Clayton and Bell

Background

During the Medieval period, from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 until the 1530s, much stained glass was produced and installed in churches, monasteries and cathedrals. Two historic events had brought an end to this and the destruction of most of the glass: the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, and the Puritan era under Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century.

The early 19th century was marked by a renewal of the Christian faith, a growth of Roman Catholicism, a planting of new churches, particularly in centres of industrial growth, and the restoration of many ancient churches and cathedrals. Leaders in the movement to build new churches and cathedrals were William Butterfield, Augustus Welby Pugin, Sir George Gilbert Scott, John Loughborough Pearson, G.F. Bodley and George Edmund Street. They generally designed churches in a manner that sought to revive the styles of the Medieval period.

History

In the 1850s a number of young designers worked in conjunction with the Gothic Revival architects in the provision of stained glass for new churches and for the restoration of old. These included John Richard Clayton, Alfred Bell, Clement Heaton, James Butler, Robert Bayne, Nathaniel Lavers, Francis Barraud and Nathaniel Westlake. The eight worked in a number of combinations, Alfred Bell initially working at G. G. Scott's architectural practice in the 1840s, then forming a partnership with Nathaniel Lavers before forming a partnership with Clayton in 1855.

Initially Clayton and Bell's designs were manufactured by Heaton and Butler, with whom they shared a studio between 1859 and 1862, employing the very talented Robert Bayne as a designer as well. From 1861 Clayton and Bell commenced manufacturing their own glass. Robert Bayne became part of the partnership with Heaton and Butler, forming the firm Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Nathaniel Lavers, who had worked with Bell, also formed a partnership as Lavers, Barraud and Westlake in 1862.

There was a good deal of interaction and influence between Clayton and Bell, and Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The windows of both firms share several distinguishing features and characteristic colour combinations that are uncommon in other designers.

Clayton and Bell moved into large premises in Regent Street, London, where they employed about 300 people. In the late 1860s and 1870s the firm was at its busiest, and employees worked night shifts in order to fulfil commissions.

After the deaths of Alfred Bell in 1895 and John Richard Clayton in 1913, the firm continued under Bell's son, John Clement Bell (1860–1944), then under Reginald Otto Bell (1884–1950) and lastly Michael Farrar-Bell (1911–1993) until his death.

The records of Clayton and Bell were largely lost after bombing.