Benjamin (2nd) Clayton

CLAYTON, BENJAMIN—III - (b. 1809, d. 1883), - Engraver - From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913 - Second son of Benjamin Clayton (I), was born in 1786 and baptized at St. John's Church on 18th November of that year. He worked chiefly as a wood-engraver, contributing to the "Dublin Penny Journal" and other works published in Dublin. A wood-cut by him of "Wood Quay and the N.E. Suburbs" is in Hardiman's "History of Galway," 1820; and in "The Freeman's Journal" of 4th October, 1820, is a wood-cut of "The Interior of the House of Lords as prepared for the Trial of Queen Caroline," probably the first illustration in a Dublin daily paper other than small advertisement cuts. He tried his hand at almost every form of engraving, but though he worked hard he never attained to much distinction in his profession. He invented a new method of printing on textile fabrics which he endeavoured to have adopted by the trade in Manchester, and showed a model in the London Exhibition of 1851.

Towards the end of 1841 he went to London, where his son Benjamin had preceded him, and found work with W. S. Johnson and with Dean & Son, who published a series of seven small drawing-books designed and engraved by him. In 1856 he returned to Dublin and worked chiefly for his son-in-law, J. Le Petit, the print-seller and publisher. He died at Ashtown, Co. Dublin, on 17th November, 1862, aged 76. He married in 1808, while residing with his father in Ryder's Row, Eleanor Creathorne, of Baltinglass, who survived him and died on 12th January, 1868. By her he was father of Benjamin Clayton III and two other sons—Robert, who showed some talent as an engraver but died young about 1833; and Jeffrey Creathorne, who worked as an engraver in London, Paris and Birmingham with indifferent success and died in 1892. Benjamin had also three daughters—Mary Anne, born in 1818, who married Joseph Le Petit, the print-seller; Caroline, Mrs. Millard (q.v.), and Martha, who married a draughtsman on the Ordnance Survey named Dalgleish and died in 1911. - (Ref- http://www.libraryireland.com/irishartists/benjamin-clayton-2.php).

CLAYTON, BENJAMIN—III - (b. 1809, d. 1883), - Engraver - From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913 - Was the eldest of the three sons of Benjamin Clayton (II), and his wife Eleanor Creathorne, and was born on 6th January, 1809. He worked at first as an engraver with his father and afterwards practised as a miniature painter, exhibiting in the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1834 to 1841. In July of the latter year he left Dublin and settled in London, where he obtained employment on the illustrated papers, and wrote and illustrated guide books, children's books, and even started weekly papers of his own. He obtained some success by his military drawings. A series of twelve large plates of "Costumes of the Grenadier Guards, from 1660 to 1853," were published by Ackermann in 1853-4. He was one of the founders of the Savage Club and an enthusiastic Volunteer. He died of chronic rheumatism and bronchitis on 11th August, 1883, and was buried at Nunhead. Clayton married in 1833 Mary Graham, daughter of a bookseller in Capel Street. By her, who died in 1877, he was the father of Eleanor Creathorne Clayton (q.v.), and of Albert Victor and Herbert Benjamin Clayton, engravers, who still survive. - (Ref- http://www.libraryireland.com/irishartists/benjamin-clayton-3.php).

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