Rev G W Clarkson – Former Conisbrough Man’s Preferment – Sub- Dean of St Albans

June 1936

Mexborough and Swinton Times June 12, 1936

The Rev GW Clarkson
Former Conisbrough man’s Preferment
Sub- Dean of St Albans

We are indebted to Mr C.R.Sparrow, a former Sgt of police, now retired and living in Blackpool, for information regarding the preferment of the Rev GW Clarkson, only son of Mr and Mrs W Clarkson of Conisborough.

On Saturday it was announced in fully weather every GW Clarkson is vicar, that he had been appointed sub- Dean of St Albans, and that he will commence duties there in September.

Conisbrough will congratulate Mr Clarkson on his important promotion, game before you reach the age of 40, and within 10 years of his ordination.

Born in Conisbrough in 1897, he attended Morley Place School, and there won a County Minor Scholarship which took him to Mexborough Secondary School. At the age of 19 Mr Clarkson joined the Army, and served in the Grenadier Guards until the end of the war. He was a student at the Knutsford Ordination test school from 1920 to 22, when he went to New College Oxford for four years and left there with a second class honours in Modern History. His studies were continued at the Bishops Hostel, Lincoln and in 1926 he was ordained.

He immediately commenced duties as curate at Wigan Parish Church and Conisbrough was sorry that he had gone so far away, for in his student days he occasionally preached in Conisbrough Parish Church, and his every appearance ensured a full congregation, on account of his forceful personality and his splendid sermon. He remained at Wigan until 1930, when he was appointed Vicar of St Elizabeth’s, Aspull.

In November 1933, he was promoted to be Vicar of fleet. From Fleetwood we learn that Mr Clarke “has proved himself a virile worker and an outstanding preacher, and that the inception of important development in connection with St Nicholas’s Mission Church had been one of the features of his vicariate.” He is a valued member of the Fleetwood Rotary Club.

The latest branch of the Rev GW Clarkson is indicative of the esteem in which he must be held by his ecclesiastical superiors. The Dean of St Albans was the vicar of Wigan under whom Mr Clarkson served as curate, and now the association is resumed in a higher sphere.

There is a sample of the Rev GW Clarkson’s personality in the current issue of his Church Magazine. Referring to “those of you are young and want to get out the country on the Lord’s Day,” he says, “it is no harder and no more improper to pray in shorts than to worship in tail coats… But don’t forget it is the Lord’s Day. Come to church in your holiday clothes if you like, for Sunday clothes are by no means essential to Sunday worship. Throughout the countryside there are churches to welcome you to their service. Whether you hike or bike you will welcome both here and there.”