Robert Clayton (City of London MP)

Sir Robert Clayton (1629–1707) was a British merchant banker, politician and Lord Mayor of London.

The Rt. Hon.

Sir Robert Clayton
Robert Clayton by Laureys a Castro
Lord Mayor of London
In office
1679–1680
Preceded byJames Edwards (Lord Mayor)
Succeeded byPatience Ward
Personal details
NationalityBritish
OccupationBanker, politician
Garden front of Sir Robert Clayton's house at No 8 Old Jewry in the 17th century

Life

Robert Clayton was born in Northamptonshire, England. He became an apprentice to his uncle, a London scrivener, where he met a fellow apprentice, Alderman John Morris. They became successful businessmen and established the bank, Clayton & Morris Co. [1]

Clayton entered politics, representing London and Bletchingley alternately as a Whig between 1679 and his death in 1707. He was knighted in 1671. Clayton made a considerable fortune. In 1697 he lent the king £30,000 to pay for the army.[1] In the mid-1650s Clayton purchased Brownsea Island and its castle.

He was president of the St Thomas' Hospital in London which was then located in the Borough. He employed Thomas Cartwright to rebuild the hospital and St Thomas Church nearby.

Robert Clayton was a member of the Scriveners and Drapers Company, an Alderman of Cheap Ward in the City of London (1670–1683), a Sheriff in 1671, Lord Mayor of London (1679–1680), a member of parliament for the City of London or Bletchingley for most of the years 1679 to 1707, Colonel of the Orange Regiment of militia (various times, 1680–1702), President of the Honourable Artillery Company (1690–1703), Commissioner of the Customs (1689–1697), an Assistant to the Royal African Company (1672–1681) and a director of the Bank of England (1702–1707).

In the 1690s, Clayton was the head of the earliest known Freemason lodge entirely made-up of non-working masons in London.[2]

As a member of the Court of Assistants to the Royal African Company, Clayton was essentially on the board of directors. The Royal African Company shipped more African slaves to the Americas than any other institution in the history of the Atlantic slave trade.[3] Clayton married Martha Trott, who was the daughter of a Bermuda merchant, and also acted as Factor in Bermuda.[4]

Legacy

A statue of Clayton stood at the North Entrance to Ward Block of North Wing at St Thomas' Hospital and is Grade I listed.[1] On 11 June 2020, a joint statement from the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust announced that Clayton's statue, together with that of Thomas Guy, would be removed from public view.[5]

References

  1. Courtney 1887.
  2. Jacob 2006.
  3. College, Jesus. "Legacy of Slavery Working Party recommendations". Jesus College University of Cambridge. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. Dresser, M. (1 January 2007). "Set in Stone? Statues and Slavery in London". History Workshop Journal. 64 (1): 162–199. doi:10.1093/hwj/dbm032. ISSN 1363-3554. S2CID 194951026.
  5. "Joint statement about Thomas Guy and Robert Clayton statues". Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved 24 June 2020.

Sources

Dr. J.P. Dickson. MA.,MB.,BChir.(Cantab). St. Thomas's staff 1955. Personal reminiscence.

  • Jacob, Margaret. The Radical Enlightenment: Pantheists, Freemasons and Republicans, Cornerstone Book Publishers, 2006.
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir John Frederick
William Love
Sir William Thompson
John Jones
Member of Parliament for City of London
1679–1681
With: William Love
Sir Thomas Player
Thomas Pilkington
Succeeded by
Sir John Moore
Sir William Prichard
Sir Samuel Dashwood
Sir Peter Rich
Preceded by
Sir John Moore
Sir William Prichard
Sir Samuel Dashwood
Sir Peter Rich
Member of Parliament for City of London
1689–1690
With: Sir Patience Ward
William Love
Thomas Pilkington
Succeeded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir Samuel Dashwood
William Turner
Sir Thomas Vernon
Preceded by
Thomas Howard
Jeffrey Amherst (MP)
Member of Parliament for Bletchingley
1690–1695
With: Thomas Howard
Succeeded by
Thomas Howard
Maurice Thompson
Preceded by
Sir John Fleet
Sir Samuel Dashwood
Sir Thomas Vernon
Sir William Prichard
Member of Parliament for City of London
1695–1698
With: Sir John Fleet
Sir William Ashhurst
Thomas Papillon
Succeeded by
Sir William Ashhurst
Sir John Fleet
Sir James Houblon
Thomas Papillon
Preceded by
Thomas Howard
Maurice Thompson
Member of Parliament for Bletchingley
1698–1701
With: Hugh Hare
Succeeded by
Sir Edward Gresham, Bt
John Ward
Preceded by
Sir William Ashhurst
Sir John Fleet
Sir James Houblon
Thomas Papillon
Member of Parliament for City of London
1701–1702
With: Sir William Ashhurst to 1702
Sir William Withers to November 1701
Sir Gilbert Heathcote to February 1701
Sir John Fleet March–November 1701
Sir Thomas Abney from November 1701
Sir Gilbert Heathcote from November 1701
Succeeded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Sir John Fleet
Sir Francis Child
Preceded by
John Ward
John Evelyn
Member of Parliament for Bletchingley
1702–1705
With: John Ward
Succeeded by
John Ward
George Evelyn
Preceded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Sir John Fleet
Sir Francis Child
Member of Parliament for City of London
1705–1707
With: Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Samuel Shepheard
Sir William Ashhurst
Succeeded by
Sir William Withers
Samuel Shepheard
Sir William Ashhurst
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
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