Alured Clarke (priest)

Alured Clarke
Alured Clarke, 1741 portrait by James Wills
Born	1669
Died	31 May 1742(1742-05-31)
Nationality	British
Education	St Paul's School, London
Alma mater	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Occupation	chaplain
Known for	Dean of Exeter

Alured Clarke (1696–1742) was Dean of Exeter between 1741 and 1742.^[1]

Life

He was the son of Alured Clarke, of Godmanchester in Huntingdonshire, who died on 28 October 1744, aged 86, by his second wife, Ann, fourth daughter of the Rev. Charles Trimnell, rector of Ripton-Abbotts, in the same county, who died on 26 May 1755, aged 88. Bishop Charles Trimnell was his uncle, and his only brother was Charles Clarke (died 1750), baron of the exchequer.^[2]

Clarke's education began at St Paul's School, London and from 1712 to 1719 he held one of its exhibitions. On 1 April 1713 he was admitted a pensioner at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, taking the degrees of B.A. 1716, M.A. 1720, D.D. 1728, and being elected to a fellowship in 1718.^[3] About 1720 he contested the post of Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College, unsuccessfully. He rose rapidly in the church, by the influence of Whig relatives: he was chaplain in ordinary to George I and George II. The living of Chilbolton in Hampshire and a prebendal stall in Winchester Cathedral were bestowed on him in May 1723. He was installed as prebendary of Westminster in July 1731, and as dean of Exeter in January 1741, with a prebend in the Exeter Cathedral. His cathedral dignities, and the position of deputy clerk of the closet, were retained by him until his death.^[2]

Clarke was afflicted with illness for many years before his death. In 1732, he thought of applying for the position of British consul at Algiers, for the benefit of the climate. But he stayed England, and gradually wasted away. He died on 31 May 1742. He was buried, without a monument, in Westminster Abbey.^[2]

In politics Clarke was a Whig; his religious opinions were those of Queen Caroline of Ansbach and her spiritual adviser Samuel Clarke. Letters in Katherine Thomson's Memoirs of Viscountess Sundon show he was avid for preferment.^[2]

Legacy

Winchester County Hospital, the first in England outside London, was established in Hampshire in 1736, largely by Clarke's efforts, and its constitution and rules were written by him. He laid the foundation-stone of the Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter, of which he has been called the co-founder, on 27 August 1741. He also expended large sums in repair of the decanal house at Exeter.^[2]

Works

Clarke's main literary work was An Essay towards the Character of her late Majesty, Caroline (1738, and in German at Altona in the same year), considered rose-tinted. His other works were sermons:^[2]

Sermon preached at St. Paul's, 25 January 1726, on the anniversary meeting of gentlemen educated at St. Paul's School (1726).
Sermon preached before the House of Commons, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, on 31 January 1731 (1731, 2nd edit. 1731).
Sermon preached in Winchester Cathedral, before the governors of the County Hospital, at its opening, on St. Luke's Day, 18 Oct. 1736 (1737, 2nd edit. 1737, 3rd edit. Norwich, 1769). With this sermon went A Collection of Papers relating to the County Hospital at Winchester (1737), introduction by Clarke.
Sermon preached before the Trustees of the Charity Schools at Exeter Cathedral, 13 October 1741 (1741).

Notes

↑ Ursula Radford (1955). "An Introduction to the Deans of Exeter". Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association 87: 1–24.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Clarke, Alured (1696-1742)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
↑ "Clarke, Alured (CLRK713A)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Clarke, Alured (1696-1742)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Church of England titles
Preceded by John Gilbert	Dean of Exeter 1742–1743	Succeeded by William Holmes

Deans of Exeter

High Medieval	Serlo Roger de Wynkleigh William de Stanwey Roger de Toriz John Noble John Pycot Andrew de Kilkenny

Late Medieval	Henry de Somerset Thomas de Lechlade Bartholomew de Sancto Laurentio Richard de Coleton Richard de Braylegh Reginald de Bugwell Robert Sumpter Thomas Walkyngton Ralph Tregrision Stephen Payn John Cobethorn John Hals Henry Webber Peter Courtenay Lionel Woodville John Arundel

Early modern	Edward Willoughby Thomas Hobbes John Vesey Richard Pace Reginald Pole Simon Haynes James Haddon Thomas Reynolds Gregory Dodds George Carew Stephen Townesend Matthew Sutcliffe William Peterson Seth Ward Edward Young George Cary The Hon Richard Annesley William Wake Lancelot Blackburne Edward Trelawney John Gilbert Alured Clarke William Holmes Charles Lyttleton Jeremiah Milles William Buller Charles Harward

Late modern	Charles Talbot George Gordon John Garnett Whittington Landon Thomas Lowe Charles Ellicott The Viscount Midleton Archibald Boyd Benjamin Cowie Alfred Earle Henry Gamble Walter Matthews Spencer Carpenter Alexander Wallace Marcus Knight Clifford Chapman Richard Eyre Keith Jones Jonathan Meyrick Jonathan Draper

Diocese of Exeter

Exeter Cathedral The Palace, Exeter The Old Deanery, Exeter

Office holders	Robert Atwell, Bishop of Exeter Nick McKinnel, Bishop suffragan of Plymouth Sarah Mullally, Bishop suffragan of Crediton AEO: Jonathan Goodall, Bishop suffragan of Ebbsfleet Jonathan Draper, Dean of Exeter Ian Chandler, Archdeacon of Plymouth Christopher Futcher, Archdeacon of Exeter Mark Butchers, Archdeacon of Barnstaple Douglas Dettmer, Archdeacon of Totnes

Selected deaneries	Deanery of Barnstaple Deanery of Cadbury Deanery of Christianity (Exeter) Deanery of Hartland

Historic offices	Archdeacon of Cornwall (11th century – 1876; became the Diocese of Truro)

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