Christopher Clayton (businessman)

Sir (George) Christopher Clayton (11 July 1876 - 28 July 1945) was a British scientist, industrialist and Conservative politician.

Clayton was educated at Harrow School and Heidelberg and graduated from University College, Liverpool with a PhD in chemistry in 1896.^[1] On graduation he obtained a post with the United Alkali Company of Widnes. In 1907 he joined the board of the company.^[2] When United Alkali was merged with three other chemical companies to from Imperial Chemical Industries in 1926, Clayton became a director of ICI.^[2]

At the 1922 general election he succeeded in regaining the Widnes constituency for the Conservative party.^[3] He held the seat until the 1929 election when he was defeated by his Labour Party opponent. In 1925 he was appointed by Order in Council to the Board of Trade Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.^[4] At the 1931 general election he returned to parliament as MP for the Wirral Division of Cheshire. He was President of the Royal Institute of Chemistry from 1930 to 1933 and was knighted in 1933.^[2][5] He only sat for one term, retiring in 1935 due to his business commitments.^[6]

Apart from being a director of ICI, Clayton was also chairman of the Liverpool Gas Company and vice-chairman of the Power Gas Corporation.^[7][8]

Clayton married Mabel Valentine Grainger of Perth in 1896, and made his home at Kilry Lodge, Alyth, Perthshire, where he died in 1945 aged seventy-six.^[1]

References

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

1. ^ ^{a b} Obituary: Sir Christopher Clayton Kt CBE PhD FRIC JP, The Times, 31 July 1945, p.6
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Annual Report of Council, 1946". Royal Society of Chemistry. http://www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=AN946710157b&JournalCode=AN. Retrieved 2008-09-13. 
3. ^ A "Key" Labour Contest, The Times, 28 October 1922, p.10
4. ^ Scientific Research, The Times, 29 September 1925, p.16
5. ^ King's Birthday Honours, The Times, 3 June 1933, p.17
6. ^ Wirral Division Candidates, The Times, 9 April 1935, p.9
7. ^ Power Gas Corporation, The Times, 13 December 1934, p.25
8. ^ Liverpool Gas Company, The Times, 19 December 1934, p.19

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir Christopher Clayton

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Arthur Henderson	Member of Parliament for Widnes 1922–1929	Succeeded by Alexander Gordon Cameron
Preceded by John Grace	Member of Parliament for Wirral 1931–1935	Succeeded by Alan Crosland Graham

Persondata
Name	Clayton, G C
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	11 July 1876
Place of birth
Date of death	28 July 1945
Place of death