Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 08 March 1941

Obituary – Mr. J. Clayton

Veteran of Printing Trade

Mr. James Clayton, of 98. Dolcliffe Road. Mexborough, the only surviving member of the staff which assisted in the production of the first issue of the “Mexborough and Swinton Times” (now the South Yorkshire Times”), died on Monday at the age of 77.

Mr. Clayton leaves a widow and two daughters, and would have celebrated his Golden Wedding early next year. He retired on September 14th 1932, after an association with the “Times” extending over 55 vears.

As an apprentice, Mr. Clayton helped the late Mr. Walter Turner, founder of the newspaper, if to get out the first issue. They began on Thursday morning to print four pages of local and district news (four other pages came stereotyped from London) and managed to complete the edition of 1.000 copies by Friday morning. At this time a rival paper was circulating in Mexborough, the “Mexborough Observer,” but, in Mr. Clayton ‘s words “We soon knocked that out.”

Mr. Clayton ‘grew up” with the “Times” and saw the old-fashioned machinery replaced by the most up-to-date machinery on the market. He saw the staff grow to a team of experts, and the newspaper develop from a small publication into one of South Yorkshire’s leading weekly journals. Mr.

Mr Clayton was one of the most loyal and efficient members of the composing room staff the firm has ever had. This was made evident at the presentation made to him on his retirement, when tribute to his devotion to duty was paid by Mr. W. P. Turner, Managing Director of the “South Yorkshire Times and other colleagues and associates.

Mr. Clayton was a native of Sheffield, came to Mexborough in 1870 and had lied in the town ever since.

Trade Union Activities.

Shortly after completing his apprenticeship Mr. Clayton was introduced to trade union activity through the auspices of the Mexborough Trades Council, who were at that time endeavouring to carry out an organising campaign of all industries in Mexborough and printing which was largely in its infancy was included.

Mr.Clayton and his few colleagues of that day recognised that trade unionism had much to offer and invited President and other officials of the Sheffield Society to assist them in their efforts to establish a Section of the Typographical Association. This was accomplished and so successful was the work of Mr Clayton in these early years that in February 1895 the members held a celebration dinner and social gathering at the Golden Flitch In, Mexborough.

Apart from his interest in gardening Mr Clayton had for nearly 40 years devoted all his spare time to trade union work. He held at various times almost all official positions at Mexborough and had represented Mexborough Section on the of the Sheffield Typographical society. For many years he was delegate to the old Mexborough Trades Council.