The ties that bind

Several clubs, business and public appointments bind the Merchants together. Many of them went to public school - a few to the same schools - and a good number have served in the military. Most are members of the Clifton Club, at 22 The Mall, a posh pub for businessmen. Many are also members of other obscure and elitist Bristol clubs such as the Bristol Savages and the Antient Society Of St Stephens Ringers (whose annual meeting involves a bizarre procession with a stuffed fox and a model of Queen Elizabeth I's death mask).
Three local firms - Bristol Water (www.bristolwater.co.uk), Wessex Water (www.wessexwater.co.uk) and Bristol And West (www.bristol-west.co.uk) have provided a good number of Merchants over the years - at one point half of B&W's board were Merchants. Three members (John Burke, Geoff Matthews and Lord Waldegrave) are currently non-executive directors of B&W. They join a host of other Merchants who are past directors of the firm, including Christopher Thomas, George McWatters, and the late Andrew Breach, who presided over the company's growth for more than 40 years.
Some of them have also been involved with Bristol Chamber of Commerce - John Burke is its current president; Douglas Claisse, Colin Green, Louis Sherwood and Robert Mckinlay are ex-presidents.
Many have served as Sheriffs of Bristol, including Christopher Thomas, Sir George White, Francis Greenacre, Jay Tidmarsh and George Ferguson; and many have also been JPs.