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SidelightsontheHistoryandPersonalityoftheVenerableWilliamClowes

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TranscriptionofArticleinthePrimitiveMethodistMagazinebyJ.T.HorneTothestudentofpsychologyWilliamClowesisaninterestingcharacter.Itispossiblethatsomeofourreadershavesharedourfeelingsinreadinghisbiographies.Wehavestudied,practically,alltheClowesliterature,yetwehavealwaysfeltthatsomethinghasbeenlackinginthepresentationofhischaracterbythewriters.Thesubjecthasbeenhazy;thelensehasnotbeensharplyfocussed,andthepicturehasbeenenvelopedinmist.Wehaveseenastrongnature,afertile,magneticpersonality,-agrandandsuccessfulEvangelist.Butwhatproducedsuchacharacter?Tosaythatitwas“theGraceofGod”istogivebutapartialanswer,forWilliamCloweswasnotanordinarymanmadeextraordinaryby“theGraceofGod.”Hewasnaturallyuncommon,andwhenherespondedtothewooingsoftheDivineSpirit,thatAgentsimplymadehisnaturedotheworkforwhichhewascreated.WebelievethathewasneversomuchhimselfaswhenheactedunderthedirectinfluenceoftheSpirit;becausehewasthenbroughtuptothefullnessofallwhichhepossessed,butwhichuptillthattimehadlaindormant.ThereismuchthatpertainstotheDivineactionuponthehumansoulwhicheludesourgrasp,butwearewarrantedinsayingthattheSpiritproducesnoresultsinamanforwhichthereisnotalreadyexistinganadequatecause.TheSpiritnevercreatesnewfaculties,butHemakesuseofthosealreadyappointedforproducingthedesiredresults.AllevidencetendstoshowthatthereisnoactionoftheDivineuponthehumansoulexceptinthelineofalreadyestablishedpowersandfaculties;andthesetheSpiritarousestoextraordinarypowerandefficiency.Hegivesthemanthebenefitofthewholepowerofhisownmind.InourstudyofClowescharacterwewereconstantlyseekingthisfullerknowledgerespectinghisancestry,temperament,andfamilyrelations,thatwemightbettertracetheworkingsoftheeternallawswhichGodhadwritteninhisnature.Emersonsays:“Welooktofindinthesoneverymentalandmoralpropertythatexistedintheancestor...wecaretoexaminethepedigree...whichresultedinthismotherwit,delicacyofthought,androbustwisdom.”WhenweremovedintothedistrictwhereCloweswasborn,andbecameacquaintedwiththepresentrepresentativesofhisfamily,andheardtheirstoriesandgatheredtheincidentswhichtheystilltellillustrativeofhisdoings;andaswecametoknowthepeoplewithwhomhewasfamiliar,ortheirdescendants,whostilllivearoundTunstallandBurslern,wecametoabetterunderstandingoftheman.Tositbythefiresideandhearofhimfromlivinglips;tobetoldofthemarvellouspowerwithwhichheswayedthethousandsathisCampMeetingservices,oroftheholyawewhichresteduponhiscongregationsashepreachedinthechapelsat,andaroundTunstallistogetadifferentideaofClowesfromanyshowninthepublishedbooksdealingwithhisEvangelisticcareer.Sometimesourhearthasbeen“strangelywarmed”asMrs.ThelwellhastoldoftheinterviewsbetweenClowesandherfather,the

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lateJamesNixon;andwehaveoftenwishedfor“thepenofareadywriter,”thatwemightpreservehersayingsfortheprofitofothers.Itwasourcustomaftersuchconversationstowritedownmanyofherstories,anditisfromthisstorethatweproposetoselectoursidelights.ButwehavealsoheardotherilluminatingincidentsfromthechildrenofpersonswhoknewClowes,andweshallalsodrawfromthissource.WeremembergoingforawalkoneeveningincompanywithafriendwhosefatherknewClowesintimately.OurjourneytookusalongtheroadwhichleadsfromTunstalltoHarriseahead,pastTurnhurstHall,atonetimetheresidenceofthecelebratedJamesBrindley,thegreatcanalengineer.AswewerepassingtheHallhecalledmyattentiontothefactthatitwasalongthisroadthebandofTunstallMethodistswalkedtothatepoch-markingLovefeastatHarriseahead,whereClowesfirstmetDanielShubotham.Weshallhavemoretosayabouthimlater.DuringthisLovefeasthesays,“thecloudsofdarknessandtemptationwhichhadsettledonmysoulweredispersed,andtheflameofGod’sloveexpandedthroughoutallmypowers.”WecaIledattentiontothelackofinformationrespectingClowes’movementsaboutthistime,andhevolunteeredthestatementthathisfatherhadtoldhimthatCloweswasaccompaniedbythebrothersNixon,ofwhomtherewerethreelivingatTunstall,andonthereturnjourneyCloweswassoover-joyedthat“hewassingingnearlyalltheway.”AswewalkedwewatchedthedaylightdieandthehistoricMowfadedintothenight;thestarscameoutinthesky,whilstthegreatflamesfromtheblast-furnacesilluminatedthesurroundingcountry,makingitaslightasday.ToClowesallthiswasfamiliarground.Howevermuchthedistricthaschanged,enoughremainsfortheimaginationtoreconstructtheoldplacesandpeoplethemwiththeirassociates.Weproposetotellsomeofthesethingswhichwehavelearnedtohelptoabetterunderstandingoftheman.Hewaspre-eminentlyaStaffordshirepersonandcombinedinhischaracterinaveryspecialdegreethelightsandshades,thestrengthandweaknessesofthetypicalNorthStaffordproduct.Hispedigreehasbeengivenbyvariouswriters,andCloweshimselfreferstohisrelationshiptotheroyalpotter,JosiahWedgwood,thefounderoftheEtruriaWorks.ButhisconnectionwiththisbranchoftheWedgwoodfamilyisveryremote,anddoesnotcountformuch.Thosewhohaverittenonthissubjecthave,evidently,gainedtheirinformationfromthepublishedbiographiesofJosiahWedgwoodorfrom“Ward’sHistoryofStoke-on-Trent,”orhavebeensatisfiedwithClowes’ownstatementonthesubject.AstothevalueofWardonthispoint,itmaysufficeifwequotefromaletterwrittenbyJosiahC.Wedgwood,Esq.,agentlemanmostardentlyattachedtoarchaeologicalandgenealogicalstudies.Wehavehadconsiderablecorrespondencewithhimonthissubject,andfindingthatinsomerespectshedifferedfromthelocalhistorian,inreplytoourenquiryhewrote,“Wardisquiteoutofdate.Myversionofthepedigreeisascorrectasmodernresearchcanmakeit.Ihavealltheevidences,butdon’tthinktheywouldinterestyou,andtheyareverylong.”NowpedigreewasaveryimportantfactorinthepersonalityofClowes,stillitisdifficulttodeterminehowmuchofhissubsequentsuccessoughttobetracedtothemomentumofheredity.

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Certainlyitwasagreatcontrollinginfluence,andwemustgiveduerecognitiontohiskinshipwiththesetwoancientfamiliesofClowesandWedgwood.SofarasweknowithasneverbeenshownthathisfatherdescendedfromanancientStaffordshirehouse,andwe,therefore,putonrecordafewfactsconcerninghisheritage,whichweareabletodothroughthekindnessofMr.Wedgwood,whohascompiledthefollowingtablefromlegaldocumentsinhispossession.CLOWESFAMILY.1327 SubsidyRoll.BenedictdelClou’s'(oftheCloughor

Cloud)paidtaxesInHeatonandLowe.1333 SubsidyRoll.BenedictdelClough,ditto,(thesameman).1565 JohnClowesbuyslandinCheddleton(threehousesand160acres!)1587 JohnClowestheelderandJohnClowestheyoungerandNicolasClowesandTheophila,his

wife,sellthesameproperty.1609 ThomasClowesandElizabethhiswife,andLawrenceClowesandMargarethiswifesell

twenty-sixacresinLeekfor£80.1610 WilliamClowesandheirsbuytwenty-oneacresinHeaton.1610 RobertClowesandheirsbuyeightyacresinHeatonfor£41.1610 ThomasClowesbuysfromSirWalterAstoncommonrightsonMorridgeMoorfor£60.1612 WilliamClowse(sic),andThomasMalkinbuylandinRushtonJames.1617 WilliamClowes,gentleman,buystwohousesand170acresinHeatonfromWilliamThorley

for£120(probablyanominalnottherealpurchaseprice).1701 WilliamCloweswitnessesagrantofThomasFentonofHollinhousetoJosiahMeadeofland

inCrowborough.1657 WilliamClowesoccupiedahouseinBurslern.}Ward’s1742,1750SamehouseoccupiedbyThomasClowes.}“StokeonTrent”InexaminingolddocumentskeptintheBurslemParishChurchwesawthefollowingwhichshowtheconnectionofthefamilywiththatplace.“May1707.RichardR.Clowes,his+mark,asChurchwarden.”Thefollowingistakenfromthesameoldregister.“ThomasClowes,oldChurchwarden,1746shortaccountedforbysittings,fourshillingsandfourpence(andalsoistopaysixshillingsforwine).N.B.-ThefourshillingsandfourpencebeingduetoSneydHamlet,fromBurslem.”TheseprovethatClowesisanoldStaffordshirename,andMr.Wedgwoodwrites:“ThenameofClowesoccursfrequentlyintheimmediateneighbourhoodofTunstallfrom1327tothepresentday.Thenamewasoriginally‘oftheClough,’or‘oftheCloud,’springingdirectlyfromthathill‘TheCloud,’whichlooksdownonCongleton,andonthesidesofwhichWilliamClowessooftenpreached.Itisimpossiblewiththematerialnowatourdisposal,totraceourWilliamClowesstepbystepbacktoBenedictoftheCloud,ofthedaysofEdwardII.,butinwiewofthisdiscovery,therecan

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benopossibledoubtthattheClowesfamily,liketheWedgwoodfamily,havealwaysbeeninStaffordshire–asfarmers,potters,preachers.”Whenweturntohismaternalancestrywecantracethefamilyconnectionstepbystep.Itmaybeinterestinginpassingtonotethattwoexplanationshavebeengivenofthename“Wedgwood”;andlikethatofClowes,itspringsfromterritorialpossessions.OneexplanationfindsitintheAngloSaxonWaeg-wude,whichmayeithersignifyawavingwood,oraway-sidewood.TheothertracesittoWoden’swood,fromWoden,theMarsoftheNorthernnations,andthewoodedterritoryof431acres,whichnowformsthehamletofWedgwood.ThemembersofthisWedgwoodfamilyinStaffordshirearesonumerousthattheymightalmostbedescribedasa“Clan.”ThereareolddeedsandcharterswhichspeakofaWedgwoodresidingataplacecalledWeggewood,ahamletinStaffordshireaboutfourmileswestofNewcastle-under-Lyme;andin1370,inthethirteenthyearofEdwardIIl.,ThomasdeWeggewoodwasfrankpledgeofthisplace.TheWedgwoodsofHaracles,nearLeek,descendedfromthisfamily,andtheappendedtablegivestheconnectionofWilliamClowes’smotherwiththishouse.__________________________________________________________________________________ReferencesPrimitive Methodist Magazine 1906/35