Early Years
Early Legal Career in Virginia
Clayton's wife may have died not long after the birth of their third child, and that event could have contributed to his decision to travel to Virginia, where he was secretary to his acquaintance Edward Nott, governor of the colony from August 1705 until his death on August 23, 1706. Clayton remained in Williamsburg to settle Nott's estate and expanded his acquaintances among the influential families into a lucrative law practice. He was attorney for William Byrd II for more than a decade. Widely liked and evidently a good companion over a glass of wine or at the gaming table, Clayton earned a reputation as an able and honest lawyer.
Politics
Elected to the House of Burgesses from Jamestown in 1715, Clayton became chair of the Committee of Propositions and Grievances on his first day as a member and regained the post in 1720, when he was elected from James City County. He won reelection to the assembly that met from 1723 to 1726 and again served on the Committee of Propositions and Grievances. Clayton represented Williamsburg in the assembly that met from 1728 to 1734. He chaired the Committee for Courts of Justice in 1728 and in 1732 and 1734 served again as chair of the Committee of Propositions and Grievances. Late in the 1710s Clayton, John Holloway, and William Robertson prepared a collection of Virginia statutes in force, and Clayton took part in revising that edition, which William Parks published in 1733. Clayton obtained the permission of the burgesses in 1718 to procure a marble statue of Edward Nott for erection in the churchyard in Williamsburg but for reasons not recorded was unable to fulfill the commission. When the city of Williamsburg was chartered in 1722, Clayton was named recorder, or chief legal officer, in which post he served until he died.
A few days after his appointment as attorney general, Clayton arranged for a woman who was suspected of beating to death one of her slaves to be indicted and tried for murder before the General Court, even though the Isle of Wight County Court, of which her husband was a member, had declined to indict her. She was acquitted. After Clayton learned that political opponents of the lieutenant governor accused him of illegally prosecuting the woman as part of an alleged scheme by Spotswood to persecute his adversaries, Clayton took full responsibility for bringing the case before the General Court after the county court had refused to act.
Later Years
Clayton occasionally suffered from gout and his step slowed as he aged, but his health was generally good until he reached the age of seventy. John Clayton died at his Williamsburg home early in the morning of November 18, 1737. He was buried in the city without much ceremony or a funeral sermon, as he had specified in his will.
Time Line
-
ca. 1666 - John Clayton is born to Sir John Clayton and Alice Bowyer Buggins Clayton, possibly in Middlesex County, England.
-
June 16, 1682 - John Clayton enters the Inner Temple, of which his father is a member, to study law.
-
May 24, 1691 - John Clayton is called to the bar and begins practicing law in London.
-
August 1695 - John Clayton is born to John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) and Lucy Clayton, possibly in Fulham, Kent, England.
-
1702 - By this year, John Clayton and Lucy Clayton have had three sons. Lucy Clayton may have died not long after the birth of their third child.
-
1705 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) moves to Virginia and serves as secretary to the governor of the colony, Edward Nott.
-
January 23, 1706 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) becomes register of the Virginia Court of Vice Admiralty.
-
August 23, 1706 - Governor Edward Nott dies. His secretary, John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737), remains in Williamsburg to settle Nott's affairs.
-
Late 1707 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) assists the attorney general of Virginia in a murder trial.
-
April 25, 1710 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is elected to the board of the College of William and Mary.
-
1711 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) travels to North Carolina to settle a dispute.
-
1712 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) assists in the trial of several Indians and African Americans charged with treason or rebellion.
-
1712–1714 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) serves as the paid clerk of the Committee of Propositions and Grievances for the House of Burgesses.
-
February 1714 - Stephens Thompson, attorney general of Virginia, dies. Soon after, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood appoints John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) to the office of attorney general.
-
February 1714 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) arranges for a woman who was suspected of beating to death one of her slaves to be indicted and tried for murder before the General Court, even though the Isle of Wight County Court, of which her husband was a member, had declined to indict her. She is acquitted.
-
1715 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is elected to the House of Burgesses from Jamestown. He becomes chair of the Committee of Propositions and Grievances on his first day as a member.
-
Late 1710s - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737), John Holloway, and William Robertson prepare a collection of Virginia statutes in force. This edition, revised by Clayton, will be published in 1733 by William Parks as A Collection of All the Acts of Assembly, Now in Force, In the Colony of Virginia.
-
1716 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is appointed to a board to devise methods for judging the qualifications of men to practice law.
-
August 13, 1717 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) becomes presiding judge of the James City County Court.
-
1718 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) obtains the permission of the burgesses to procure a marble statue of former governor Edward Nott for erection in the churchyard in Williamsburg. For reasons not recorded, he is unable to fulfill the commission.
-
1720 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is elected to the House of Burgesses from James City County and regains his post as chair of the Committee of Propositions and Grievances.
-
April 1721 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is commissioned judge of the Virginia Court of Vice Admiralty.
-
1722 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is named recorder, or chief legal officer, when the city of Williamsburg is first chartered in this year. He serves in this post until he dies.
-
1723–1726 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is elected to the House of Burgesses from James City County. He again serves on the Committee of Propositions and Grievances.
-
April 22, 1726 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) obtains a leave of absence from his positions as attorney general and recorder in order to return to England to settle family and personal business. John Randolph serves as acting attorney in Clayton's absence.
-
Winter 1727–1728 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) returns to Virginia from England.
-
1728–1734 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) represents Williamsburg in the House of Burgesses. He chairs the Committee for Courts of Justice in 1728 and the Committee of Propositions and Grievances in 1732 and 1734.
-
1732 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) is appointed to a board to devise methods for judging the qualifications of men to practice law.
-
1733 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) petitions treasury officials in London for an addition to his salary. The lords of treasury increase his salary by forty pounds.
-
November 18, 1737 - John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737) dies at his Williamsburg home. He is buried in the city without much ceremony or a funeral sermon, as he had specified in his will.
References
Further Reading
Cite This Entry
- APA Citation:
Tarter, B., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737). (2016, November 15). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/Clayton_John_ca_1666-1737.
- MLA Citation:
Tarter, Brent and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "John Clayton (ca. 1666–1737)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 15 Nov. 2016. Web. READ_DATE.
First published: June 17, 2013 | Last modified: November 15, 2016
Contributed by Brent Tarter and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Brent Tarter is founding editor of the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.