| Authorised form of name | Clayton; John (c1657 - 1725); clergyman |
| Dates | c1657 - 1725 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Preston, Lancashire, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | c. 1657 |
| Place of death | Dublin, Ireland, Europe |
| Date of death | 23 September 1725 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
St Michan's, Dublin, Ireland, Europe (26 September 1725) |
| Occupation | Clergyman, Church of England |
| Research field | Natural history |
| Activity | Education:
St Alban Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1674); Merton College, Oxford (BA 1678; MA 1682)
Career:
Travelled to Virginia (1684-1686); Rector of Crofton (1687); Prebendary of St Michan's, Dublin (1698); Dean of Kildare (1708-death) |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 30/11/1688 |
| Other Royal Society activity | Presented numerous observations on the natural history of Virginia to the Royal Society |
| Relationships | Parents: Richard Clayton |
| General context | In Virginia, Clayton displayed a keen interest in natural history; he collected ornithological specimens and investigated the local flora and fauna, trying for example to distill some of the native plants. He was also the colony's first commissary and took party in the anglicisation of Virginia. He was in charge of converting dissenters and baptised enslaved people whilst assuring the plantation holders that this act did not mean they were free. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; Foster; Dictionary of Virginia Biography
References:
Hutchison, Sir K. 1984-85. 'The Royal Society and the Foundation of the British Gas Industry', in Notes and Records, vol. 39, pp. 245-270
Notes:
Henning says Sir Robert Clayton was FRS 1688 (as in Record); Bulloch says he was son of Captain Robert Clayton of Old Crook and Fulwood, Lancs. Virginia Biography also has him as son of Robert Clayton and Elianor Atherton Clayton and married to Julianna Edmundson. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/15614531 |
| Royal Society code | NA8172 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| IM/005310 | Clayton, John | 1993 |
| EL/C2/23 | Letter, from John Clayton [to the Royal Society], dated at Wakefield | 22 May 1694 |
| EL/C2/24 | Letter, from John Clayton to Richard Waller | 20 June 1694 |
| EL/C2/21 | Letter, from John Clayton to the Royal Society, dated at Wakefield | 17 August 1688 |
| EL/C2/22 | Letter, from John Clayton to Richard Waller, dated at Wakefield | 24 November 1693 |