John Clark (1785-1853) was a local Quaker who moved to Bridgwater with his parents in 1809. In later life, by now married and living in Monmouth Street, Clark worked on the idea of making waterproof clothing. He developed a technique for treating fabric which proved so successful that he patented the idea. He then sold the patent to a man called Mackintosh for the sum of £40 and the rest is history. Mackintosh became a household name for raincoats and the name of Clark remained associated with shoes.
Text Copyright © 2008 Roger Evans
