Mr Colin Clegg of More Hall Bolsterstone Sheffield (1878-1929) - Ewden Valley Waterworks Engineer

Following on from the penultimate blog on Ethel Theodora Clegg and the Clegg family, the following reports are in effect obituaries for her first cousin Colin Clegg and the last surviving son of Sit Charles Clegg, the President of the Football Association

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Thursday 12 September 1929

WATERWORKS ENGINEER. 

Sudden Death of Son of Sir Charles Clegg. 

Mr. Colin Clegg, of More Hall, Bolsterstone, who was the only surviving son of Sir Charles Clegg, President of the Football Association, has died in London, following an operation. He was resident engineer of the Sheffield Corporation’s Ewden Valley Waterworks undertaking, and was well-known in local, social, and football circles. The news of his death, the age of 51, will come as a shock to many, but during the last month or two has not been in very good health. While in London on Monday he had to undergo an operation, and he died afterwards in a nursing home. 

It was only in July last that Mr. Clegg completed his great work for the Corporation at the Ewden Valley. This he began in 1913, and the tremendous waterworks undertaking has cost £1,700,000. The great responsibility which was upon Mr, Clegg's shoulders and the credit due to him can well be realised. Recently he had been resting, on holiday in Filey. At a meeting of the City Council on June 12th, 1915, when Mr. Clegg was appointed resident engineer of the new Valley waterworks,- Alderman Styring said “they would all express their appreciation of the fact that there was in the person of a son of Mr. J. C. Clegg (now Sir Charles) a gentleman who was qualified to undertake this work.” He was fully qualified for the post, having had experience while holding appointments at Leeds, Westminster, and in connection with the construction of the Ramsley reservoir for the Chesterfield Corporation. 

Mr. Clegg had an attractive personality. He was very popular with the staff and workmen employed on the construction of the reservoir, and on the occasion of his marriage to the daughter of Mr. Charles Castle (a former Sheffield Citv Councillor) the employees made a presentation to him. He inherited his father’s love of sport, and in his younger days was a capable amateur footballer, playing right full-back for the Sheffield Club and appearing for Sheffield in inter-city football matches. For the last four or five years, to the time of his death, he was a director of the Sheffield United Football Club. Tennis attracted him in recent years also, and he was a member of the local Rustlings and Norfolk clubs. An ardent worker in the cause of temperance, he took active part in the movement, and was well-known for his efforts in this direction He was treasurer of the Sheffield and District Sunday School Bund of Hope Union, of which his father is president. Mr. Clegg is survived by his wife, who was in London with him at the time of his death. There are no children. Sir Charles has now been bereaved of both his sons, for his elder son, Mr. O. W. Clegg, died three years ago. His daughter, Mrs. Paul Wilks, resides in Harrogate.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Saturday 14 September 1929

A LIFE WELL LIVED. Tribute to the Late Mr. Colin Clegg. 

FUNERAL IN SHEFFIELD. 

In his life, Mr. Colin Clegg, M.1.C.E., V.I.W.E., F.G.S., of More Hall, Bolsterstone, maintained the high traditions of his distinguished family, being to the forefront in work for the city of Sheffield, for sport, and for the temperance movement. Therefore it was not surprising that his funeral in Sheffield yesterday was attended by many mourners representative of the interests for which he did so much. 

For sixteen years was in charge of the constructive work of the Sheffield Corporation’s Ewden Valley Waterworks, and his death on Wednesday last, at the age of 52, came very quickly after the completion of that great undertaking. His engineering work there will, no doubt, be recognised at the formal opening of the works early next month, but it was significant and indicative of ius interest in religious and temperance work that amongst the many wreaths at his funeral yesterday was one from “The Women of Ewden.” 

The service, was held in Queen Street Congregational Church, before the interment at the City Road Cemetery, the Rev. Ernest Hamsou said Mr. Clegg entered into a very great heritage, following father and grandfather who stood for big things, and there was nothing trifling or small about him. Life to him was a joyous privilege, a great adventure, and he put into it something which made extremely straight and cleau. Many of those present, said Mr. Hamson, would think Mr. Clegg particularly in connection with his work for temperance. For him temperance meant teetotalism, and in these days of indecision concerning that matter it was refreshing for many of them to see the stand took. 

His passing and the recent deaths of several stalwarts of the temperance movement brought challenge to the young men and women of this generation, for there were many gaps to be filled. Referring to Mr. Clegg’s connection with sport, Mr. Hamson said such work was a family tradition. The Clegg family brought something which was clean and wholesome into the sport of our country, and Mr. Colin Clegg carried on that tradition. Sixteen years of labour in the Ewden Valley were part of his Christian ministry, for the mission hut in (he centre of the village meant a great deal to him and to the men and women there