William Clarke (1696–1771) was an English cleric and antiquary.
Born at Haughmond Abbey in Shropshire, he was the son of a yeoman who acted as confidential agent for the Kynaston family of Hardwick (Shropshire), and w for that family. Clarke was educated at Shrewsbury School 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. [1] [2]
On leaving university Clarke acted as chaplain to Adam Ottley, bishop of St. David's, 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 to the rectory of Buxted in Sussex, and in September 1727 was made prebendary of Hova Villa in Chichester Cathedral, and in 1738 canon residentiary. In 1768, he obtained permission to resign the rectory of Buxted to his son Edward. [1]
In June 1770 Clarke was installed chancellor of Chichester (also holding the rectories of Chiddingly and Pevensey). 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. [1]
In the spring of 1771 Clarke suffered from gout, and died on 21 October of that year. He was buried in Chichester Cathedral, behind the choir. [1]
William Hayley, 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, and Thomas Sherlock. [1]
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, his father-in-law; a translation of Joseph Trapp's Lectures on Poetry, annotations on the Greek Testament (the two latter with William Bowyer), 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. [1]
Clarke drew up a manuscript The Antiquities of the Cathedral of Chichester,’ which was presented by his grandson to Alexander Hay, the local historian. [1]
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. [1]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Clarke, William (1696-1771)". Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 10. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
William Wotton 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 Moderns. In Wales he is remembered as the collector and first translator of the ancient Welsh laws.
Henry King was an English poet who served as Bishop of Chichester.
Richard Grey D.D. was an English churchman and author, archdeacon of Bedford from 1757. He is now remembered for his Memoria Technica, a work on a memory system.
David Wilkins (1685–1745), originally named Wilke or Wilkius, was a Prussian orientalist, born in Memel, who settled in England. His 1716 publication of the Coptic New Testament was the editio princeps.
Robert Darley Waddilove was Dean of Ripon.
John Thomas was an English bishop.
Sir William Bowyer, 1st Baronet, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1659 and 1679.
Richard Curteys (c.1532?–1582) was an English churchman. A native of Lincolnshire, after his education at St. John's, Cambridge he was ordained and eventually became Chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I. He was made the Dean of Chichester Cathedral and then Bishop of Chichester. Curteys was reputedly a promoter of preaching and the clerical improvement of Anglicanism. In Curteys' episcopate, the cost of supporting many residentiaries and providing hospitality, could not be funded by the relatively small income of Chichester Cathedral. Curteys remodelled the constitution to reduce costs. Despite the changes Curteys died penniless.
Robert Grove (1634–1696) was an English Bishop of Chichester.
Henry Gally, D.D. (1696-1769) was an English divine and classical scholar.
George Gaskin (1751–1829) was a lecturer at St Mary's, Islington for forty-six years, resigning in 1822, to become a prebendary at Ely Cathedral. He was also Rector of Stoke Newington and of St Benet, Gracechurch.
Sir William Ashburnham, 4th Baronet was a Church of England priest and also a baronet.
William Cooke (1711–1797) was an English cleric and academic, Provost of King's College, Cambridge from 1772 and Dean of Ely from 1780.
Simon Haynes or Heynes was Dean of Exeter, Ambassador to France, and a signatory of the decree that invalidated the marriage of Henry VIII with Anne of Cleves.
James Stanier Clarke (1766–1834) was an English cleric, naval author and man of letters. He became librarian in 1799 to George, Prince of Wales.
Edward Clarke (1730–1786) was an English cleric and author.
George Elwes Corrie was an English churchman and academic, Master of Jesus College, Cambridge from 1849.
George D'Oyly (1778–1846) was an English cleric and academic, theologian and biographer.
John Warner (1736–1800) was an English cleric and classical scholar.
William Hayley (1683–1715) of Cleobury Mortimer, Salop was a Church of England priest and dean of Chichester Cathedral.