Today, I think about William Henry Clark, my great x 2 great uncle, who was baptized on this day, 7th December, in Udimore, Sussex, England. William was the younger brother of my 2x great grandfather, Richard Douch clark.
William Henry Clark was born in 1845, a year marked by noteworthy events in Sussex. During the construction of the Brighton, Lewes, and Hastings Railway, a cutting was made across the Priory site in Lewes, where the burial cists of William de Warenne and his wife Gundrada were found. This discovery provided a unique glimpse into the medieval history of the region. The railway construction itself was part of a broader effort to connect towns and cities, boosting trade and communication. Lewes, approximately 40 miles from Udimore. Maybe William would have become aware of the importance railways played in econmic growth when the line extended through to the nearby town of Rye in the 1850s and later extended through to Ashford in Kent.
William was the son of Henry Clark (1812-1908) and Ann Maria Douch (1820-1882). His father, Henry, lived to the remarkable age of 96, passing away in Ore Workhouse in 1908. Henry was buried in an unmarked communal grave as a pauper. It made me wonder about why Henry suffered these hardships, living in poverty. Did he go into the workhouse because there was no family to help him? I know some of his children had died but not all of them. More research needed!!
On December 7:
1872, HMS Challenger departed from Sheerness on the north Kent coast, embarking on an expedition to explore the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the deep sea. This trip was important for oceanography and scientific exploration.
In 1909, Bakelite, invented Leo Baekeland , was patented. It was the first thermosetting plastic that could be set into a shape permanently. This invention started the plastics industry and changed manufacturing and daily life for many people. The original Bakelite was brown and was still in use in homes during my childhood. Once a bakelite telephone junction box in my childhood home was shattered when lightening hit the telegrap pole outside the house and the lightening travelled to earth along the telephone wire into our house. It was quite bang and there were bits of bakelite scattered in the hallway.
In 1916, David Lloyd George replaced H. H. Asquith as British Prime Minister, leading a coalition Conservative government. His leadership during World War I was crucial in navigating the country through one of its most challenging periods. Was William still alive at this time? I have yet to research him further.
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| Udimore Church |
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