William Clowes (1780–1851) was one of the founders of

Primitive Methodism The Primitive Methodist Church is a Christian denomination within the holiness movement. Originating in early 19th-century England as a revivalist movement within Methodism, it was heavily influenced by American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–18 ...

Biography

William Clowes was born at

Burslem Burslem ( ) is one of the six towns that along with Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley, Tunstall, Staffordshire, Tunstall, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton and Stoke-upon-Trent form part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent in ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, on 12 March 1780. During the early 1800s, he started his preaching career. During 1810, the Primitive Methodist Connexion was co-created by him. Clowes introduced this to

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

nine years later. He was assisted by Sarah and John Kirkland, who were both experienced preachers, until John's health gave way and Sarah was pregnant. They returned to Derbyshire in May 1820. In 1821 his evangelizing in Leeds was so successful that Ann Carr, Sarah Ecland and Martha Williams were sent from Hull to join him. These new arrivals caused some problems as they were both popular and undisciplined moving from circuit to circuit as the will took them.

Death and legacy

On 10 June 1842 he was placed on the superannuation fund. His journal and his life story was published in 1844. He still continued his labours until a day or two before he died from paralysis, at Hull on 2 March 1851. One of his daughters married her cousin, John Wedgwood, an Anglican priest.

References

*
William Clowes collection
The John Rylands University Library * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clowes, William 1780 births 1851 deaths Converts to Methodism English Methodists People from Burslem