Moses Clark, the son of William and Elizabeth Clark, was christened at Leonard Stanley on the 26th January 1682. He became an apprentice of John Hall, a baker and freeman of Gloucester on the 20th January 1729. In the same year on 24th August 1729. Moses Clark married Ann Williams, both of St. Michael, Gloucester. On the 23rd July 1745, James Clark, son of Moses Clark and Ann was christened at St. Michael’s Church, Gloucester.
James Clark was apprenticed on 3rd May 1761 to Thomas Monkland tinplate worker and citizen of London, for 8 years at a premium of £20. On the 18th May 1768, James Clark was admitted a Freeman of the City of Gloucester, and on 2nd February 1769, James Clark was admitted Freeman of the City of London. An original certificate of freemanship granted by Lawrence Turner, Esq. Mayor of London was passed on by the late Emmeline Clark of Chepstow. On the 22nd January 1781, James and Sarah Clark had a son, also called James Clark. He was christened at St Michaels and was later educated at the Blue Coat School of Christ’s Hospital, Gloucester.
On the completion of his classical education, he was apprenticed in the office of the Gloucester Journal, one of the oldest provincial newspapers in the kingdom, having been established in 1722. During this time, he was much noticed by Robert Raikes, the proprietor, who was considered to be the founder of Sunday Schools, and James frequently accompanied that philanthropist in his visits among the poorest portion of the inhabitants of that City.
On completion of his apprenticeship, James Clark left for London on 19th December 1803. Here he was employed for some years as compositor in the newspaper department. He kept what he called his commonplace book, in which he entered information about his movements and his family. This book is now in the record office in Cwmbran.
He left London for Portsmouth on 2nd April 1809, and on 5th September the same year, married Mary Baker of Coleford. Her brother William was brought up as a draper at Frome, and afterwards went to London and became the proprietor of the Auction Mart Tavern, Throgmorton Street, near the Bank of England. James Clark was appointed sub-editor of the Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle. Two of his children were born in Portsmouth, George Alfred and Amelia.
The Clarks moved to Gloucester on 23rd December 1816 and their son James Henry was born in that city on 23rd January 1818. They moved to Frome on March 28th, and the diary ended. Before long he was in business as a printer, stationer, and draper in Trowbridge, where his youngest son, William Edward was born on 24th September 1820. James Clark must have risen rapidly in local society, for in 1820, according to one of his sons, he headed a deputation from Trowbridge to present an address of loyalty to Queen Caroline after her ‘acquittal of the base charge brought against her by her husband’