Clayton and Gibson Papers

The first part of the material comprises deeds, papers, wayleaves, wills, opinions, court papers and plans, relating to the family, landed estates and coal and other business interests and connections of the Stuarts, Marquesses of Bute (including their inheritance from the Claverings of Axwell, Co. Durham), centring on Tanfield, Lanchester, Winlaton, Ryton and Whickham, Co. Durham but also mentioning other Bute property in England, Scotland, Wales (Glamorgan) and Ireland. These Bute papers span 1598-1896 and are mainly 18th and 19th century. They were listed while on loan to Durham County Record Office in 1983, to maintain the same system of reference in two groups of inter-related documents deposited in the two places.

Of the second batch of Clayton and Gibson material, mainly 18th and 19th century, eight boxes relate to St. Anthony's Estate and to Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne and Jarrow Grange Estate, Co. Durham and concern the Ellison and Bonner families among others and another nine boxes are Ellison family material and include wills, marriage settlements, deeds relating to Hebburn, Gateshead, a glass house there, the Brandling Junction Railway Co. and other business interests.

Various Claytons carried on business as solicitors in Newcastle in the 19th century, the firm of Clayton and Gibson being formed in 1877. This continued under that name until 1972, when it became Wilkinson, Marshall, Clayton and Gibson, uniting the business with Wilkinson, Marshall and Company with whom it had merged in 1951.

First deposit: In order of bundles as deposited (each relating to a topic), sorted in chronological order.

Second deposit: as deposited.

Open for consultation. The second deposit of unlisted material cannot be produced without special arrangement.

Deposited in two parts:

• One wooden box through Sir William Gibson, of the lawyers Clayton and Gibson, late of 7 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, on behalf of the Marquess of Bute, at some point between 1948 and 1957
• Two containers, again from Clayton and Gibson, on 5 July 1962

The Bute section of these papers is listed in Durham County Record Office's catalogue entitled: Records of Messrs. Clayton and Gibson, Solicitors, late of 7 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne deposited by Sir William Waymouth Gibson and by Wilkinson, Marshall, Clayton and Gibson December 1963, June 1965, April 1972 and May 1976, volume 1, (unpaginated) section PD/CG/Bute, unindexed. Available online, at online catalogue

The other section is uncatalogued.

Durham County Record Office, Tyne&Wear Archives Service and Northumberland Record Office all received deposits from the firm in 1972 relating to the geographic area each repository covered.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Gibson Volumes and Plans: also deposited by Sir William Gibson