Speaker for 18th October 2016
We have two reports for you to read for this week…
Part 1: Official Club summary of the talk:
This morning’s speaker, Bobby Clark was introduced, the topic of his talk being “Back to the Future: the Linen Industry in Upperlands ”.
Bobby opened his talk with a short DVD which outlined the production of linen at Upperlands. The Clark family have been involved in the linen industry for 280 years. In 1736 Jackson Clark moved from Maghera to Upperlands to set up the linen manufacturing company. Since then nine generations of the Clark family have been involved at Upperlands.
Bobby outlined the history of Wm. Clark Ltd, the family genealogy and some associated amusing episodes. The Clark’s linen products are used in Savile Row, New York, Milan and Edinburgh. Some Royal connections were also mentioned.
In the 1960’s collar pad and interlining products were developed followed by fusible interlining and latterly the unusual cow matting, a product sold in Ireland and Denmark.
Wm. Clark Ltd is a member of the exclusive Paris based Henokiens Club consisting of 44 members. To qualify a family business must have been in existence for at least 200 years and be owned and managed by members of the original family.
The Clark tradition has provided a stock of knowledge which has sustained their values and beliefs down through the generations.
A question and answer session followed the talk.
This brief summary of this talk is also available in the speakers’ record book.
A vote of thanks proposed by John Tan was passed to Bobby Clark by the Vice President. The members showed their appreciation.
Part 2: Coleraine Probus meet 'The Clark Family'
The guest speaker at this meeting of Coleraine Probus Club was Bobby Clark, who told the members a little of his family history. In the early years in the 18th century Jackson Clarke set out on horseback from his home in Maghera to look for a river that would be suitable for linen production and some fishing! By the end of the day, he had found a river and enjoyed the fishing. The river was in Upperlands, and Jackson set about renting the land (owned by the Mersers' Company) and building a linen mill. Today, 280 years and a further nine generations of the Clark family later, there is still linen being produced in Upperlands.
Bobby Clark told the story of his family through the lives of some of its notable 'characters' and the development of the linen industry. Club members heard how William Clark (5th generation) in the early 1800s set up the family business as a 'limited company', as it is known today. Alec Clark set out from Larne in 1880 to sail to New York with his linen sample book, and set up the first of many international links that saw Upperlands linen, being shipped overseas.
The 1903 'Irish Land Act' made it possible for the Clark family to buy out the lease on their Upperlands properties. In 1908 they purchased 100 acres, which has secured the family and their homes, as the linen market has grown and diminished over the years. Wallace Clark, known by many club members, traced the history of the mill and the village in his book 'Linen on the Green'. He also traced the history of his family to a direct connection with William the Conquer, of 1066 fame!
Over the last three centuries the Irish linen industry has become world famous, yet there are now very few firms still producing such fine linen as the Clark mill. From a workforce of over 300 in the boom years, Clark's now have 35 employees producing high quality linen and other linen based materials. The Upperlands factory has Ireland's only fully working Beetling Mill, treating the linen cloth in its tradition fine (and noisy!) finishing process (there are some pictures a little further down).
Clark's linen finds it way to Savile Row tailors, and even into the uniform worn by Prince William when he got married! The quality (and fashionable) 'Burberry' company are customers for Clark's linen, as is a local farmer that has adapted some of the Clark family product to make his cows more comfortable in their stalls - 'comfortable cows make better milk'! What will the Clark family think of next?
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BEETLED LINEN - THE LAST OF THE LINEN BEETLERS
This is what Bobby and the company say:
'Production of Irish Beetled Linen is right at the heart of William Clark. It is a specialty of ours, a process unique to our mill, that currently is not replicable in any other country. Our staff have a knowledge and expertise in its manufacturing that doesn’t exist anywhere else'.
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AND IF you have got this far on our 'Linen' page,
you MAY want to 'Click' here for SOME
'Interesting Facts About Linen'