unknown 200 St John Street Launceston Tasmania Australia Agnes Maud Shute Muriel, Ruth, Clyde, Edith, Leonard, Marjorie, Keith, Doreen, Jack, Maurice & George

This is possibly Edwin Thomas Clements who was born in 1868 at St George in the East, London, or his brother Walter Frederick, born in 1859. Their parents were William and Marion Clements.

Edwin came to Tasmania in 1888 during a time of recession. He married Agnes Maud Shute on 15 Dec 1890 at Port Frederick (Devonport). Of their 11 children, the first two were born in Launceston and the others in Devonport. The last three were triplets born in 1910. Edwin set up a business as a produce merchant in Formby Road, Devonport in Jan 1901. From those humble beginnings he built a firm with branches all over the state using the slogan 'The Farmer's Friend'. He dealt in potatoes, chaff and other produce. The firm became Clements and Marshall Pty Ltd in 1921. In an interview published in The Advocate on 21 Nov 1962 he said that in the beginning he used a bicycle to cover his round then graduated to a pony and trap. He thought he was made when in 1910 he was able to buy a car.

Edwin Clements was warden of Devonport from 1935-38. He was responsible for building the Devonport Oval. A total abstainer for most of his life, when he reached his nineties he found that a little whisky and milk at bedtime helped him to sleep. He retired to Brighton, Victoria, in 1942 and died there on 7 Nov 1965 aged 97. His funeral left the St Leonard's Presbyterian Church for the Springvale crematorium.

Lou Foley & Marion Sargent Sep 2008