Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 15 December 1856 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 item, paper
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Clement was born in 1816 and was the son of Thomas Clement Francis (1774-1837) and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Cann) of Wymondham (1792-1879). Thomas and Mary had been married at Wymondham on 20th September 1814. Clement had two sisters - Sarah Anne (1817-1860) and Ellen (1820-1856). Clement's grandfather had been a draper in Aylsham Norfolk and his father, Thomas Clement Francis, used to assist him in the shop before deciding to move to Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he established himself as a wine merchant. This is where Clement was born and spent his childhood before deciding on a career in the law.
Career:
In 1832 Clement Francis moved to Cambridge to join Francis Gunning (solicitor) in order to undertake his articles. He completed his sixth and final year of articles in London with Francis Thomas Bircham (a former articled clerk of Francis Gunning who had qualified as an attorney in 1833 and had started a practice on his own at 52 Lincoln's Inn Fields).
After he had qualified as an attorney Clement returned to Cambridge and in December 1838 he formed a partnership with his former principal Francis Gunning and they traded as Gunning and Francis. Clement saw the advantages of a university education and membership of the University of Cambridge and so on 7th December 1838 he was admitted as a fellow commoner at Trinity Hall, matriculating in Lent term 1839. He received his BA in 1843 and MA in 1846. In 1842 the practice of Gunning and Francis moved to an office at 18 Emmanuel Street where it remained until 1913 when it moved to Peas Hill. In 1846 Francis Gunning died and so the partnership was dissolved and from then until 1850 Clement worked as a sole practitioner. In 1850 he looked to go into partnership with another Cambridge law practice. A Memorandum of Agreement dated 6th July 1850 anticipated the establishment of a partnership between Christopher Pemberton, William Thrower and Clement Francis but another Agreement dated 18th July involved only Thrower and Francis (Christopher Pemberton had decided to retire). However, both Thrower and Pemberton died in 1850 leaving Clement Francis to take over the work of Pemberton and Thrower and continue on his own. In 1861 he went into partnership with Thomas Webster and Alfred Smith Riches and formed Francis, Webster and Riches. In 1876 Thomas Webster retired from the practice (but continued the work of his London practice) and so Clement took his son Thomas Musgrave Francis into the business, trading as Francis, Riches and Francis. In 1879 Alfred Riches died and Clement and his son continued their partnership until Clement died in 1880.
1838 - 1846 Gunning and Francis
1846 - 1861 Clement Francis
1861 - 1876 Francis, Webster and Riches
1876 - 1879 Francis, Riches and Francis
1879 - 1880 Francis and Francis
His obituary in the Cambridge Independent Press, described him as "one of the leading solicitors of this town".
He had acted as adviser to a majority of colleges; was solicitor to the University; clerk to the visitors of the Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Lunatic Asylum; clerk to the Income Tax Commissioners; clerk to the Conservators of the Cam; deputy-lieutenant for the county; a member of the Council of the Incorporated Law Society; and on many occasions acted as Under-Sheriff for the counties of Cambridge and Huntingdon.
Personal Life:
On 8th May 1848 Clement married Sarah nee Parmeter (1827-1897) at Aylsham. They had 13 children (6 surviving to adulthood):
Thomas Musgrave (1850-1931); Wolstan (1855-1943); Henry Clement (1857 - emigrated to Australia); Walter Hamond (1858-1940); Charles Decimus (1860 - emigrated to Australia) and Ellen (1864-19?). The family lived at 17 Emmanuel Street next to the office at No.18. On 11th October 1855 Clement Francis bought Quy Hall Estate from Mr and Mrs J. T. Martin but major refurbishment work meant that they didn’t start to move into the Hall before 1858. Then it was used as their summer house and Emmanuel Street as their winter one due to discomfort of the Hall and the state of the roads. Clement was a keen cyclist and often cycled to the office from Quy. It was here at Quy Hall that Clement died suddenly on 7th March 1880 after an acute attack of bronchitis.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Receipt from the Masters and Fellows of Jesus College to Clement Francis, for work as an attorney concerning the St Radegund tithes between 12th February 1855 and 4th November 1856. Items billed include: Writing Messrs Sumpter and Hyde in pursuance of the Master's letter this day requesting to know if the appointment was complete or how it stood, stating that you were very anxious at once to get in all the arrears due; attending at different times Mr Mann and Mr Harwood upon this business and ultimately today Mr Mann when he informed me that in consequence of Mr Harwood having been previously employed and having maps and other information on the business, he thought it would be desirable that he should act jointly with him; writing tithe communications thereon; having received a letter from the tithe commissioners requesting me to see Messrs Mann and Harwood and urge them to complete this business, attending Mr Mann thereon, and he stated the maps were nearly complete and promised the business should be settled in the course of next month; writing the tithe commissioners in reply to their letter; Messrs Harwood and Mann having informed me that the draft and plan would be completed by the end of this month and not having at present received any intimation from them that it was forwarded to the tithe commissioners or to me, attending them severally on the business when they respectfully informed me that the plan was complete and only required signing and conferring with Mr Harwood on the payment of his costs, which he was desirous to secure previous to parting with the plan; having received letter from the tithe commissioners wherein they referred to my letter to them of the 20th September last, stating that the business of the appointment would probably be completed by the end of the month of October just past, and that draft and plan had not yet been sent to them, and asking whether under the circumstances I had received plan of the titheable land, and if I thought it desirable that they should at once proceed to appoint a fresh valuer— writing them in reply; writing Mr Harwood informing him of the communication I had received from the tithe commissioners and urgently requesting him to complete at once— pursuant to his promise to that effect; the like Mr Mann; attending them afterwards when they informed me the draft apportionment was completed by them and had been sent to the tithe office for inspection. Total amount: £2 14s 4d, paid by cash in College account. Signed by Clement Francis.