Thomas J. Clayton

Thomas Jefferson Clayton (July 20, 1826 – January 30, 1900)[2] was an American lawyer from Pennsylvania who served as the first elected President Judge of the Thirty-Second Judicial District of Pennsylvania from 1874 to 1900. Clayton was an author of several letters to the Delaware County Republican newspaper based on his travels throughout Europe, Asia and Africa which were turned into a book.

This article is about the lawyer and Judge from Pennsylvania. For other people, see Thomas Clayton (disambiguation).
Thomas J. Clayton
President Judge of the Thirty-Second Judicial District of Pennsylvania
In office
November 3, 1874 – January 30, 1900
Preceded byJohn Martin Broomall
Succeeded byIsaac Johnson[1]
Personal details
Born(1826-07-20)July 20, 1826
Bethel Township, Pennsylvania
DiedJanuary 30, 1900(1900-01-30) (aged 73)
Resting placeChester-Bethel Church Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware
Political partyRepublican
RelativesJohn M. Clayton (brother)
Powell Clayton (brother)
W. H. H. Clayton (brother)

He was the brother of Arkansas Governor and U.S. Senator Powell Clayton, U.S. Attorney W.H.H. Clayton and U.S. Congressman elect John Middleton Clayton.

Early life and education

Clayton was born in Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, to John and Ann Glover Clayton. The Clayton family was descended from early Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania. Clayton's ancestor William Clayton emigrated from Chichester, England, was a personal friend of William Penn, one of nine justices who sat at the Upland Court in 1681, and a member of Penn's Council.[3]

Clayton studied law under Daniel M. Bates, the Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery and under Edward Darlington who became a U.S. Congressman for Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional district.[4] He was admitted to the Delaware County bar in 1851[5] and to the Philadelphia bar in 1852.[2]

Career

Clayton practiced law mainly in Philadelphia but lived in Delaware County in Thurlow which is now a part of the city of Chester. He was a skilled politician who never held office until being elected judge and built up a strong political machine in Delaware County.[6]

In 1856, Clayton was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor James Pollock as a member of his personal staff with the rank of Colonel.[5]

In 1868, he traveled to Europe and contributed a series of letter to the Delaware County Republican newspaper which were subsequently published in a book titled "Rambles and Reflections".[7]

Pennsylvania amended the state constitution in 1852 changing the position of President Judge from an appointed one to an elected position.[6] In 1874, Governor John F. Hartranft appointed Judge John Martin Broomall to the interim position of President Judge for the newly created Thirty-Second Judicial District.[6] However, Clayton defeated Broomall in the election for President Judge of the Thirty-Second Judicial District on an independent ticket which had support from the Democratic Party against Broomall who was the nominee of the Republican Party.[1] He was re-elected on the Republican Party ticket after his first ten year term was completed in 1884[5] and again in 1894. He served until his death in 1900.[2]

During his career, Clayton faced accusations of fraudulent election practices and the use of liquor licenses for political leverage.[8]

Bibliography
  • Clayton, Thomas Jefferson, Rambles and Reflections, Press of the Delaware County Republican, Chester, Pennsylvania, 1892.

Personal life

In 1854, Clayton married Sarah J. McCay and together they had four children.[5] Clayton is interred at the Chester-Bethel Church cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.

Legacy

The Clayton School on 7th and Harwick Street in Chester, Pennsylvania was named in honor of Clayton.[9]

In 1920, the Reverend Augustine L. Ganster purchased Clayton's mansion at Ninth and Wilson streets in Chester, Pennsylvania for the purpose of converting it into a hospital. The property eventually became Community Hospital, part of the Crozer Keystone Health System.[10]

See also

References
  1. The Twentieth Century Bench and Bar of Pennsylvania, Vol. 2. Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr., Bro. & Co. 1903. p. 631. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  2. Geary, Alexander B. (1911). Delaware County Reports, Volume XI. Chester, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 9 September 2018.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Volume 6. Philadelphia. 1917. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 3 September 2018.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. Clayton, Thomas Jefferson (1892). Rambles and Reflections. Chester, Pennsylvania: Press of the Delaware County Republican. p. 419. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  5. Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Biography, of Pennsylvania, Vol 3. New York: Atlantic Publishing & Engraving Company. 1898. pp. 174–175. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  6. Jordan, John Woolf (1914). A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing. p. 486. Retrieved 10 September 2018. thomas j. clayton judge pennsylvania.
  7. Wiley, Samuel T. (1894). Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Richmond, Indiana: Gresham Publishing Company. p. 451. Retrieved 9 September 2018. thomas j. clayton pennsylvania judge.
  8. Hoover, Stephanie (2013). The Killing of John Sharpless: The Pursuit of Justice in Delaware County. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. ISBN 978-1625841261. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  9. "Clayton School". www.oldchesterpa.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  10. Carey, Kathleen E. "Crozer Keystone looks to unload Community Hospital". www.delconewsnetwork.com. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
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