran it successfully until 1930, when she was succeeded by her son-in-law, William Lytle.
Mary Louise gave generously of her time and money, assisting her “home” church, the Metropolitan United Church in Toronto, and later the Timothy Eaton Church, and also gave generously to “The Park”.
Mary Louise had A.R. Clarke Memorial Hall built in Port Credit and dedicated to the memory of her late husband. The hall was donated to the Methodist Church, with the stipulation that it was to be used for community functions. Mary Louise passed away on October 18, 1931 after a brief illness and was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. At her passing, her obituary reflected on her active career as President and General Manager of A.R. Clarke and Company leather tannery, and noted the she had one of the finest stamp collections in the world.
Mary Louise Clarke was remembered as a woman of formidable character and drive. She was among the Lorne Park cottagers who, in 1919, formed Lorne Park Estates Limited. In particular, Mary was considered responsible for keeping the initial enterprise of private ownership viable through her continued personal investment in the fledgling company. Without Mary, very likely there would not be the enclave of Lorne Park Estates that are such a unique part of our city today, and Clarke Hall is a treasured landmark in our city as a result of her involvement in the community.
