a constant unitie of what religion soever they are …' Cambridge, 1595, 4to. The dedication to Robert Devereux, earl of Essex, is signed 'W. C.' In this very curious and interesting work mention is made of our old English writers, 'sweet Shakespeare,' Harvey, Nash, and 'divine Spenser.' It has been said that this is the earliest known publication in which Shakespeare's name is mentioned; but it occurs previously in the commendatory verses prefixed to 'Willobie his Avisa,' 1594.
[Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), 1284, 1483; Bliss's Sale Cat. i. 77; Brydges's Brit. Bibl. i. 274-85; Cat. Libb. Impress. Bibl. Bodl.; Cooper's Athenæ Cantab, ii. 243; Gardiner's Reg. of St. Paul's School, 26; Ingleby's Shakespeare's Centurye of Prayse, 6, 15; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), 480, 1906.]
CLERKE, Sir WILLIAM HENRY (1751–1818), eighth baronet, rector of Bury, Lancashire, of an old Buckinghamshire family, was born 25 Nov. 1751, and received his later education at All Souls' College, Oxford. In 1778 he succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his elder brother Francis, who was the favourite aide-de-camp to General John Burgoyne in North America, and was mortally wounded at Saratoga (De Fonblanque, p. 295). When dying, Francis asked Burgoyne to endeavour, on his return to England, to procure preferment for his brother, who had taken orders. The twelfth Earl of Derby, at the instance no doubt of General Burgoyne, who had married the earl's aunt, presented Clerke to the rectory of Bury, to which he was instituted 6 Feb. 1778, taking his B.C.L. degree at Oxford in the October following. He paid much attention to the physical health of his parishioners, vaccinating the children of the poor, and even going to Rochdale once a week for a considerable time to perform the same operation. On the occasion of an outbreak of fever he issued, in 1790, 'Thoughts upon the Means of Preserving the Health of the Poor by Prevention and Suppression of Epidemic Fever,' a pamphlet containing useful sanitary suggestions, and a long letter on its subject-matter by the philanthropic Dr. Thomas Percival [q. v.] At a time when a French invasion was feared he printed 'A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Bury on the 18th October 1798, on the occasion of the colours being presented to the Bury Loyal Association,' &c.,and 'A Serious Address to the People of this Country.' Appended to the sermon was the speech made on the reception of the colours by the lieutenant-colonel commandant of the Bury volunteers, the first Sir Robert Peel, whose second wife was Clerke's sister. Another of Clerke's publications is his undated 'Penitens, or the Dying Tradesman, extracted from the books of a late pious writer. To which is added Prayers,' &c. Clerke was fond of agricultural pursuits and enterprises, and dealt extensively in corn, malt, and lime, borrowing largely in the course of his undertakings. He was a simple-minded man, was fleeced by his subordinates, and at last his living was sequestered for the benefit of his creditors. He died 10 April 1818, in the Fleet prison, where he was incarcerated for debt. In May 1792 he married Byzantia, daughter of Thomas Cartwright of Aynhoe. His eldest son, William Henry (1793-1861), became ninth baronet, and served in the Peninsula and at Waterloo.
[Barton's History of the Borough of Bury in Lancashire, 1874; Baines's Lancashire; Collins's Peerage, by Brydges; Betham's and Foster's Baronetages; Catalogue of Oxford Graduates; E. de Fonblanque's Political and Military Episodes … derived from the life and correspondence of the Right Hon. John Burgoyne, General, &c., 1876; information communicated by Mr. C. W. Sutton.]
CLERY, MICHAEL. [See O'Cleary.]
CLEVELAND, AUGUSTUS (1766–1784), Bengal civilian, is said to have been a cousin of Sir John Shore, first lord Teignmouth and governor-general of India (Life of Lord Teignmouth) by his Son, i. 88), and seems to have been an Indian administrator of exceptional ability. He was collector and magistrate of Boglipoor, and died in his twenty-ninth year from his exertions in civilising the mountain tribes in his district and preventing them from fighting the inhabitants of the plains. Though he died so young, he had made his mark; Warren Hastings erected a monument to him at Calcutta, and the natives of his district one in their midst; John Shore wrote a remarkable monody on his early death (Life of Lord Teignmouth, i. 489-494), and Bishop Heber, who did not reach Calcutta until many years afterwards, found his memory still treasured in the province which he had ruled. One of his most judicious steps was to raise a corps of sepoys out of the wildest of the mountaineers, and to make the greatest freebooter their captain; and by giving them regular employment he saved the lowlands from their incursions. Bishop Heber found the monument at Boglipoor in good preservation, and relates that it was the custom of the natives to assemble there and hold a 'poojah' or religious festival in his honour; and Lord Hastings re-established the school which he had founded and revived his corps of mountaineers.
[Life of Lord Teignmouth, by his Son; Heber's Indian Journal.]
