James Clark (businessman)

James Clark
James Clark in the 1880s
8th Mayor of Auckland City
In office 1880–1883
Preceded by	Thomas Peacock
Succeeded by	William Waddel
Personal details
Born	(1833-08-12)12 August 1833 Beith, Scotland
Died	26 January 1898(1898-01-26) (aged 64) England
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Kate Emma Clark
Relations	Archibald Clark (father)

James McCosh Clark (12 August 1833 – 26 January 1898) was Mayor of Auckland in the 1880s. He was a successful businessman until many of his ventures failed during the depression of the 1880s, which caused him to return to England for the last decade of his life. He was the son of Archibald Clark.

Clark was born in Beith, Scotland, in 1833, the eldest son of the merchant Archibald Clark and his first wife, Margaret McCosh. He was educated at Largs. Archibald Clark decided to emigrate to New Zealand with his third wife and four children; the family left London on the barque Thames on 18 July 1849 and arrived in Auckland on 25 November. He joined the Volunteer Forces and was a captain in the Invasion of Waikato in 1863.

Clark joined his father's company as a partner in 1856 or 1857, and the company was renamed Archibald Clark and Sons. They manufactured clothing and were a wholesaler, at one time employing some 500 staff. Clark became the senior partner following his father's death in October 1875. He was involved in numerous other companies. His investment in the Moanataiari gold mining company made him a rich man. Moanataiari is now a suburb of Thames in the Coromandel.

Together with Logan Campbell, Gustav von der Heyde, John Shera and others, Clark set up the New Zealand Freight Company in 1872, which amalgamated with the New Zealand Shipping Company the following year. All the Auckland shipping owners combined into one company in 1881, the Northern Steam Ship Company, of which Clark was appointed one of the directors. The depression in the second half of the 1880s affected this company, but Clark managed to the secure the services of a new managing director in 1888 who could turn the situation around.

Clark was one of the financial backers of business entrepreneur Thomas Russell, who in 1859 had founded the New Zealand Insurance (NZI). The group of businessmen and companies behind Russell became known as the Limited Circle, and they were financing much of the development of Auckland. The funds came from the proceeds of the Thames gold rush. Members of the Limited Circle founded the Bank of New Zealand in 1861 and Clark was on the board of directors. He was president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in 1879–1881.