James Clayton (1869-1944)

James Clayton spent the greater part of his business life in the textile industry as chief engineer of Messrs. Courtaulds Ltd. He was with the firm from the very early days of the rayon industry until 1919. Although he was well known in textile circles, much of his work was of necessity of a secret nature, and therefore he was not widely known in general engineering circles; in fact he did not welcome personal publicity. 

Clayton was born on 16th May 1869 at Preston, Lancs. He became an engineering apprentice at the works of Messrs. Wilding Brothers, cotton manufacturers of Preston. However, only part of his apprenticeship was served there. He completed the remainder with Joseph Smith of Preston who was also in cotton. During this time he attended the Harris Institute at Preston, where he won several certificates and diplomas. 

Upon completion of his apprenticeship he spent some time in a shipbuilding yard at Barrow, and then signed on as ninth engineer to the S.S. Westernland, belonging to the Société de Navigation Belge-Americaine, running between Antwerp and New York. Following this he had a further two years with the Red Star Line, leaving as fourth engineer.

Returning to Preston, he became engineer to three cotton mills operated by George Paley. At the age of 24 he joined Messrs. Courtaulds at the Essex factories of the company as assistant engineer under James Finney. At that time the company was engaged exclusively on problems connected with the treatment and finishing of real silkcrepe and coloured fabrics.

Early in the 20th century the company became interested in the development of rayon. By that time Clayton had become chief engineer. The activities of the rayon side were concentrated at Coventry, and he took up residence there about 1906; and Coventry remained his headquarters until his retirement in 1919. 

Clayton was directly concerned with the solution of the many problems which had to be overcome before the manufacture of rayon became commercially viable; and during his time at Courtaulds he was closely associated with the development of special devices, notably spinning machines, washing machines and bleaching machines – the Clayton multiple-piston spinning pump being an important example of his work.

Clayton spent long periods in the US on behalf of the company, and was largely responsible for the selection of the sites and the design and construction of the first rayon factories built by Courtaulds in that country.

Upon retirement, Clayton moved to Torquay and remained there until his death on 6th March 1944. A member of IMechE since 1901, Clayton bequeathed a considerable sum of money to the Institution for the purpose of encouraging mechanical engineering science. It is from this bequest that the James Clayton Awards, James Clayton Undergraduate Scholarships and other General Institution prizes and awards are derived. His obituary states that he ‘always had a kindly word, and gave a helping hand to young apprentices, particularly to those who came of poor parents. There is no doubt that the struggles of his own early years were never forgotten – hence his bequest to the Institution.’ 

The James Clayton Lecture was first given in 1945 by the then Air Commodore Frank Whittle. The paper, entitled ‘The early history of the Whittle jet propulsion gas turbine’, was the first detailed description of the aircraft jet engine presented to the engineering community and the world.