Branford Edward Clarke (March 18, 1885 – July 7, 1947) was an Evangelical preacher, poet and artist who promoted the Ku Klux Klan through his art which was drawn for the

Pillar of Fire Church The Pillar of Fire International, also known as the Pillar of Fire Church, is a Methodist Christian denomination with headquarters in Zarephath, New Jersey. The Pillar of Fire Church affirms the Methodist Articles of Religion and as of 1988, had ...

and their publications.

Biography

He was born on March 18, 1885 in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. His brother was a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

. In the 1920s he converted a

Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...

into a mobile chapel. He was pastor of the

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

for at least several years. From about 1925 to 1928 he illustrated numerous religious and political publications for the Pillar of Fire Church in partnership with Bishop

Alma White Alma Bridwell White (June 16, 1862 – June 26, 1946) was the founder and a bishop of the Pillar of Fire Church. In 1918, she became the first woman bishop of Pillar of Fire in the United States. She was a proponent of feminism. She also ass ...

, the church's founder and leader. Many of his illustrations supported Bishop White's writings by attacking various minorities including Catholics, Jews, and US immigrants and by promoting the Ku Klux Klan. He died on July 7, 1947 and was buried in the Pillar of Fire cemetery in

Zarephath, New Jersey Zarephath (, ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) and located in Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, about north of Princeton.

Artwork

Books

*''Poems and Pictures by a Preacher'' (1921) *'' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' (1925) *'' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' (1926) *'' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' (1928) *''Woman's Chains'' (1943): 9 illustrations *''

Guardians of Liberty Guardians of Liberty is a three volume set of books published in 1943 by Bishop Alma Bridwell White, author of over 35 books and founder of the Pillar of Fire Church. Guardians of Liberty is primarily devoted to summarizing White's vehement anti- ...

'' Vol I-III, (1943)

Periodicals

*''

The Good Citizen ''The Good Citizen'' was a sixteen-page monthly political periodical edited by Bishop Alma White and illustrated by Reverend Branford Clarke. ''The Good Citizen'' was published from 1913 until 1933 by the Pillar of Fire Church at their hea ...

'' (1913–1933)

Hymns

Several of Clarke's poems were set to music by his wife Esther and published as hymns in the Pillar of Fire's ''Cross and Crown Hymnal''. Some of Branford Clarke's hymns include: ''Tell Me of the Love of Jesus'', ''Everything Will Work Out Right'', ''God Keep Me Strong'', ''Prayer Changes Things'', ''Calling Again and Again'', ''Take Heart'', and ''Yonder Shore''.

Yonder Shore
Life may have clouds, but when I think of Jesus
The sun breaks thro' its radiance to outpour
And far away I hear the song of angels
Singing, singing, singing on yonder shore.

There is a cross that every one must carry
Long a thorned path whose toils will soon be o'er
Then at His feet shall we lay down our burdens
With the fair immortals on yonder shore.

While trav'ling on to that eternal haven
Here in the heart can be fair Canaan's door
Thro' which the love of Jesus softly stealing
Fills the soul with glory from yonder shore.

There is a death, but it is only mortal
The soul lives on and on for evermore.
How wonderful to dwell for aye with Jesus
Ever and forever on yonder shore.

Chorus
Singing on that shore
Singing on that shore
Hark, I hear them singing
Singing, ever, singing on yonder shore.

Images

File:Statue of Liberty from Heroes of the Fiery Cross.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:Marching1.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:Shark1.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:bedfellows1.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:proper hands.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:our hero1.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:immigrants1.jpg, From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:unamerican1.jpg, Out of the Smoke Un-Americanism. From '' Heroes of the Fiery Cross'' 1928. File:Liberty bell (KKK).jpg, Ringing The Liberty Bell. From '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' 1926. File:Protecting hand 2 (KKK).jpg, Protecting Hand of True Americanism. From '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' 1926. File:conspiratorkkk.jpg, The Subtle Conspirator. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:eatinginkkk.jpg, Eating In. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:Jam (KKK).jpg, Who Has Been Into That Jam? Branford Clarke illustration in '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:A Comeback (KKK).jpg, A Come-Back He Was Not Expecting. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:defender18thkkk.jpg, The Defender Of The 18th Amendment. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' 1926. File:pushhimoffkkk.jpg, Push Him Off. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' 1926. File:theendkkk.jpg, The End. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:Protecting hand 1 (KKK).jpg, The Protecting Hand Of True Americanism. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:romeprisonskkk.jpg, Rome's Prison Houses Must be Opened For Inspection. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:bibleplacedkkk.jpg, The Bible Must Be Placed In Every Schoolroom. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:stepouchkkk.jpg, Watch Your Step. from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:Chosekkk.jpg, Which Will You Choose? from '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' File:initiationkkk.jpg, Open-air Initiation of K.K.K. under the Light of the Fiery Cross. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:doorbreakinge.jpg, Americanism Breaking Through. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:starromekkk.jpg, A New Star Baffles Rome. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:The Great Army for Truth and Americanism Makes Rome Tremble.jpg, This Great Army for Truth and Americanism Makes Rome Tremble. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:capitalkkk.jpg, The Coming Conflict. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:scarletwomankkk.jpg, The Scarlet Woman on the Back of the Beast. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:snowmankkk.jpg, The Rising Sun Will Melt The Snow Man. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:pedistalkkk.jpg, The Men Who Are Refusing to Bow to the Great Image. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:goodsamaritankkk.jpg, The Good Samaritan (K.K.K.) Caring For The Man Who Was Wounded, While His Persecutors Flee. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:wallsofromekkk.jpg, The Ballot Will Bring The Walls Down. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:jonahkkk.jpg, Jonah Cast Overboard. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:Snowball (KKK).jpg, Gideon's barley cake (K.K.K.) rolls into the camp of the enemy. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:White-robed army (KKK).jpg, The White-robed Army—the Protectors of Americanism. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:popeglobe.jpg, And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free, spite of Rome and the Knave. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:horseschariotskkk.jpg, Behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:sefendersofschoolkkk.jpg, The Defenders of the Public School. From '' The Ku Klux Klan In Prophecy'' 1925. File:KKK - St Patricks Dau.jpg, St. Patrick's Day in America From '' Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty'' 1927.

References

External links

*
Branford Clarke
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Branford American Ku Klux Klan members Pillar of Fire International 1885 births 1947 deaths American pamphleteers American male non-fiction writers English emigrants to the United States Critics of the Catholic Church American temperance activists American cartoonists