JOHN CLAYTON 



1693-1773 

 Claytonia Virginica GRONOVIUS 



John Clayton, the botanist, must not be con- 

 founded with a naturalist of the same name and 

 period, though more than likely he is a connec- 

 tion. The latter was rector of Crofton, Wake- 

 field, in Yorkshire, England, whence nearly all 

 the Claytons came, but was something more than 

 a theologian, as, after journeying to America, 

 he communicated the result of his natural history 

 gleanings to the Royal Society of London in two 

 papers entitled An Account of Several Observ- 

 ables in Virginia and in his Voyage hither, by 

 John Clayton, and Some More Observables 

 (Phil. Trans., 1688). D. Waterson found these 

 papers in a small second-hand bookstore in Lon- 

 don and secured them for 12 cents. Later I noted 

 that Quaritch was asking $14! Crofton Church, 

 where John the divine officiated, was built in 

 1437-1467, and is still standing. My friend, Dr. 

 Sykes, who lives near it, had a photograph taken 

 for me. 



The John Clayton after whom our beautiful 

 little modest Claytonia (" Spring Beauty") was 



44 



