Cuthbert Edward Clark (also known as Cuthbert Clarke, Elric Olsen, Cyril Claude MacKenzie)

Composer and musical director Cuthbert Edward Clark was born in Hampstead to artist Samuel James Clark and his first wife Maria on 25 January 1869. Samuel taught Cuthbert to play violin and sent him to Boulogne in France for part of his education. On his return, Cuthbert attended London's Guildhall School of Music, and later studied privately with musicians Herve, Cesar Franck and Leopold Wenzel. According to Who's Who in Music, he first played professionally as a solo pianist at the Art Treasures exhibition in Folkestone, Kent. This was a large exhibition of works of art borrowed from private collections and displayed to the public during 1886. He went on to find employment at the prestigious Empire Theatre in London's Leicester Square when it re-opened in 1887 as a music hall.

Cuthbert married Elizabeth Hoby, an actress, in 1890. It was a union that was brief and unhappy. When he eventually petitioned Elizabeth for divorce in 1910, Elizabeth co-responded that during their short marriage Cuthbert treated her "with great unkindness and cruelty", often assaulted and beat her and "committed adultery with divers women whose names are unknown". Cuthbert did not contest this and was ultimately ordered to pay Elizabeth's costs.

After less than two years of marriage, Cuthbert had left Elizabeth for the well-known music hall singer Elsa Joel. They moved to Moss Side in Manchester where Cuthbert became director of the orchestra at the Palace Theatre, and later the Theatre Royal. Cuthbert's brother Ernest, a professional violinist, also moved to Manchester at this time and may have worked at the same theatres.

Cuthbert had three children with Elsa: Kate, Cuthbert and Gladys. Elsa and Cuthbert never married, and their relationship ended around 1900. Cuthbert moved back to London to take the post of sub-conductor at the Empire, and was promoted to musical director when Leopold Wenzel retired from the position. In 1906 he travelled to America for a 6-week tour with music hall star Albert Chevalier. As well as being a successful solo violinist and pianist, he also performed as one half of the banjo duo Clarke and Clarke. The other half remains a mystery but may have been his brother Ernest.

Around 1906 Cuthbert had a relationship with Mary Emma Williams, a single woman aged twenty one. Mary gave birth to a daughter, Violet Mary Winifred, on 18 March 1907 at Cuthbert's address in Amesbury Avenue, Wandsworth. Cuthbert was named as the father on Violet's birth certificate and Mary claimed to be his wife. However, in 1910, Cuthbert had his name and occupation removed from the certificate and Violet's surname was changed to Williams. Mary and Violet moved back to family in Staffordshire, from where Mary took on work as a housekeeper. Sadly, she fell ill and died of exhaustion in 1913, aged just 27. Violet was raised by her grandmother and aunt, and it appears that Cuthbert took no interest in her life.