Clifford William Dugmore (9 May 1909 – 25 October 1990) was a British ecclesiastical historian who contributed to the development of the study of

church history Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of t ...

in Britain.'Prof Clifford Dugmore', ''The Times'' (29 October 1990), p. 14.

Early life and ecclesiastical career

He was the son of a

parson A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish. The term was formerly often used for some Anglican clergy and, more rarely, for ordained ministers in some other churches. It is no longer a formal term d ...

and educated at

King Edward's School, Birmingham King Edward's School (KES) is an independent school (UK), independent day school for boys in the British Public school (UK), public school tradition, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded by Edward VI of England, King Edward VI in 1552, it ...

and

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

, where he studied the

Hebrew language Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language unti ...

. Dugmore was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1935 and was appointed vicar of Ward End, rural dean of East Birmingham and installed as honorary canon in

St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip, also called the Birmingham Cathedral, is a Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer, it was consecrated in 1715. Lo ...

. In 1937 Dugmore was assistant curate of

Holy Trinity, Formby Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

, in the

diocese of Liverpool The diocese of Liverpool is a diocese of the Church of England in North West England. The diocese covers Merseyside north of the River Mersey, south-west Lancashire, western Greater Manchester, and part of northern Cheshire. Liverpool Cathedral ...

and sub-warden of St Deiniol's Library,

Hawarden Hawarden (; ) is a village and community (Wales), community in Flintshire, Wales. It is part of the Deeside conurbation on the Wales-England border and is home to Hawarden Castle (medieval), Hawarden Castle. In the 2011 United Kingdom census, ...

. The following year

Lord Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. The holder of the Earldom of Shrewsbury also holds the title of Earl of Waterford (1446) in the Peerage of Ireland ...

made Dugmore his private chaplain and gave him the rectory of Ingestre-with-Tixall in the

diocese of Lichfield The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers of seve ...

. In 1943 Dugmore was appointed chaplain of

Alleyn's College of God's Gift Alleyn's School is a 4–18 co-educational, independent, day school and sixth form in Dulwich, London, England. It is a registered charity and was originally part of Edward Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation, which also include ...

Dulwich Dulwich (; ) is an area in south London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark, with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth, and consists of Dulwich Village, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, and the Southwark half of H ...

. In January 1945 he was made rector of Bredfield-with-Boulge in

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, and in October he was appointed director of religious education for the

diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is a Church of England diocese based in Ipswich, covering Suffolk (excluding Lowestoft). The cathedral is St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and the bishop is the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It is part ...

Academic career

In 1946 Dugmore was appointed senior lecturer in ecclesiastical history at

Manchester University The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

and in 1958 he was made chair of ecclesiastical history at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. He founded ''

The Journal of Ecclesiastical History ''The Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press. It was established in 1950 and covers all aspects of the history of the Christian Church. It deals with the church bo ...

'' in 1950 and was its editor until 1979.

Patrick Collinson Patrick "Pat" Collinson (10 August 1929 – 28 September 2011) was an English historian, known as a writer on the Elizabethan era, particularly Elizabethan Puritanism. He was emeritus Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Cambrid ...

, 'Clifford Dugmore 1910–1990', ''The Journal of Ecclesiastical History'', Vol. 42, No. 1 (April 1991), p. 175. He also co-founded the

Ecclesiastical History Society The Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) is a British learned historical society founded in 1961 to foster interest in, and to advance the study of, all areas of the history of the Christian Church through twice yearly conferences and publication ...

Personal life

Dugmore had a daughter with his first wife, Ruth, who died in 1977. He subsequently remarried.

Works

*''Eucharistic Doctrine in England from Hooker to Waterland: Being the Norrisian Prize Essay in the University of Cambridge for the Year 1940'' (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1942). *''The Influence of the Synagogue upon the Divine Office'' (London: Oxford University Press, 1944). *''The Interpretation of the Bible: Edward Alleyn Lectures 1943'', edited by C. W. Dugmore (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1946). *''The Mass and the English Reformers'' (London: Macmillan, 1958). *''Ecclesiastical History No Soft Option: An Inaugural Lecture delivered at King's College, London on 5 February 1959'' (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1959).

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dugmore, Clifford William 1909 births 1990 deaths People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Academics of the University of Manchester Academics of King's College London Historians of Christianity 20th-century English Anglican priests