Transcription of obituary published in the Minutes of Conference
JAMES CLARK: born of Methodist stock at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, in 1878. For a time he served in the business of his family, who were hay and corn merchants. Then he went for training to Hartley College. He exercised a gracious ministry for many years in Methodism, having begun his active ministry in 1904, He travelled in Lowick, Poplar, Brompton, North Shields, North Sunderland, Hamilton, Greenock, Whitehaven, and Wigton. He became a supernumerary in 1946, and went to live in Greenock where he had spent seven fruitful years in the Roxburgh Street church and circuit.
He was a helpful preacher and a faithful pastor who knew his flock. People still speak of his homeliness in his pastoral visitation, and of his kindliness towards all, young and old. He took a special interest in the Christian Endeavour movement. Throughout the years of retirement he maintained his interest in the life and work of the Church. He was bright amid increasing infirmity and maintained his habit of regular worship at the church until just before his passing. He died at Greenock on 18th November 1957, in the eightieth year of his age and the fifty-fourth of his ministry.
Family
James was born on 7 December 1878 at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, to parents Thomas and Sarah.
He married Margaretta Phillipa Allen (1878-1941) in the summer of 1908 at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. The 1933 Methodist Who’s Who records they had two sons.
James died on18 November 1957 at Greenock, Scotland.
Circuits
- Hartley
- 1904 Lowick
- 1908 Poplar
- 1911 Brompton
- 1915 N Shields
- 1916 N Sunderland
- 1923 Hamilton
- 1928 Greenock
- 1935 Whitehaven
- 1937 Wigton
- 1946 Greenock(S)
References
Methodist Minutes 1958/178
W Leary, Directory of Primitive Methodist Ministers and their Circuits, 1990
Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers
Comments about this page
James Clark is my Great-Grandfather. I discovered this website today whilst doing research on my family tree. The details of James’ career as a Minister in the Primitive Methodist Church and the description of his kind and helpful nature have been very informative.
I note the comment from Mr Scott, who was told of James by his Grandmother. It was lovely to read her memory of him and what he meant to her community.
In 1946 James married Mary Ann Marker (1900 – 1979), at Wigton in Cumbria. They moved to Greenock that same year.
Mr Clark married my grandparents at Craster in the North Sunderland circuit in 1920 and baptised my father in 1921. My grandmother told me that he got around the circuit on a motorbike.
When he left in 1923 they gave him a leaving present of money at an event at the home of my great uncle at Peppermoor, Longhoughton.q
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