Octavius Thomas Clark (also known as Louis Edgar)

In 1874, when he was 23, Octavius married Ellen Louisa Maidment at Christ Church, Hoxton. At first it seemed that Octavius was not to follow the family tradition of a career in art, as his elder brothers Samuel, Albert and Charles had done. On his marriage certificate his occupation is given as "mercantile clerk", and as "clerk" on the baptism record of his first child, Louis Edgar Clark, in March 1877. However, four years later the 1881 census reveals that Octavius was now earning his living as an artist. He and his wife had two children by this time and they were sharing a house with Ellen's brother Joseph Maidment and his wife at 48 Elmore Street, Islington. By 1901 the growing family had moved on again, this time to Upton Lane, West Ham, and Octavius gives his name as Thomas, which suggests that he was known to family and friends by his middle name. 

Octavius painted his country landscapes in batches of six at a time,  all almost exactly the same. Thus he became the most prolific painter of the Clark family. He did not exhibit anywhere but sold his work through dealers, much of it going to America. Some of his paintings were reproduced as prints and lithographs, and indeed are still available for sale today as giclee prints. Most of his paintings were oils on canvas but he also worked in water-colour. Occasionally he painted under the name of Louis Edgar.