William Clarke (1696–1771) was an English cleric and antiquary.

Life

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

, he was the son of a

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

who acted as confidential agent for the Kynaston family of Hardwick (Shropshire), and w for that family. Clarke was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

and at St John's College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1715, M.A. 1719, and became a Fellow of his college on 22 January 1717. On leaving university Clarke acted as chaplain to Adam Ottley,

bishop of St. David's The Bishop of St Davids is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St Davids. The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, ...

, and on Ottley's death in 1723 was for a short time domestic chaplain to Thomas Holles, Duke of Newcastle. In 1724 he was presented by Archbishop

William Wake William Wake (26 January 165724 January 1737) was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1716 until his death in 1737. Life Wake was born in Blandford Forum, Dorset, and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He took ...

to the rectory of

Buxted Buxted is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex in England. The parish is situated on the Weald, north of Uckfield; the settlements of Five Ash Down, Heron's Ghyll and High Hurstwood are included within its boundarie ...

in Sussex, and in September 1727 was made prebendary of Hova Villa in

Chichester Cathedral Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of ...

, and in 1738 canon residentiary. In 1768, he obtained permission to resign the rectory of Buxted to his son Edward. In June 1770 Clarke was installed chancellor of Chichester (also holding the rectories of

Chiddingly Chiddingly ( ) is an English village and civil parish in the Wealden District of the administrative county of East Sussex, within historic Sussex, some five miles (8 km) northwest of Hailsham. The parish is rural in character: it inc ...

and

Pevensey Pevensey ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located north-east of Eastbourne, one mile (1.6 km) inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part ...

). In August of the same year he was presented to the vicarage of Amport, the vicarial residence, which he resigned to a friend who died in July 1771. In the spring of 1771 Clarke suffered from

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

, and died on 21 October of that year. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral, behind the choir.

William Hayley William Hayley (9 November 174512 November 1820) was an English writer, best known as the biographer of his friend William Cowper. Biography Born at Chichester, he was sent to Eton in 1757, and to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1762; his conne ...

, a close friend of the Clarkes, wrote some memorial verses for "Mild" William Clarke and Anne his wife. Among Clarke's friends and correspondents were Hayley, Jeremiah Markland, John Taylor,

Thomas Secker Thomas Secker (21 September 16933 August 1768) was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England. Early life and studies Secker was born in Sibthorpe, Nottinghamshire. In 1699, he went to Richard Brown's free school in Chesterfield ...

, and

Thomas Sherlock Thomas Sherlock (167818 July 1761) was a British divine who served as a Church of England bishop for 33 years. He is also noted in church history as an important contributor to Christian apologetics. Life Born in London, he was the son of the ...

Works

Clarke's major work was ''The Connexion of the Roman, Saxon, and English Coins deduced from observations on the Saxon Weights and Money'' (London, 1767); another edition appeared in 1771. He also wrote the Latin preface (1730) to the collection of the Welsh laws of

William Wotton William Wotton (13 August 166613 February 1727) was an English theologian, classical scholar and linguist. He is chiefly remembered for his remarkable abilities in learning languages and for his involvement in the Quarrel of the Ancients and the ...

, his father-in-law; a translation of

Joseph Trapp Joseph Trapp (1679–1747) was an English clergyman, academic, poet and pamphleteer. His production as a younger man of occasional verse (some anonymous, or in Latin) and dramas led to his appointment as the first Oxford Professor of Poetry in 1 ...

's ''Lectures on Poetry'', annotations on the '' Greek Testament'' (the two latter with

William Bowyer William Bowyer may refer to: Politicians * William Bowyer (15th century MP), in 1411 MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme * William Bowyer (died 1602), MP for Stafford * William Bowyer (Keeper of the Records), MP for Westminster and Keeper of the Records in ...

), and some notes to the English version of Jean-Philippe-René de La Bléterie's ''Life of the Emperor Julian''. A ''Discourse on the Commerce of the Romans'' was by Clarke or Bowyer. Clarke drew up a manuscript ''The Antiquities of the Cathedral of Chichester'',’ which was presented by his grandson to Alexander Hay, the local historian.

Family

Clarke married Anne Wotton (b. June 1700, d. 11 July 1783), daughter of Dr. William Wotton, by whom he had three children, two of whom survived him:a son, Edward, and a daughter, Anne, who died, unmarried, at Chichester.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, William 1696 births 1771 deaths 18th-century English Anglican priests English antiquarians Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge People from Buxted Clergy from Shropshire Writers from Shropshire