James Clay (author)

James Clay (20 December 1804, London – 26 September 1873, Brighton)[1] was an English politician and a leading whist authority.[2] His son was the musical composer Frederic Clay.

Clay was MP for Kingston upon Hull from July 1847 until 1853, when he was unseated after a bribery inquiry. He regained the seat at an 1857 by-election and held it until his death.[1]

According to an obituary in the Westminster papers: a monthly journal of chess, whist, games of skill and the drama Clay had been "the acknowledged head of the Whist world" for the last thirty years before his death, spending much of his time and attention on whist and piquet. In 1863 he became chairman of a committee for settling the laws of whist.[3]

References

1. M. C. Curthoys, ‘Clay, James (1804–1873)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2006
2. Culbertson, Ely, Editor (1935). The Encyclopedia of Bridge. New York: The Bridge World, Inc. p. 467.
3. "James Clay", The Westminster Papers, 6: 117f.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by James Clay
• Works by or about James Clay in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir John Hanmer Sir Walter James	Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull 1847 – 1853 With: Matthew Talbot Baines to 1832 Viscount Goderich from 1852	Vacant Title next held by William Henry Watson William Digby Seymour
Preceded by William Henry Watson William Digby Seymour	Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull 1857 – 1873 With: William Digby Seymour Lord Ashley 1857–1859 Joseph Hoare 1859 Joseph Somes 1859–1865 Charles Morgan Norwood from 1865	Succeeded by Charles Morgan Norwood Joseph Walker Pease