Page 40 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 40
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Singers Glen was left unassigned in 1919, Rev. Clegg came from Pennsylvania and took over
the pastoral duties Nov. 29, 1919. He served Singers Glen until 1921 and went on to serve
Elkton, 1921-25; and Lacey Springs, 1924-26. He then returned to evangelistic work and
made his home at Lacey Springs. Clegg had been in the United States about 10 years when
he came to Singers Glen. He had received Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity degrees from
Cambridge University in England. During his time in the United States he made five return
trips to his native country. George W. Clegg was married to Estella Chilcote, daughter of
Joseph and Alimara Chilcote of Curwensville, Pa. The Clegg’s had two children, Mary Elthea
and William Glen Clegg.” Rev. Clegg had an impressive shock of white, wavy hair which
shook as he spoke in a thundering English accented voice. He was a good speaker. His fine
education showed In his sermons, but the sermons were long ones, averaging three-quarters of an hour in
length. His final sermon lasted an hour. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 196; Glovier 1965, p. 164; MacAllister 1976,
pp. 97-98, which provided the picture] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
CLIFFORD: J. D. Clifford served Augusta and Rockingham Freedmen’s Mission, 1908-09. Nothing else is
known.
CLIFFORD: Theodore K. Clifford was a free-born African American “who ran away from
home at the age of 15, several years after the death of his mother, and soon afterward
enlisted in the regular army of the United States, served a full term in the ranks, and was
honorably discharged in 1864 at Brownsville, Texas. After the close of the War Between the
States, he returned to Hardy County, W.Va., and preached 11 years in the Methodist
Episcopal Church. But having lived among U.B. people, and, realizing the pressing claims of
the U.B. Church upon his race, he joined Va. Conf. in 1887,” was ordained there in 1890, and
“served its Freedmen’s Mission” for 25 years, “until the day of his death. In 1884, the Rev. T.
K. Clifford, of Piedmont, W.Va., took charge of the Augusta and Rockingham Missions and
labored successfully. Rev. Clifford continued to serve and report for both Missions from 1883
to the Annual Conference of 1895, a period of 12 years. The Freedmen’s Missions were not
producing preachers and it was hard for the Conference to find one. At the Conference of
1890, Rev. Clifford, reporting as pastor of Freedmen’s Missions, identified five appointments, five organized
churches, and 332 members; for comparison, in 1880 there had been a total of 10 appointments, 8 organized
classes, and 236 members in Freedmen’s Missions in the Conference. For conference year 1899-1900, there
was A Virginia Mission District, for which T. K. Clifford was presiding elder as well as serving Monterey and
Staunton Missions. He was a man above the average of his race, and so deported himself as to win the
respect and esteem of the best people of both colors. His upright life was never questioned, and he
manifested his appreciation of genuine kindness in every proper way. He was a good preacher and singer. He
always attended the sessions of the conference, but never took part in its discussions unless called upon. His
people were poor and backward, and his work required long drives to sparsely settled localities. Mr. Clifford
died of pneumonia at his home in Harrisonburg, Mar. 16, 1908, , at the age of 63 years and 6 months, having
been pastor of the mission 25 years. He had eight children and one of his sons took up his work. His funeral
was conducted in the Colored U.B. Church in Harrisonburg by Rev. G. A. Newman, principal of the
Harrisonburg Colored High School. Rev. Newman was the last surviving colored member of Va. Conf. The
funeral was held Mar. 18, 1908. Interment was in Cedar Green Cemetery, Staunton, Va. His memoir is
provided in Section II.A (below). The picture from [Glovier 1965, p. 75] was taken at the Annual Conf. of
1912. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 134, 160-161; see also pp. 127, 284, 286-291, 301] and [Glovier 1965, pp.
40-43, 45, 73, 90, 94, 113]
CLOPPER [CLOFFER]: John Clopper (b. 1773; d. June 13, 2024) was licensed and became a member of
Va. Conference in 1821 and was ordained in 1829—lived in Maryland. He attended many Annual Conferences
until 1851 but apparently did not itinerate. He is interred at Rohrersville, Md. Apparently the early
secretaries had his name wrong in Conference Minutes, 1821 and 1826-1837. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 125,
134, 232, 236, 247-255; as “Clofffer” in pp. 233 and 241-246] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013].
COFFMAN: Andrew J. Coffman became a member of Conference in 1843 and was ordained in 1846. He
was from Page Co. and later joined the Lutheran Church [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 134; see also pp. 126, 250-
255] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88].
COFFMAN: J. T. Coffman (also, T. J. Coffman) (1863-1922)—son of William Coffman and converted at
about age 20—was granted Hagerstown (Grace Church) quarterly conference license in 1900 by Rev. I. O.
Burtner, was ordained in 1911, and joined Va. Conf. in 1917. He served Hardy, 1916-18; Jones Spring, 1918-
21; and Sleepy Creek, 1920-21. He was born at New Port (Page Co.), Va., June 4, 1863. He married Ella
Dean August 11, 1880, and they had four children. At the request of his family, he took local relations in Fall
1921 on account of failing health and lived in Hagerstown. He died August April 28, 1922, at age 59 at
Hagerstown, Md. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 129, 196, 310-311; Glovier 1965, pp. 91, 164 (both as “T. J.”)] His
memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
Biographical Sketches 28
Singers Glen was left unassigned in 1919, Rev. Clegg came from Pennsylvania and took over
the pastoral duties Nov. 29, 1919. He served Singers Glen until 1921 and went on to serve
Elkton, 1921-25; and Lacey Springs, 1924-26. He then returned to evangelistic work and
made his home at Lacey Springs. Clegg had been in the United States about 10 years when
he came to Singers Glen. He had received Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity degrees from
Cambridge University in England. During his time in the United States he made five return
trips to his native country. George W. Clegg was married to Estella Chilcote, daughter of
Joseph and Alimara Chilcote of Curwensville, Pa. The Clegg’s had two children, Mary Elthea
and William Glen Clegg.” Rev. Clegg had an impressive shock of white, wavy hair which
shook as he spoke in a thundering English accented voice. He was a good speaker. His fine
education showed In his sermons, but the sermons were long ones, averaging three-quarters of an hour in
length. His final sermon lasted an hour. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 196; Glovier 1965, p. 164; MacAllister 1976,
pp. 97-98, which provided the picture] His memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
CLIFFORD: J. D. Clifford served Augusta and Rockingham Freedmen’s Mission, 1908-09. Nothing else is
known.
CLIFFORD: Theodore K. Clifford was a free-born African American “who ran away from
home at the age of 15, several years after the death of his mother, and soon afterward
enlisted in the regular army of the United States, served a full term in the ranks, and was
honorably discharged in 1864 at Brownsville, Texas. After the close of the War Between the
States, he returned to Hardy County, W.Va., and preached 11 years in the Methodist
Episcopal Church. But having lived among U.B. people, and, realizing the pressing claims of
the U.B. Church upon his race, he joined Va. Conf. in 1887,” was ordained there in 1890, and
“served its Freedmen’s Mission” for 25 years, “until the day of his death. In 1884, the Rev. T.
K. Clifford, of Piedmont, W.Va., took charge of the Augusta and Rockingham Missions and
labored successfully. Rev. Clifford continued to serve and report for both Missions from 1883
to the Annual Conference of 1895, a period of 12 years. The Freedmen’s Missions were not
producing preachers and it was hard for the Conference to find one. At the Conference of
1890, Rev. Clifford, reporting as pastor of Freedmen’s Missions, identified five appointments, five organized
churches, and 332 members; for comparison, in 1880 there had been a total of 10 appointments, 8 organized
classes, and 236 members in Freedmen’s Missions in the Conference. For conference year 1899-1900, there
was A Virginia Mission District, for which T. K. Clifford was presiding elder as well as serving Monterey and
Staunton Missions. He was a man above the average of his race, and so deported himself as to win the
respect and esteem of the best people of both colors. His upright life was never questioned, and he
manifested his appreciation of genuine kindness in every proper way. He was a good preacher and singer. He
always attended the sessions of the conference, but never took part in its discussions unless called upon. His
people were poor and backward, and his work required long drives to sparsely settled localities. Mr. Clifford
died of pneumonia at his home in Harrisonburg, Mar. 16, 1908, , at the age of 63 years and 6 months, having
been pastor of the mission 25 years. He had eight children and one of his sons took up his work. His funeral
was conducted in the Colored U.B. Church in Harrisonburg by Rev. G. A. Newman, principal of the
Harrisonburg Colored High School. Rev. Newman was the last surviving colored member of Va. Conf. The
funeral was held Mar. 18, 1908. Interment was in Cedar Green Cemetery, Staunton, Va. His memoir is
provided in Section II.A (below). The picture from [Glovier 1965, p. 75] was taken at the Annual Conf. of
1912. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 134, 160-161; see also pp. 127, 284, 286-291, 301] and [Glovier 1965, pp.
40-43, 45, 73, 90, 94, 113]
CLOPPER [CLOFFER]: John Clopper (b. 1773; d. June 13, 2024) was licensed and became a member of
Va. Conference in 1821 and was ordained in 1829—lived in Maryland. He attended many Annual Conferences
until 1851 but apparently did not itinerate. He is interred at Rohrersville, Md. Apparently the early
secretaries had his name wrong in Conference Minutes, 1821 and 1826-1837. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 125,
134, 232, 236, 247-255; as “Clofffer” in pp. 233 and 241-246] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88; Lycoming 2013].
COFFMAN: Andrew J. Coffman became a member of Conference in 1843 and was ordained in 1846. He
was from Page Co. and later joined the Lutheran Church [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 134; see also pp. 126, 250-
255] and [Glovier 1965, p. 88].
COFFMAN: J. T. Coffman (also, T. J. Coffman) (1863-1922)—son of William Coffman and converted at
about age 20—was granted Hagerstown (Grace Church) quarterly conference license in 1900 by Rev. I. O.
Burtner, was ordained in 1911, and joined Va. Conf. in 1917. He served Hardy, 1916-18; Jones Spring, 1918-
21; and Sleepy Creek, 1920-21. He was born at New Port (Page Co.), Va., June 4, 1863. He married Ella
Dean August 11, 1880, and they had four children. At the request of his family, he took local relations in Fall
1921 on account of failing health and lived in Hagerstown. He died August April 28, 1922, at age 59 at
Hagerstown, Md. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 129, 196, 310-311; Glovier 1965, pp. 91, 164 (both as “T. J.”)] His
memoir is provided in Section II.A (below).
Biographical Sketches 28
