William Edward Clark, son of James and Mary Clark, was born on 24th September 1820 at Trowbridge. He spent all but a couple of years in Chepstow. He became his father’s partner in 1842. In August 1861 he moved to 16 High Street, and on May 20th the following year he married Jane New of Southam near Cheltenham.
He is best known as the founder of The Chepstow Weekly Advertiser, which he edited until his death on April 27, 1891. This was published on June 23, 1855, a month after repeal of the stamp duty, being the first cheap newspaper in the county. Within six months the Advertiser had a circulation of 500 and was doubled in size
Also published were The Chepstow Gleaner, 1849-51. Twenty monthly numbers at 3d each were collected into one volume in 1851, Chepstow and its Neighbourhood by W.E.Clark, 4th edn. Advertised August 22nd 1857 price 4d. In 1862, Guide to the Sights of London was republished by W.E.Clark.
The Chepstow Gleaner, 1851 advertised ‘Useful Publications Printed by Clark & Son’, The Monmouthshire Tour, The Chepstow guide for strangers Guide to Tintern Abbey, Guide to Raglan Castle, The Tour of the Wye, Salt as a Manure, Memoir of James Davis, Account of William James, and Cookery for the Million.
From about 1853 William Edward Clark published annually Chepstow Family Almanack and Year Book of Useful Knowledge. Only the cover and advertisements were printed in Chepstow until 1895, when a directory was included.
For additional information about the Clark family publishing in Chepstow, see:
CLARK family, printers and publishers in Monmouthshire, etc.
in the Dictionary of Welsh Biography.