James Clegg

James Clegg (1679 – 5 August 1755) was an English Presbyterian minister and author.

Biography James Clegg was born at Shawfield in the parish of Rochdale, Lancashire on 26 October 1679 and was educated by Richard Frankland at Rathmell in Yorkshire and, later, by John Chorlton at Manchester. He was ordained in 1703.

In 1702, he settled as minister of a Congregational chapel at Malcalf or Malcoffe in Derbyshire, in succession to William Bagshaw, the "Apostle of the Peak". and obtained the degree of M.D. from the University of Aberdeen. He records events concerning his family (his five sons and four daughters as well as his and his wife's parents and siblings), community and chapel events. He also recorded his visits (sometimes several a day) to parishioners and others to treat their ailments, to pray with them, or just to visit, covering great distances on foot and on horseback. Occasionally he discusses politics and elections (Clegg was a Whig), and differences about matters of faith among the various Dissenting groups of the time - especially Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Wesleyans (Clegg discussed directly with Wesley). He writes about disputes between families including his son's apprenticeship disagreement with his master/teacher. He also discusses the weather, the state of the roads, catastrophes, accidental deaths and events like eclipses.

A facsimile of his diary (with some explanatory notes) was published by the Derbyshire Record Society in 1978. The original remains in a private collection.

Family

Clegg was married on 24 February 1704 to Ann Champion. After Ann's death in 1742 he married a widow, Sarah Eyre (née Jones) on 2 August 1744; Sarah died 24 November 1748.

Clegg had several sons.

Writings In 1703, in conjunction with John Ashe, he edited William Bagshaw's Essays on Union to Christ, and shortly afterwards he wrote an "advertisement" prefixed to Ashe's Peaceable and Thankful Temper Recommended, the subject of which is the union of England and Scotland. In 1721, he published a discourse on the "Covenant of Grace", written in answer to Samuel De la Rose of Stockport; and in 1731 he printed a sermon which he had preached at the ordination of John Holland, Junior, entitled The Continuance of the Christian Church secured by its Constitution.

In 1736, Clegg wrote a book which is valuable for its biographical information, entitled A Discourse occasion'd by the sudden death of the Reverend Mr. John Ashe: to which is added a Short Account of his Life and Character, and of some others in or near the High Peak in Derbyshire, as an appendix to the Rev. Mr. William Bagshaw's Book "De Spiritualibus Pecci". He subsequently edited a collection of Seventeen Sermons preached by Ashe.