THE COTTONIAN
to try to pay to his memory a little of the debt of gratitude which I owe to him.
When I first went to Cotton in 1887 as a small boy of ten, Charles Cronin was at the top of the school, a boy I suppose of about seventeen, brilliant at studies, conscientious in performing the duties assigned to him, but without much of that school popularity which often comes from success in games or fondness for sport. When lie left Cotton a year later, lie studied philosophy first at Bolton and then at Oscott, and in 18th was sent by his bishop to the English College at Rome. About four weeks ago I took him a copy of the English College magazine which contained a photograph of himself and his contemporaries as they were in that year and he told me all about that first journey of his to Rome which seemed to have impressed itself vividly on his memory. Cardinal Hinsley went at the same time and they were together during their course of theology.
He was ordained priest in 1894 at the age of twenty-three, and after coming back to England for three or four years was recalled to the English College, Rome, and spent the next sixteen years of his life there as Vice-Rector and as acting-Rector when Monsignor Giles died. That I think was the happiest time of his life ; he loved Rome and the student's life of the College ; and it must have been a great disappointment to him when he was not chosen to succeed Monsignor Giles as Rector. But that was not to be. So he came back to England, taught at Oscott (luring the last war, was parish priest at Solihull and Handsworth, and then succeeded Monsignor Parkinson as Rector of Oscott in 1924, being also Vicar-General of the diocese. From 1929 to his death he has been Vicar-General of the diocese, a position which has brought him into the closest touch with its priests.
He was a shy man, and like many shy men very sensitive. He was full of kindness and thoughtfulness particularly for those who were in any trouble. He was always a student and had a wonderful knowledge not only of theology but of the Canon Law of the Church. His was the lawyer's type of mind, and his great knowledge made it difficult for him to come to quick decisions. If you asked him to write down his decision on
any point of Canon Law, his statements were masterly, really brilliant legal judgments. He was slow to accept responsibility for taking a step, scrupulous to a degree because lie saw so many sides to a question that lie found it difficult to make up his mind.
People like myself who without a tenth of his knowledge have to make prompt decisions, must have been a great trial to him. But lie never com-plained. The grand thing about him was his loyally to authority. lie served his old Rector of the English College, lie served Archbishop Ilsley, Archbishop Mclntyre and myself with a faithfulness that was admirable. He would have liked to he Rector of the English College, Rome, just as he would have liked to continue as Rector of Oscott in 1920. But when authority decided otherwise, lie showed nothing of the disappointment which he felt ; lie just worked hard and loyally in whatever post authority put him, and always gave of his best. The death of a man so loyal and so learned is a great loss to the diocese, for his was the learning of the things of God and his was the loyalty which comes from love of God. Let us pray for his soul that God may forgive his faults and reward him for his faithful service. May lie rest in peace."
EDWARD FRANCIS CLARKSON.
(O.C. 1006-ii).
W 1- regret to announce the death of Edward Francis Clarkson on November 18th, at the comparatively early age of forty-eight. Although he never shone exceptionally in either studies or games as a boy " Teddie " Clarkson was undoubtedly one of the most popular Cottonians of his day. This was due to his pleasing and amiable character. He was always smilingly ready to do a kindness for anyone and lie had an inexhaustible fund of humour. These qualities seem to have remained with him in later life, judging from the glowing accounts we have had of his popularity and his influence amongst his fellow workers. One of these writes : " There can be no greater tribute than that in a place which did not know the half of what lie did, lie should have won uni-