John Erskine Clarke

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

John Erskine Clarke

John Erskine Clarke (1827–1920) was a British clergyman who issued the first parish magazine. He established several other religious publications and was responsible for founding churches schools and hospitals in Battersea. He also competed at Henley Royal Regatta.

Clarke was born at

James Aitken and Joseph William Chitty.[3]

Clarke took

Co-operative Society providing a library and as a representative of the Working Men's Association helped provide for a grocery store. He was also president of what was known as the Happy Home Union.[6] In 1863 he founded The Children's Prize, a paper for young children later called The Prize.[7] In 1866 he moved to St Andrew Derby[1] and set to work with publisher William Macintosh to produce Chatterbox, a weekly paper for older children.[8] The first edition went on sale on 1 December 1866. Clarke became a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral in 1869.[1]
In 1871 he started Church Bells, another religious weekly newspaper.

St Mary's Battersea

In 1872, Clarke became Vicar of

Rural Dean in 1880, and served as diocesan Proctor.[1]

Clarke inspired the building of several churches in Battersea during the second half of the nineteenth century. His own endeavours led to the building of St Mark's, Battersea Rise, St Peter's, Plough Road, St Matthew's and St Luke's in 1889.

Poor Law Institution (workhouse).[10]

On 27 July 1895, Clarke was made Honorary Chaplain to Queen Victoria,[11] and after her death in 1901 continued in the same role to King Edward VII. He built a new vicarage for St Luke's on his own property in 1901 and was Vicar of St Luke's from 1901 until 1914.[9] He was appointed Honorary Canon of Southwark in 1905, when the new Anglican Diocese of Southwark was founded. He also continued as an Honorary Chaplain, now to King George V on his accession in 1910.[12][13]

Clarke suffered a stroke in 1916. He died four years later aged 92 at St Luke's Vicarage and was buried at Elvington, York.[14]

There are memorials to Clarke in St Mary's and St Luke's Churches in Battersea.[8] A house in Battersea Grammar School was named after him.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Registers of Wadham College
  2. ^ R C Lehmann The Complete Oarsman
  3. ^ Henley Royal Regatta Results of Final Races 1839–1939 Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ St Michael's Derby
  5. ^ Jane Platt, '"A sweet, saintly, Christian business?" The Anglican Parish Magazine, 1859–1918' (Lancaster University PhD Thesis, 2010), pp. 41–55.The Anglican Communion Official Web Site – Celebrating 150 years of the Parish Magazine
  6. ^ Derby Co-op Jubilee
  7. ^ Bodleian Periodicals and annuals post 1850
  8. ^ a b J. Erskine Clarke Archived 5 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b St Luke's Church South Battersea
  10. ^ "Hospitals". Derelict London.
  11. ^ "No. 26648". The London Gazette. 30 July 1895. p. 4300.
  12. ^ "No. 28385". The London Gazette. 17 June 1910. p. 4255.
  13. ^ "No. 31825". The London Gazette. 16 March 1920. p. 3303.
  14. ^ Elvington Village History Burials

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Erskine_Clarke&oldid=1176663983"