John Arthur Clark was born on 3rd January 1850 in Usk, Monmouthshire. He was the third son of James Henry Clark. He married Frances Howe Yorath on 19th January 1875 at St John’s Church, Cardiff.
John Arthur Clark’s seven children were:
- Arthur Iorwerth Clark born at Cardiff on 29th October 1875, accountant On the 21.1.1911, he married Gladys Mary Celia Mullin, the only daughter of Dr. James Mullin, MA, MD, MCh, DPH, JP, and Anne Mary (Edwards) at St. Mary’s Church, Kings Road, Cardiff. The family lived firstly at Bargoed and then at Pendyris, 56 Conway Road, Canton, Cardiff
- Frances Sophia b. 1876, d. 1885
- Gladys Theresa, b. 20.2.1878, d. 19.12.1952 who married G.H.Mitchell
- Henry Howell, b. 23.2.1880, d. 5.5.1958, who married Miss E.A. Evans 19.1.1914. They had two sons John Vivian and Arthur Russell. He later married Alice Wilkins, having a daughter, Thelma Maureen.
- Olive, b. 20.1.1882, d. 1953, who married E.E.Willment, widower with family, of London, who died 24.5.1944.
- Edith Georgina, b. 6.1.1884, d. 1944, married Ryder, no children.
- Kathleen Vaughan b. 1885, d. 1.5.1968 at Folkestone, single.
John Arthur Clark was a brewer. The following is an extract from a letter written by David Clark on 5/9/1987 giving details of the connection with John Biggs:
JOHN BIGGS, WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT, CARDIFF
When at the South Wales Brewery, Salisbury Road, Cardiff, he took as an apprentice John Arthur Clark, the third son and sixth child of James Henry Clark, the well known printer publisher and last Portreeve of Usk, Monmouthshire.
In 1866 John Biggs married Emily Sophia, the eldest daughter of J.H. Clark as aforesaid. They had a distinguished number of sons in their time. The eldest was to become Lt. Col. J.J.E. Biggs RAMC, a medical practitioner and Lord Mayor or Deputy. At one time he lived at Oldwell House, Penylan Hill, demolished this year for the erection of sheltered housing of elderly people by the Corlan Housing Association. Other sons were Edgar Peyton, Norman (died 1903), Selwyn a solicitor and Welsh Rugby International, Cecil, and Geoffrey. A number of the sons were Welsh Rugby Internationals, one of them being still a schoolboy.
J.A. Clark started the firm of Clark Cousins & Co., brewers at Trinity Street Brewery, near the present Cardiff Market. About 1875 the firm became Clark & Co. and moved to Canton Cross Brewery at the junction of Leckwith Road and Cowbridge Road. It was owned by J.A. Clark 50%, J.H. Cousins 25%, and John Biggs 25%. It was dissolved about 1890 and sold by auction.
He was in court on three occasions:
- Retailing spirits without a licence: reported in the Cardiff Times on the 27th October 1888
- An assault on a former employee: reported in the Western Mail on the 10th July 1890.
- Dangerous driving of a horse and trap: reported in the South Wales Daily News on 4th October 1892.
John Arthur Clark died on the 9th November 1908 in Cardiff.