Senior Partners

Latimer Clark, whose name will remain associated with the history of the development of the electric telegraph and the construction of submarine cables, was born at Great Marlow on the 10th March, 1822.

Like his elder brother, Edwin, he did not begin life as an engineer, for, having studied chemistry, he spent some time as a manufacturing chemist in a large works in Dublin. But influenced, no doubt, by the example of the elder brother, he determined to give up chemistry for engineering, and in 1848, at the age of 25, became an assistant on the construction of the Britannia Tubular Bridge, under his brother, whom Robert Stephenson had appointed Resident Engineer (Ref.1).

John Standfield was born at King’s Newnham, Warwickshire, on the 23rd of July 1838. His early professional experience was gained in Canada, where he was employed on the construction of the Grand Trunk Railway, chiefly in connection with the Victoria Bridge, Montreal.

On returning to England in 1861, he had the superintendence of sinking the caissons for the foundations of the London Chatham and Dover Railway Company’s Blackfriars Bridge; and in 1864-66, Messrs Peto and Betts entrusted him with the same duties on the widening of the Victoria Railway Bridge at Pimlico.

Sydney Francis Staples, the younger son of Sir John Staples, KCMG, (Alderman of Aldergate Ward and Lord Mayor of London in 1885) and Mary Ann Elizabeth Staples, was born at 6 Highbury Grove on Wednesday, 26 December 1866. He was educated at Clifton College and the Royal Indian Engineering College, Cooper’s Hill, co. Middlesex, becoming a consulting engineer. He was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Naval Architects (now the Royal Institution of Naval Architects).

He joined the firm of Clark & Standfield becoming a senior partner until his death on 11th August 1932.He devoted much energy to the development and promotion of Floating Docks with Clark & Standfield, the world’s foremost dock designers. He published an article on Floating docks in 1898 describing the history and development of floating docks, in particular Clark & Standfield’s docks. He became one of His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for the City of London in 1911. Sydney married Violet Maud Margaret Staples in 1929 and had a number of children.

It is with great regret that we have to record the death of Mr Lyonel E. Clark, the senior partner of Messrs Clark and Standfield, of Westminster. Mr. Clark, who died at his home at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, in the early morning of Wednesday, July 17th, was the eldest son of the late Mr. Latimer Clark F.R.S., and he was born at Haverstock Hill on February 3rd, 1856.

After receiving the earlier part of his education at Dulwich College, he spent some time at Oberlahnstein, in Germany, and at Lausanne, in Switzerland, afterwards proceeding to Merton College, Oxford.

Ernest Hinkly Salmon (1879-1947) 1879 Born at Brixton the son of William Salmon, Railway Carman, and his wife Charlotte.

Civil Engineers and Naval Architects who are interested in the design, construction and operation of floating docks, will learn with deep regret of the death, on October 21st., in King George’s Hospital, Ilford, of Dr. Ernest H. Salmon, the sole partner in the firm of Clark & Standfield, floating dock engineers, of 11, Victoria Street, Westminster, London S.W.1.