Thomas Clark

CLARK, Thomas. b. Canterbury, Kent, 1775 (baptised 5 February); d. Canterbury, 30 May 1859. He was the son of William Clark, a boot maker and a musician at the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Thomas completed his apprenticeship as a cordwainer in 1796 and became a Freeman of the City of Canterbury. Like his father Thomas maintained both interests and took over his father’s business. It seems that his links with the Wesleyan Methodist choir at St Peter’s Street Chapel were severed around 1840, about the time that Clark began training the Baptist choir at Blackfriars monastery. We are told that Thomas began composing music at an early age. In 1805 he published his A Sett of Psalm and Hymn Tunes...