EXTERMINATOR OF PIRATES

Evening Star, Issue 21630, 27 January 1934, Page 24

EXTERMINATOR OF PIRATES

The December issue of the ‘P.L.A. 'Monthly* contains an account, of a banquet in celebration of a hundred years’ close association of the famous brandy shippers, Messrs J.. and F. Martell and the very ancient house of Messrs Matthew Clark and Sons Ltd. The latter firm was appointed in 1833 sole London representatives of Messrs Martell. “ Charles Clark, elder son of Matthew, the shipbuilder, had adventurous years abroad as a young man, and on liis return to England was found by Lord Clive a post in, H.M. Customs. Later he rose to be Inspector-General of the Port of London, and earned the lively gratitude of East ■ India jnerchaiits by exterminating a notorious gang of pirates, which, with headquarters round Erith, had freely plundered goods coming up in craft from Gravesend for London warehouses. “The second Matthew Clark began as a foreign wine and spirit importer in 1810, with premises in Great Tower street, and it was not until after the close of tho war that a move was made from there to 14 Trinity square, just across the road from the Port of London Authority’s head office. Upon the board of the company at the present time are great-grandsons and great-great-grandsons of Matthew Clark (brother of the exterminator of Erith pirates).” ■