James Clark (Bible Christian)

James Clark (18 October 1830 – 7 June 1905) was an English Bible Christian Church minister and activist for temperance and vegetarianism. Clark was deeply involved in social causes, including relief efforts during the Cotton Famine and service on the Salford Board of Guardians. As Honorary Secretary of the Vegetarian Society, he represented the organisation at international congresses and helped found the International Vegetarian Union.

Life and career
James Clark was born on 18 October 1830 in Bolton, Lancashire. He was Christened in Bolton le Moors, in 1831. Clark's family had a history of tuberculosis.

Clark moved to Manchester as a youth and began his career in a shipping house, where he later became a buyer. Despite the demands of his work, he attended evening classes associated with the Bible Christian Church in King-street, Salford.

In 1848, Clark became a teetotaller and worked with the temperance society of the Oldham-street Tabernacle. He adopted vegetarianism in 1851 and was ordained as a minister of the Bible Christian Church, eventually becoming the pastor at Whitstuntide in 1858. This denomination, established in 1809, mandated abstinence from intoxicants and meat. One of Clark's ministerial predecessors was Joseph Brotherton, who represented Salford in the House of Commons. Clark remained as a pastor for nearly 50 years, continuing his church duties in his later years, despite failing health.

Clark was actively involved in relief efforts during the Cotton Famine and served on the Relief Committees in Salford. Following the Broughton floods of 1866, he dedicated much time to aiding those affected. He was a long-time member of the Salford Board of Guardians, advocating for significant reforms. Upon his resignation as chair in 1889, he received an address signed by every member, regardless of party affiliation.

A committed Liberal and proponent of education, Clark taught at the Salford Lyceum and served two terms on the Salford School Board. He oversaw large Sunday and day schools within the Bible Christian Church, regarded among the best in the borough. He had a particular interest in the Flourishing Band of Hope and held senior roles in the United Kingdom Alliance, the Manchester and Salford Temperance Union, and the Lancashire and Cheshire Band of Hope Union.

Clark served as Honorary Secretary to the Vegetarian Society for many years. In 1902, he chaired the annual meeting of the society. He represented the society at international congresses, including those in Chicago (1893), St. Louis (1903), Paris, and Cologne. He was active up until a month before his death, attending the May meeting of the Vegetarian Society in Cambridge. Clark also helped establish the International Vegetarian Union.

Personal life
Clark married Cordelia Collier in 1854. Her brother Edwin served as a deacon of the Bible Christian Church and was vice president and treasurer of the Vegetarian Society. They had seven children: Ernest, Bertha, Maud, Harold, Ethel, Arthur, and Alfred. Arthur was an active vegetarian. Cordelia suffered a seizure in 1889, worsening until her death in 1893 at age 69, and was buried in Weaste Cemetery, Salford.

Death and legacy
Clark died at his home in Salford on 7 June 1905, at the age of 74, following a paralytic stroke. He was also buried in Weaste Cemetery.

Clark's death deeply impacted the Bible Christian Church, his local community, and the campaigners he supported. Days before his passing, he had expressed a desire to die while serving his congregation. His memorial service included representatives from various organisations, highlighting his broad influence, especially with the Vegetarian Society. Tributes praised his exceptional character and dedication to helping the poor. Two memorials were unveiled in his honour, and his successor noted his humane nature and commitment to alleviating suffering. His significant contributions to the Vegetarian Society during difficult times were particularly lauded.

Selected publications

 * Testimony of Scripture (c. 1910s)