of Hyde, Cheshire

The head of the Clarke family at Hyde, Cheshire, was the Lord of the Manor and the family seat was at Hyde Hall overlooking the river Tame. Pigot & Company’s Trade Directory of 1834 states that:

‘---- George Clarke, Esquire, (Junior) is Lord of the Manor and holds a Court Baron in May and November. A Court is also held before Hyde John Clarke, Esquire, the Magistrate, for hearing and deciding petty cases at the offices of Chorlton and Hibbert, Solicitors’.

Somewhat confusingly, the same Directory also states that:

‘---- Hyde Hall, the seat of Hyde John Clarke, Esquire, is a building of some considerable antiquity; recent improvements have deprived the exterior of its ancient appearance, but a greater part of the interior is in its original state. It is pleasantly situated on the river Tame, but the rapid progress made in manufacture, and the introduction of machinery to such a vast extent and power has materially deteriorated from the beauties of the adjacent scenery’.

George Clarke Junior was, indeed, Lord of the Manor of Hyde but he lived abroad for much of the time, the family having estates in America and Jamaica. So in 1834 it was Hyde John Clarke who was in residence at the family seat of Hyde Hall. The hall stood on the banks of the river Tame, opposite Glass House Fold in Haughton, and it was demolished in 1857.

Hyde Hall, c1795

George Clarke Junior (1768 - 1835) and Hyde John Clarke (1777 - 1857), who were half brothers, were the sons of George Hyde Clarke Senior (1742 - 1824). The mother of George Clarke Junior was Catherine Hussey and the mother of Hyde John Clarke was Sophia Astley.

George Hyde Clarke Senior was a promoter, prominent shareholder and member of the Committee of the Peak Forest Canal Company and he personally presented a silver cup to Thomas Brown, Surveyor and Resident Engineer to the Peak Forest Canal Company for the services he had rendered to the company.

George Hyde Clarke Senior
(1742 - 1824)

Hyde John Clarke (also known as Captain Hyde John Clarke RN) was engaged in the administration of the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals and a Sub-Committee was created to which he was appointed. The purpose of this was to counsel and support James Meadows Junior following his formal appointment on the 18 August 1831 as the General Agent for both the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals. Hyde John Clarke was also notable figure in the affairs of the township of Hyde. He sat on the Magisterial Bench for the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire and he always gave his support to movements tending to the public good. His prominence and popularity was given recognition in 1839 when the citizens of Hyde presented him with a handsome testimonial in recognition of his services, and, ‘---- his unwearied disinterestedness, impartiality and affability’. This testimonial took the form of a silver plate valued at 270 guineas.

As a Magistrate, he was actively involved in controlling the civil and industrial disturbances of the 1830s and 40s and his services in this capacity were officially recognised by his appointment as the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and the thanks of the War Office.

Hyde John Clarke’s maritime career began on the 29 June 1791 when, at the age of fourteen, he joined the Royal Navy where he was placed aboard the 74-gun ship, HMS Bedford. One of his first duties was to provide ropes with which to hang three sailors who had been found guilty of mutiny. On the 13 June 1806 he fought in a two-hour long running battle that resulted in the capture of the French privateer, La Henrietta. Less than a month later, on the 9 July, he fought in a second battle, which resulted in the capture of another privateer, La Bellone. In 1810 he was promoted to the rank of Commander and for a while he was on guard service at the port of Liverpool.

After resigning his Commission with the Royal Navy he returned to Hyde where he managed the family estate on behalf of his half brother, George Hyde Clarke Junior. From here onwards he became the principal luminary in the township of Hyde.

Prior to moving into Hyde Hall, Hyde John Clarke lived at Wood End House, adjacent to the change bridge on the Lower Peak Forest Canal at Wood End, and this is how it came to be known as Captain Clarke’s Bridge. This bridge is one of the best-known features of the Lower Peak Forest Canal and here the towpath changes from the west side of the canal to the east side, to switch back again at Hyde Lane change bridge. There were no constructional reasons for this and it was done this way at the behest of George Hyde Clarke Senior. While he welcomed the cutting of the canal through his estate he did not want the towpath to be adjacent to Hyde Hall lest trespassers encroached onto his land. George Hyde Clarke Senior also made a contribution of £10 0s 0d towards the construction of Foxholes footbridge, which lay between Captain Clarke’s bridge and Burgess’s bridge. His contribution was recorded in the Minute Book of the Peak Forest Canal Company on the 20 May 1799. A copy of this Minute Book, on film, is deposited at Tameside Local Studies and Archive Centre, Central Library, Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7SG.

Hyde John Clarke devoted a great deal of energy and time to the citizens of Hyde. He was a prime mover in the movement to build St George’s Church, built in 1831-32. He obtained the gift of the site for the church from his half brother and was instrumental in raising sufficient funds to build it. George Hyde Clarke Junior, then living in America, contributed some of the cost and it was consecrated on the 20 October 1832. The name chosen for the church was no coincidence either for it neatly combined the name of the Patron Saint of England with the Christian name of his father. This example of naming a church by linking the name of a saint with the Christian name of a benefactor is by no means unique in England. St George’s Church stands at the intersection of Woodend Lane, Church Street and Great Norbury Street, only a short distance away from the Lower Peak Forest Canal. Hyde John Clarke also took an active interest in the political life of Hyde and eventually he became leader of the local Conservative Party.

A noteworthy event in the public life of Hyde John Clarke was a visit to England of Prince Louis Napoleon, who later became Emperor Napoleon III. It was his duty to accompany the prince while he was visiting the area and the prince brought letters of introduction to him. During the visit he stayed with the French party at the Royal Hotel in Manchester.

His son, Edward, became a Solicitor in Hyde and he built Hall Bank House as his residence. Another son, Henry, held a Commission in the Royal Navy and was involved in the Opium War of 1839-42, which included a naval bombardment of Canton. His third son, John, lived at Oswestry where he had a collection of paintings and curios removed from Hyde Hall.

A search of the 1881 census showed that John Clarke, aged 60 years, was living with his wife, Mary Ellen, aged 59 years, at Treflach, Brookhouse, Oswestry. He gave his place of birth as Haughton, Lancashire, which is a short distance away from Hyde Hall on the Lancashire side of the river Tame, and his wife was born at Liverpool. He gave his occupation as being the Manager of an Estate (Farm Bailiff).

Later in life Hyde John Clarke retired to Llangollen and the citizens of Hyde felt that the town had suffered a grievous loss. He died in 1857, aged 80 years, and his death was recorded at Oswestry Register Office. His body was returned to Hyde for committal and he now lies in the family vault below the tower of St George’s Church. His wife and some of their children lie beside him.

Looking north at Captain Clarke's Change Bridge on the Lower Peak Forest Canal, 4 March 1978. Hyde John Clarke lived at Wood End House for a while , which is just off the picture on the left.	St George's Church at the head of Great Norbury Street, Hyde, c1930. Woodend Lane, leading down to the Peak Forest Canal, is to the right of the church.
St Lawrence's Church, Denton, 24 July 2005. An interesting connection with George Hyde Clarke Senior is this raised bed in the churchyard. The inscription reads: 'This Tree was planted and inclosed by Geo. Hyde Clarke Esqr. of Hyde A.D. 1801'.	The grave of George Hyde Clarke Senior at St Lawrence's Church, Denton, 10 January 2007. Inscription: GEORGE HYDE CLARKE LATE OF HYDE IN THE COVNTY OF CHESTER ESQVIRE DVRING HIS LIFE TIME A CONSTANT ATTENDANT AT THIS CHAPEL AND A LIBERAL CONTRIBVTOR TO ITS REPAIRS DIED IN LONDON IVNE V MDCCCXXIV AGED LXXXII YEARS AND AGREEABLY TO HIS OWN SPECIAL DIRECTIONS WAS HERE INTERRED ON THE XVI DAY OF IVLY FOLLOWING

Note that the stone mason made a mistake when he was carving the inscription commemorating George Hyde Clarke Senior. His date of death is given as the 5 June (IVNE V) but it should read 5 July (IVLY V).

Further Reading
Ward, John A, (1973), Chapel into Church, J Andrews & Co Ltd, Whitelands Road, Ashton-under-Lyne.