en ment . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁George ▁C ler k ▁Max well ▁and ▁John ▁C ler k ▁of ▁E ld in , ▁and ▁the ▁great - gre at - grand father ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁phys ic ist ▁James ▁C ler k ▁Max well . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁John ▁C ler k ▁was ▁son ▁of ▁Sir ▁John ▁C ler k , ▁ 1 st ▁Baron et ▁by ▁his ▁first ▁wife ▁Elizabeth , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Henry ▁Hend erson ▁of ▁El ving ton . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁legal ▁education ▁first ▁at ▁University ▁of ▁Glasgow ▁and ▁then ▁at ▁Le iden ▁University . ▁During ▁ 1 6 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 6 9 8 ▁he ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁Grand ▁Tour ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 0 ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Bar . ▁ ▁Parliament ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Scotland ▁for ▁Wh ith orn ▁from ▁ 1 7 0 2 ▁to ▁ 1 7 0 7 , ▁and ▁a ▁Commission er ▁for ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Parliament s ▁for ▁the ▁Wh ig ▁Party : ▁he ▁sat ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁Parliament ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁Baron ▁of ▁the ▁Ex che quer ▁for ▁Scotland ▁on ▁the ▁constitution ▁of ▁the ▁Ex che quer ▁Court , ▁ 1 3 ▁May ▁ 1 7 0 8 , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁for ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁century . ▁With ▁Baron ▁Sc ro pe , ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 6 , ▁he