CLAY, Alfred Borron (2 son of Rev. John Clay 1796–1858). b. Walton near Preston 3 June 1831; articled to a solicitor at Preston; studied art in Liverpool and London; exhibited 19 pictures at R.A., 1 at B.I. and 2 at Suffolk st. gallery 1852–70; his chief pictures were ‘The imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots at Lochleven Castle,’ ‘Charles ix and the French court at the massacre of St. Bartholomew,’ ‘The return to Whitehall 29 May 1660,’ now in the Walker gallery at Liverpool. d. Rainhill near Liverpool 1 Oct. 1868.
Alfred Borron Clay (1831–1868) was an English painter known for his historical and royal-themed works. He was the second son of the Reverend John Clay (1796–1858) and his wife Henrietta Fielding. Alfred was born on 3rd June 1831 in Walton le Dale, and baptised two days later, on 5th June, at St Leonard’s Church, Walton le Dale, by his father, who was then officiating as minister. At the time, the family probably resided within the parish. Alfred grew up in a household with strong clerical and educational influences.
Initially, Clay followed a conventional professional path and was articled to a solicitor in Preston. However, he soon turned to his artistic interests and pursued formal studies in Liverpool and London, developing his skills as a painter. Between 1852 and 1870, he exhibited widely, including nineteen paintings at the Royal Academy, one at the British Institution, and two at the Suffolk Street Gallery. His works were generally large-scale historical compositions, often focusing on dramatic episodes involving royalty or significant events from European history.
Among his most celebrated paintings are The Imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots at Lochleven Castle (1861), Charles IX and the French Court at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew (1865), and The Return to Whitehall, 29 May 1660 (1867), the latter now held in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. These paintings reflect Clay’s interest in theatrical narrative, historical pageantry, and morally or politically charged episodes, a taste typical of Victorian historical painting.
In 1856, he married Elizabeth Jane Fayrer, who survived him, and together they had a family. Clay’s health declined in the years following his final major works, and he died at Rainhill, near Liverpool, on 1st October 1868 at the age of thirty-seven. Though his career was brief, his work is noted for its careful attention to historical detail, dramatic composition, and vivid depiction of royal and courtly life, marking him as a significant figure among mid‑19th-century English history painters.
Alfred Borron Clay taught Ernest Crofts in London.
Ernest Crofts (1847–1911) was a British painter best known for his dramatic and meticulously detailed battle scenes, particularly from the Napoleonic Wars. He was born on 15 September 1847 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Crofts received part of his artistic training in Düsseldorf, a center of rigorous academic painting at the time, before studying under Alfred Borron Clay in London, who himself was noted for his historical compositions and vivid depictions of royal and courtly episodes.
Merry wives of Windsor, act I, sc. 1 A.B. Clay. [graphic]
This is a visual work created by Alfred Borron Clay in 1851, depicting Act I, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. The design or subject may have been based on, or inspired by, the earlier artist John Massey Wright (1777‑1866). It is classified as a graphic work (print, drawing, or illustration).
Note on usage: The image of Alfred Borron Clay’s Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Scene 1 is released under the Creative Commons CC0 (Public Domain Dedication). This means it may be freely used, copied, modified, or distributed for any purpose, including commercial use. While attribution is not legally required, it has been provided here for reference:
https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img34405
Other Artworks
Artist – Alfred Borron Clay 1831–1868
Art UK – the Public Catalogue Foundation:
https://artuk.org/discover/artists/clay-alfred-borron-18311868
Baptisms at St Leonard in the Parish of Walton-le-Dale
Baptism: 5 Jun 1831 St Leonard, Walton le Dale, Lancashire
Alfred Barron Clay – S of John Clay & Henrietta
Abode: Walton
Occupation: Clerk
Baptised By: J Clay Offg. Minr.
Register: Baptisms 1831 – 1854 from the Bishop’s Transcripts, Page 1, Entry 5
Source: LDS Film 1502382
Lancashire Online Parish Clerks:
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Walton-le-Dale/stleonard/baptisms_1831-1838.html
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