Robert Clark, the son of a Church of England clergyman, was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (BA 1850, MA 1857). Ordained to the priesthood in 1851, he was in the same year despatched by the Church Missionary Society to the Punjab as one of its first missionaries in the recently annexed province. He was to spend almost the whole of his long career there, based at Amritsar (1851-53 and 1865-1900) and Peshawar (1854-64). While on leave in England in 1858 he married Elizabeth Browne, a nursing sister, who was to be a great source of assistance and support to Clark in his work, as well as raising a large family of children.

A detailed account of Robert Clark’s life and activities will be found in the biography written by his adopted (Indian) son Henry. H.M. Clark, 'Robert Clark of the Panjab. Pioneer and missionary statesman' (London, 1907). Although Henry had access to the present correspondence, he appears to have made little direct use of it. He prints extracts from only two of the letters: Joseph Welland to Clark, 13 April 1875 (Add.7667/54) and T.V. French to Clark, 21 December 1887 (Add.7667/109).