Alma James Clare

Alma James Clare

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1981 Report

Alma James Clare a remarkable man who gave his name to such companies as Clares Carlton (national and international known as manufacturers of work and leisure wear) Clares Ltd (formerly Clares Engineering) who make supermarket trolleys and a wide range of containers used extensively in Britain and many other countries and Clare Son and Co Ltd nationally known printers an publishers of this newspaper. None of these companies now has any connection with the others. Each is now part of big national empires. Clares Carlton belongs to the Black and Edgington Group. Clares Ltd is a subsidiary of the huge Guinness concern, and Clare Son and Co Ltd a member of the British Printing Corporation

At one time A. J. Clare controlled them all and a host of other companies too all based on Wells, Clares Carlton was the last of the Clare companies to have a member of the family concerned in the management...

A. J. Clare came to Wells in 1900 to set up as draper milliner and tailor in premises in the High Street. By 1907 he was proprietor of a big store in the Market Place with premises stretching from the Penniless Porch down towards Barclays Bank. The business included men’s outfitting drapery millinery furniture grocery and provision and had branches in Wedmore, Cheddar, Meare, and Witham Friary. By 1920 he had also taken over a drapers shop on the corner of High Street and Sadler Street and a grocery business in the High Street near the Star Hotel.

It was in the early 1920s that he took the step that was to have far-reaching results. He realised that no-one was really catering for the milk producers and cheese-makers who required specialised textile materials. In a room above his Market Place premises he began producing cheese grays, milk filter cloths, cheese straining cloth and calico and linen banding. His invention of a filter disc of cotton wool eliminated atmospheric-borne bacteria from milk. The new enterprise proved a big success and after that there was no stopping A. J. He designed a milk cooler incorporating the principles of refrigeration thus further improving the quality of milk supplies and began producing milkers’ overalls as another aid to milking hygiene.

Within the space of a little over two decades companies controlled by Mr Clare had bought the local newspaper and printing works and were also manufacturing factoring and selling such wide-ranging products as overalls and protective clothing textiles, dairy and farm equipment, brushes, scientific instruments, chemicals and paints, and general engineering products. His companies included Clare Son and Co printers and publishers Clares Textiles Ltd, Wessex Supplies Ltd, Hilliers Brush Factory, Ditcheat Weaving Company, Frank Bryan and Paton, Sutherland Thomson and Co Ltd, Clariloid Chemical Company, and after his death the rationalisation of the engineering side into Clare’s (Engineering) Ltd.

For many years A. J. Clare was assisted by his son Mr Roy Clare who retired from the businesses in 1967. Immediately after the war they were joined by Mr Colin McNeil who had married one of A. J.’s daughters. Mr McNeil ran Sutherland Thomson the scientific and chemical supplies side of the business until his retirement in 1966. It was after the retirement of Mr Roy Clare and Mr Colin McNeil that the businesses were disposed of and eventually came into the ownership of the three big groups, Black and Edgington (leisure and workwear), British Printing Corporation (printing and publishing), and Guinness (engineering). The one remaining link with the family was that Rocky McNeil Mr Colin’s son and A. J.’s grandson became managing director of Clares Carlton the position he has now relinquished. Strangely Rocky did not start his career in the family business but trained and served as a Merchant Navy officer. Then he started a second career in South Africa where he became manager of a clothing textile and hardware company in the Transvaal. He was called home to run the Clare Carlton clothing business in 1962 and had been managing director from 1968 until the announcement of his resignation last week The entirely separate enterprises of Clares Carlton, Clares Ltd and Clare Son and Co Ltd all based in Wells continue to confuse postmen lorry drivers and many other people.'

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