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James Clark (Bible Christian)

For other people named James Clark, see James Clark (disambiguation).

The Reverend
James Clark
A historical black-and-white portrait of a man with a beard, wearing a suit and bow tie, facing to the right.
Portrait from Fifty Years of Food Reform (1898)
Born(1830-10-18)18 October 1830
Bolton, Lancashire, England
Died7 June 1905(1905-06-07) (aged 74)
Salford, Lancashire, England
Resting placeWeaste Cemetery, Salford, England
Occupation(s)Minister, activist
Years active1857–1905
Known forVegetarianism activism
Spouse
Cordelia Collier
​
​
(m. 1854; died 1893)​
Children7
RelativesEdwin Collier (brother-in-law)
Signature

James Clark (18 October 1830 – 7 June 1905) was an English Bible Christian Church minister and activist for temperance and vegetarianism. Clark was deeply involved in social causes, including relief efforts during the Cotton Famine and service on the Salford Board of Guardians. As Honorary Secretary of the Vegetarian Society, he represented the organisation at international congresses and helped found the International Vegetarian Union.

Life and career

Early life and career

James Clark was born on 18 October 1830 in Bolton, Lancashire.[1] He was Christened in Bolton le Moors on 2 January 1831.[2] Clark's family had a history of tuberculosis.[3]

Clark moved to Manchester as a youth and began his career in a shipping house, where he later became a buyer. Despite the demands of his work, he attended evening classes associated with the Bible Christian Church in King-street, Salford.[4]

Ministry work and activism

Clark in the 1870s

In 1848, Clark became a teetotaller and worked for the Manchester Temperance Society. He adopted vegetarianism in 1851 and was ordained as a minister of the Bible Christian Church, eventually becoming the pastor at Whitstuntide in 1858. This denomination, established in 1809, mandated abstinence from intoxicants and meat. One of Clark's ministerial predecessors was Joseph Brotherton, Salford's Member of Parliament.[4] Clark remained as a pastor for nearly 50 years,[5] continuing his church duties in his later years, despite failing health.[1]

Clark was actively involved in relief efforts during the Cotton Famine and served on the Relief Committees in Salford. Following the Broughton floods of 1866, he dedicated much time to aiding those affected. He was a long-time member of the Salford Board of Guardians, advocating for significant reforms. Upon his resignation as chair in 1889, he received an address signed by every member, regardless of party affiliation.[4]

A committed Liberal and proponent of education, Clark taught at the Salford Lyceum and served two terms on the Salford School Board. He oversaw large Sunday and day schools within the Bible Christian Church, regarded among the best in the borough. He had a particular interest in the flourishing Band of Hope and held senior roles in the United Kingdom Alliance, the Manchester and Salford Temperance Union, and the Lancashire and Cheshire Band of Hope Union.[4]

Later years and death

1891 meeting of the Vegetarian Society. Clark stands in the top left.

Clark served as honorary secretary to the Vegetarian Society for many years.[3] In 1902, he chaired the annual meeting of the society. Clark also represented the society at international congresses, including those in Chicago (1893), St. Louis (1903), Paris, and Cologne. He was active up until a month before his death, attending the May meeting of the Vegetarian Society in Cambridge. Additionally, Clark helped establish the International Vegetarian Union.[5]

Clark died at his home in Salford[4] on 7 June 1905 at the age of 74, following a paralytic stroke.[1] He was also buried in Weaste Cemetery.[6]

Personal life

Clark married Cordelia Collier in 1854. Her brother Edwin served as a deacon of the Bible Christian Church and was vice president and treasurer of the Vegetarian Society. They had seven children: Ernest, Bertha, Maud, Harold, Ethel, Arthur, and Alfred. Arthur was an active vegetarian. His wife suffered a seizure in 1889, worsening until her death in 1893 at age 69, and was buried in Weaste Cemetery, Salford.[1]

Legacy

Clark's death deeply impacted the Bible Christian Church, his local community, and the campaigners he supported. Days before his death, he had expressed a desire to die while serving his congregation. His memorial service included representatives from various organisations, highlighting his broad influence, especially with the Vegetarian Society. Tributes praised his exceptional character and dedication to helping the poor. Two memorials were unveiled in his honour, and his successor noted his humane nature and commitment to alleviating suffering. His significant contributions to the Vegetarian Society during difficult times were particularly lauded.[7]

Selected publications

  • Abstinence From Flesh: A Scriptural Doctrine and a Religious Duty (1877)[8]
  • Testimony of Scripture (c. 1910s)[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Biography: Cordelia Clark". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  2. ^ "James Clark". Lancashire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911. Ancestry.com. 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b Gregory, James Richard Thomas Elliott (2002). "Biographical Index of British Vegetarians and Food reformers of the Victorian Era". The Vegetarian Movement in Britain c.1840–1901: A Study of Its Development, Personnel and Wider Connections (PDF). Vol. 2. University of Southampton. p. 25. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Memorial Notices: Rev. James Clark". The Manchester Guardian. 8 June 1905. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
  5. ^ a b "History of Vegetarianism: The Bible Christian Church (1809-1930)". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Deaths". The Manchester Guardian. 9 June 1905. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Antrobus, Derek (1997). A Guiltless Feast: The Salford Bible Christian Church and the Rise of the Modern Vegetarian Movement. City of Salford, Education and Leisure. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-901952-57-8.
  8. ^ Abstinence from flesh : a scriptural doctrine and a religious duty : an address delivered in the Bible Christian Church, Cross Lane, Salford, 13th. Fred. Pitman. 1877. OCLC 842385226.
  9. ^ "Testimony of scripture / by Rev. James Clark". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
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