[

Source Material Related to

The Clabburn Family

This list includes both my own collection and papers and correspondence passed to me by my uncle Bob James before his death, as well as references from my own research. They relate to my maternal grandmother's family, the Clabburn family. Some material specifically related to my grandmother Ethel de Pearsall Clabburn (1879-1960) is catalogued under LJ with material related to her husband Lionel James.

Blue-shaded boxes in the first column have links to images or transcripts of the original documents.

John Barnard
Updated 10 September 2023

Number
& Link
Description Location
CLA-1 Michael Clabburn correspondence with Bob James, and enclosures
  1. Letter from Michael Clabburn to Bob James 26 Jan 1990
  2. Letter from Michael Clabburn to Bob James 7 Mar 1990
  3. Printout of IGI ("Mormon") (FamilySearch) records relating to Clabburn
  4. Letter from Michael Clabburn to Brighton Museum, 7 Jun 1989
  5. Letter from Leslie Cowan to Michael Clabburn, 2 Sep 1989
  6. Letter from Michael Clabburn to Betty Elzea, Delaware Art Museum, 25 Sep 1989
  7. Letter from Betty Elzea to Michael Clabburn, 18 Nov 1989
Passed to John Barnard by Bob James
CLA-1-8
Photos from St Augustine, Norwich
  • Clabburn tomb
  • Memorial plaque (see also CLA-1-48)
  • Sandys (?) portrait of (?) Thomas Clabburn
  • Photo of Elizabeth (née Denn) Clabburn
Enclosures sent by Michael Clabburn to Bob James, and later passed to John Barnard
CLA-1-9
Photos of
  • Croft painting of Thomas Clabburn
  • Photo of Thomas Clabburn
  • Photo of Betsy Blanch Clabburn
  • Photos of Lammas Church and Lammas Hall
Enclosures sent by Michael Clabburn to Bob James, and later passed to John Barnard
CLA-1-10
MS pedigree of descendants of John Clabburn, prepared by Michael Clabburn, late 1980s
Enclosure sent by Michael Clabburn to Bob James, and later passed to John Barnard
CLA-2 Miscellaneous notes on Clabburn family of Norwich assembled by Bob James, 1990s
CLA-2-1
"Clabburns of Norwich - A Family Resumé" by Bob James, early 1990s (4pp typescript)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-2
Typed notes from various sources (probably compiled by Bob James, early 1990s) (19pp):
  • 1851 census entries
  • Portraits in Norwich Castle Museum
  • Newspaper articles
  • Church registers and memorials
  • "Bible Entries" (probably transcribed by Michael Clabburn from a bible held by Pamela Clabburn's family)
  • etc.
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-3
Typed notes of entries in Norwich Directories 1783-1889 (3pp)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-4
Typed copy of inscriptions in churchyard at Buxton Lamas (1p)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-5
  • Typed copy of Norwich Mercury cutting, 1834
  • Typed entries from W. Rye Norfolk Families
  • Typed copy of Norwich Mercury cutting, 1816
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-6
Will of John  Clabburn, dated 1771, probate granted 1774
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-7
Will of William Clabburn, dated 1792, died 1793, probate 1808
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-8
Will of John Clabburn dated 1773
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-9
Will of John Clabburn, confectioner and baker, dated 1792, proved 1809
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-10
Will of Ann Clabburn, spinster dated 1795, proved 1804
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-11
Photocopy of 1851 Norwich census entries
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-12
Indenture for apprenticeship of John Grint to John Clabburn, baker and confectioner, dated 1791
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-13
Photocopy of The Times notice (2 Jul 1886) for mariage of T. George Clabburn MRCS to Charlotte Ellen Spagnoletti on 30 jun 1886
Held by John Barnard
CLA-2-14
Transcript of 1768 note relating to payment of two bills of J. Claiborne's
Held by John Barnard
CLA-3 Documents relating to the Clabburns of Norwich collected by Bob James, early 1990s. Held by John Barnard
CLA-3-1
Photocopies of letters from Pamela Clabburn to Noël Crosse 1988-89
  1. 25 Jun 1988 [Mentions 19th century confusion between her Clabburn branch and that of W.H. Clabburn; reference to Michael Clabburn]
  2. 22 Sep 1989 [Reference to Australian descendants of Arthur Edward Clabburn, and introduction to Joy Plowman]
CLA-3-2
Photocopy of letter from Betty Elzea (expert on Frederick Sandys's art) to Noël Crosse, 21 Apr 1989, concerning Sandys portraits of members of the Clabburn family and their various sales at auction. [See also CLA/54 for anotgher letter from Betty Elzea to Noel Crosse]
CLA-3-3
Copies of correspondence between Noël Crosse and Bob James and John Barnard, 1989-90
  1. Noël Crosse to Bob James (28 Dec 1989) [Self-introduction and explanation of relationship]
  2. Bob James to Noël Crosse (14 Jan 1990) [Response to above and discussion of descendants of A.E. Clabburn]
  3. Noël Crosse to Bob James (21 Feb 1990) [Response to above, and contacts with cousins Michael Clabburn and Michael Rivière; enclosures catalogued as CLA/3/4]
  4. John Barnard to Noël Crosse (14 May 1990) [Enclosing list of portraits and reproductions held by descendants of A.E. Clabburn]
  5. Noël Crosse to John Barnard (7 Apr 1990) [Acknowledgment of above]
CLA-3-4
Enclosures (with list) send by Noël Crosse to Bob James with letter of 21 Feb 1990 [CLA/3/3/3]
  • Wills [separately catalogued as CLA/9 (Thomas Clabburn II), CLA/10 (William Houghton Clabburn I), CLA/11 (Thomas Clabburn III), CLA/12 (Lucy Clabburn)]
  • Correspondence with Pamela Clabburn [catalogued as CLA/3/1]
  • Family tree for descendants of Thomas Clabburn and Sarah Houghton for 3 generations [Crosse family tree catalogued as CLA/5]
  • Article on H.J.C. Clabburn (alias James Blyth) [catalogued as CLA/3/6/1]
  • Typescript extracts from catalogue of Frederick Sandys exhibition at Brighton in 1974 [see also CLA/20]
  • Photocopy of page from Phillips' auction catalogue noting sale of Rossetti-W.H. Clabburn letters on 16 Mar 1989 (lot 119) [see also CLA/37]
CLA-3-5
Correspondence between Margaret Langley (of Walpole House, Thorpe, Norwich NR7 0EF) and John Barnard and Bob James (1993-94)
  1. Margaret Langley to John Barnard (28 Nov 1993)
  2. Margaret Langley to John Barnard (17 Dec 1993)
  3. Margaret Langley to Bob James (12 Jan 1994)
  4. Bob James to Margaret Langley (20 Jan 1994)
  5. Margaret Langley to Bob James (26 Jan 1994) with enclosed photocopies of photographs
  6. Margaret Langley to Bob James (17 Feb 1994) [discussion of James Blyth (alias for H.J.C. Clabburn) and work on him by Ron Fiske - enclosed material catalogued as CLA/3/6]
  7. Margaret Langley to Bob James (17 Apr 1994) with enclosed photocopy of 1871 census entry for Clabburn family
  8. Bob James to Margaret Langley (21 Apr 1994)
  9. Margaret Langley to Bob James (4 May 1994 [mistyped as 1993])
CLA-3-6
Material relating to Henry James Catling Clabburn (alias James Blyth) sent to Bob James by Margaret Langley with letter of 17 Feb 1994 [CLA/3/5/6]
  1. Jonathan Mardle, "A Literary Oddity", Eastern Daily Press (3 Dec 1975) [Photocopy of article about the career and novels of James Blyth, based on the research of book collector Ron Fiske - see CLA/66].
  2. Photocopy of British Library catalogue entries for books by James Blyth, along with chronological list and annotations in hand of Margaret Langley [see also CLA/61].
  3. Photocopy of publisher's blurb (with press reviews) and first page of James Blyth novel Juicy Joe; handwritten annotation by Margaret Langley, describing it as "a brilliant start to a brilliant book".
  4. Photocopy of pages 14 and 15 from James Blyth novel Celibate Sarah, with handwritten note by Margaret Langley suggesting scene is autobiographical description of the author's experience of witnessing the death of his own father (W.H. Clabburn), identifying the author as "Rupert", Lucy Clabburn as "Laura" and Clara Shardlow as "Sarah", and various scenes in and around Walpole House.
  5. Photocopy of publisher's blurb for James Blyth novel Thora's Conversion, with photograph of the author. Handwritten annotation by Margaret Langley describing the novel as "one of the really bad ones - tub-thumping anti-women's-lib stuff".
  6. Handwritten note by Margaret Langley on the scholastic career of James Blyth 1879-1886, "ashamed to say I've forgotten the source" [possibly obituary in Cambridge Review 19 May 1933].
  7. Photocopy of typewritten poem "The Village Convert" by James Blyth. Source unidentified.
CLA-4 Material on Claiborne, Cliburn etc., compiled by Michael Clabburn, with comments by Bob James, early 1990s. Held by John Barnard
CLA-5 Crosse family tree showing connection to Clabburns. Compiled by Noël Crosse and sent to Bob James with letter of 21 Feb 1990 [see CLA/3/4]. Held by John Barnard
CLA-6 Miscellaneous notes on Pamela Clabburn MBE and her ancestors, compiled by John Barnard Held by John Barnard
CLA-7 Miscellaneous Clabburn pedigrees, drawn by Lionel James, Bob James and Antonya Cooper. N.B. These pedigrees incorporate a number of errors and mis-transcriptions. Held by John Barnard
CLA-8 Miscellaneous manuscript notes on the Clabburn family, by John Barnard Held by John Barnard
CLA-9 Photocopy of Will of Thomas Clabburn II (1788-1858) Held by John Barnard
CLA-10 Will of William Houghton Clabburn I (c.1820-1889), dated 9 Nov 1888 and proved 17 Aug 1889, with transcript and notes by John Barnard, Feb 2020 Held by John Barnard
CLA-11 Photocopy of Will of Thomas Clabburn III (1823-1880), dated 13 Jun 1877, proved 15 Oct 1880 Held by John Barnard
CLA-12 Photocopy of Will of Lucy Clabburn (1856-1914), dated 28 May 1914, proved 13 Aug 1914 Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-1 Marriage certificate for William Houghton Clabburn and Hannah Louisa Blyth (1847) Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-2 Birth certificate for Arthur Edward Clabburn (1849) Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-3 Marriage certificate for Arthur Edward Clabburn and Rosey de Pearsall (1877) Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-4 Death certificate for Arthur Edward Clabburn (1901) Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-5 Marriage certificate for Adèle Vandeleur Clabburn and James Bertram Roberton (1907) Held by John Barnard
CLA-13-6 Death certificate for Rosey Clabburn (1922) Held by John Barnard
CLA-14 Baptism certificate for Charles Edward Stuart Clabburn (Canterbury Cathedral. 4 Jan 1882) Held by John Barnard
CLA-15 Letter from Philippa Hughes to Rosey de Pearsall (6 Dec 1877) Held by John Barnard
CLA-16 Letters (1869-1871) between Arthur Edward Clabburn and Robert Louis Roumieu concerning his daughter Emilie Isabella Held by John Barnard
CLA-17 Letters (c. 1879) to Rosey Clabburn following birth of her eldest daughter Ethel
  1. from Annie H. Stone (?)
  2. from Ellen Orelandson (?)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-18 Letter (circa late 1890s) from Arthur Edward Clabburn to his daughter Ethel Held by John Barnard
CLA-19 Letter published in The Times by Ethel James, and following correspondence, concerning Frederick Sandys' portraits of members of the Clabburn family
  1. Letter from Ethel James (née Clabburn) published in The Times, 12 May 1928, concerning her father's connection with Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Frederick Sandys (original cutting)
  2. Response from Margaret Iaeln [?] of 88 The Grove, Hammersmith (12 May 1928) claiming to have known her father, and noting several Sandys portraits 
  3. Response from George E. Monkton of Fineshade Abbey, Stamford, Lincs (13 May 1928) concerning several Sandys portraits
  4. Card from George E. Monkton (potmarked 24 May 1928) acknowledging letter from Ethel James
Held by John Barnard
CLA-20 Frederick Sandys Exhibition Catalogue, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, 7 May - 14 Jul 1974 Held by John Barnard
CLA-21 Reproduction of oil portrait of Ellen Bertha Tufnell by A.E. Clabburn, identified on front in hand of Ethel James (née Clabburn) Held by John Barnard
CLA-22 Photographs of Sunny Hill, Thorpe Norwich (4 colour photos of interior, 1 B/W of exterior) Held by John Barnard
CLA-23 2 original visiting cards for Mr & Mrs Arthur E Clabburn Held by John Barnard
CLA-24 Photopies of various census entries:
  1. 1891 - 2 St Mark's Rd, Kensington, London, Arthur E. Clabburn and family
  2. 1891 - Oxford, Cyril H. Pearson (later husband of Doroth Clabburn)
  3.  1901 - Brighton, St Mary's home, Adèle Valdeleur Clabburn
  4. 1901 - Oxfordshire, Cyril H. Pearson
Held by John Barnard
CLA-25 Certificate appointing W.H. Clabburn as Juror at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Signed (top left) by Albert Edward (Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII) as President of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Original held by John Barnard
CLA-26 Certificate thanking W.H. Clabburn for his services in connection with the International Exhibition in London in 1871. Signed by Albert Edward (Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII) as President of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Original held by John Barnard
CLA-27 Helen Hoyte, The Story of the Norwich Shawl, Norwich: Nick Williams, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9559320-2-1. [History of Norwich shawl manufactuing, with many references to the Clabburn family] Copy purchased and held by John Barnard
CLA-28 Newspaper cuttings concerning Robert George Clabburn (c. 1828-1863, youngest brother of William Houghton Clabburn) and his son Robert William Clabburn (1850-1868). [The cuttings are mainly concerned with Robert George's various appearances in the insolvency courts in Launceston, Tasmania, and with the death by drowning of Robert William.] Collected by John Barnard, Feb 2020
CLA-29 Betty Elzea, Frederick Sandys 1829-1904 - A Catalogue Raisonné. Woodwrdge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors Club (2001) Copy purchased and held by Jill Trew (née Adamson)
CLA-30 Australian newspaper reports on the death of Walter Thomas Clabburn (1851-1908) Collected by John Barnard, Feb 2020
CLA-31 Collection of photographs of Patricia Lawrence (b. 9 Oct 1931), daughter of Viva née Clabburn (1897-1931), mostly probably sent by her father Charles Edward Lawrence (c. 1895-1953) to Patricia's aunt Ethel James.
  1. Dated on back 31 Jul 1934
  2. Dated on back 9 Oct 1935, "two years old"
  3. Two photos on togoggan in snow, dated on back 17 Feb 1937, enclosed in an envelope inscribed in Ethel James's hand "Viva's baby Patsy Lawrence" along with a lock of (presumably Patricia's) hair
  4. Dated on back 9 Oct 1938, "Patsy on her 5th birthday"
  5. Dated on back March 1953 amended to 1951 and (in Pascha Barnard's hand "Aunt Viva Clabburn's daughter")
  6. Dated on back 9 Oct 1953 and identified as "Viva Roberton's [sic] daughter" (with some resemblance to Pascha Barnard, née James)
  7. Dated on back October 1957
  8. Undated studio portrait in long white dress (probably 1950s)
  9. Wedding photograph with groom (identified on back in John Barnard's hand as Dirk Dietrick-Smith [sic], probably on basis of verbal information from Pascha Barnard)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-32 Photographs of or related to children of Arthur and Rosey Clabburn
  1. Charles Edward Stuart Clabburn (1881-1965), probably aged mid-20s, identified on back in hand of Ethel James, with note "Wellington, New Zealand"
  2. Viva and Dorothy Clabburn identifed in hand of Ethel James with note "about 1908"
  3. Studio portrait of unidentified clergyman identified on back "Great uncle Jay who christened me (Ethel Clabburn)"
Held by John Barnard
CLA-33 Postcard from Ethel Clabburn to her brother Walter Clabburn, dated 12 Nov [1911]. Postmarked Monmouth 12 Nov [19]11. Addressed c/o J.B. Roberton Esq., Cheverton, Nr. Dalby, Queensland, Australia [crossed out and replaced by] Le Chatel, 15 George Street, Lavender Bay, Sydney. Picture shows Monmouth school choir picnic. No Australian or other postmarks, so possibly never delivered. The card is dated the year before Ethel married Lionel James. Held by John Barnard
CLA-34 Published Notices relating to Messrs. Clabburn, Sons and Crisp:
  1. Dissolution of Partnership (London Gazette, 21 Jan 1879, page 302 col 2)
  2. Sale of Assets (Norfolk Chronicle, 11 Feb 1888)
CLA-35 Obituary for W.H. Clabburn (The Norfolk News, No. 2326, 20 July 1889, p. 4, col F)
CLA-36 Photographs of grave for Hannah Louisa Clabburn (née Blyth) and William Houghton Clabburn, Earlham Cemetery, Norwich Images provided to John Barnard by Robert Webb
CLA-37 Henry James Catling Clabburn, "Some Relics of Rossetti", Pall Mall Gazette Vol. 52 (No. 8058), 16 Jan 1891, pp. 1-2. Discusses the correspondence between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Houghton Clabburn; these letters are now at Yale University (http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/ycba.mss.0031)
CLA-38 Robert Wenn [aka Robert Webb] "William Houghton Clabburn", The Golden Guide (Norwich), Oct/Nov 2021, pp. 48-49 [Short biographical article in local advertising magazine] Downloaded from www.thegoldenguide.net Oct 2021
CLA-39 Entry relating to Barnard, Bishop and Barnards Ltd. (Norwich Ironworks) from Norfolk 1890: the story of 365 Norfolk businesses in Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn, Downham Market, Swaffham, Fakenham, North Walsham & Aylsham, edited and images processed by Philip Tolley. Norwich: Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society, 2016. [Bishop was John Bishop (1821-1887) the husband of Ann Frances Clabburn (1826-1894); the Barnards involved in the firm were not related to me.] Copy at British Library, photographed 15 Oct 2021
CLA-40 E. & W.E. Burgess, Men Who Have Made Norwich (1904). 2nd Ed., text reset and images reprocessed by Philip Tolley, Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society (2014). [Contains entry for Norwich Crape Company on p. 57] Available from Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society
CLA-41 Pamela Clabburn, The Norwich Shawl: Its History and a Catalogue of the Collection at Strangers Hall Museum, Norwich, Norfolk Museums Service: London, HMSO (1995). [Chapter 3 contains frequent mentions of Clabburn, Sons and Crisp, and their shawls in the museum are catalogued pp. 86-97 (nos. 45-68, 71-73); they and other Clabburn manufacturers are also noted in the Appendix] Copy purchased by John Barnard, Oct 2021
CLA-42 References to Clabburn from Norfolk Annals: A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteenth Century, compiled from the files of the “Norfolk Chronicle”, by Charles Mackie. Vol I. 1801–1850 (Published 1901) [Annotations by John Barnard] Project Gutenberg #34439
CLA-43 Black and white reproductions of Frederick Sandys portraits of members of the Clabburn family (catalogue numbers for originals refer to Betty Elzea's 2001 Catalogue Raisonné of Sandys' work [CLA-29]):
  1. Preliminary drawing of William Houghton Clabburn [Elzea 3.6]. 
  2. Drawing of Hannah Louisa Clabburn (née Blyth), 1869 [Elzea 2.A.124]. Inscription on reverse, in hand of John Barnard, circa 1975, incorrectly spells her maiden name as Bligh.
  3. Oil portrait of Elizabeth Clabburn (née Dann) aged 75 [Elzea 2.A.29]. Inscription on reverse in hand of John Barnard, circa 1975, incorrectly identifies her as "Mrs William Clabburn" - she was in fact the wife of Thomas Clabburn II.
  4. "At Vespers: The Misses Clabburn", oil portrait of Mary Louisa (later Crosse) and Lucy Clabburn [Elzea 2.A.40]. Inscription on reverse, in hand of John Barnard, circa 1975, incorrectly gives Mary Louisa's name as 'Missie', probably a mis-transcription of "the Misses".
  5. Portrait of Thomas Clabburn II [Elzea 1.A.85]. Inscription on reverse in hand of John Barnard, circa 1975 reads: "William [sic] Clabburn, Ethel de Pearsall James (née Clabburn)'s father's grandfather. Artist unknown. Charles Clabburn (Ethel's brother) secured original from Ethel's father's old nannie. Original painted on metal (?) (copied from note in A.G. Trevenen James handwriting)". I have no recollection of writing this inscription, and no longer have the note in my uncle (Ethel's son's) Trevenen James's handwriting. The photograph is clearly of the same portrait as shown in Elzea's Catalogue Raisonné, the illustration and identification for which which was provided by a collateral descendant, Michael Clabburn, but Elzea was unable to trace the original portrait. The note suggests that it may have been owned by the sitter's great-grandson Charles Edward Stuart Clabburn (1881-1965) who emigrated to New Zealand. I have not yet investigated the possibility that it is still owned by descendants of Charles's adopted daughter Penelope Ross (1925-2015).
Held by John Barnard
CLA-44 Reproductions of portraits of members of the Clabburn family painted by Charles Croft in 1862. Images provided by Tom Rivière (great-grandson of Blanch Elizabeth Clabburn). The sitters are:
  1. Elizabeth Clabburn (née Dann) (1786-1862)
  2. Thomas Clabburn III (1824-1880)
  3. Blanch Elizabeth Clabburn (1859-1937); she married Hugh Patson Mack in 1881
Original paintings held by Tom Rivière
CLA-45 Studio photograph of William Houghton Clabburn I (1820-1889) taken by Speaight Limited, 157 New Bond Street. Inscribed on reverse in hand of Ethel James (née Clabburn) "William Haughton [sic] Clabburn, Sunny Hill, Norwich. Father of A.E. Clabburn" Held by John Barnard
CLA-46 Late 19th-century (?) photograph of a formal group of men in uniform outside a building. Inscribed on reverse "Miss Clabbard" [sic]. Unidentified. Found among collection of Clabburn family papers and photographs. Uniform appears to be the same as that worn by A.E. Clabburn in portrait photograph from 75th Regiment records, so he may be one of the figures (possibly front standing row, to the left of centre) Held by John Barnard
CLA-47 Miscellaneous correspondence between Noel Crosse, Robert James and John Barnard, 1989-90:
  1. Noel Crosse to Robert James (28 Dec 1989) (initial contact)
  2. Robert James to Noel Crosse (14 Jan 1990) (details and anecdotes relating to descendants of Arthur Clabburn)
  3. Robert James to John Barnard (23 Jan 1990) (covering note for letters 1 and 2)
  4. John Barnard to Noel Crosse (14 Mar 1990) with list of photographs of family portraits in his possession
  5. Robert James to John Barnard (18 Mar 1990) (noting material received from Noel Crosse and from Michael Clabburn (see CLA/1) and suggesting some corrections to identifications of portraits in letter 4)
Held by John Barnard
CLA-48 Photograph of memorial plaque in memory of Thomas Clabburn II (1788-1858) on wall of St Augustine's Church, Norwich (see also CLA/1/8) Held by John Barnard
CLA-49 Manuscript notes on Clabburn family history made by John Barnard in 1975. Includes material copied from copy of Norfolk Families by Walter Rye (Norwich, 1913) made at the Society of Genealogists Library 6 Jun 1975 Held by John Barnard
CLA-50 Notes and photographs concerning Clabburn connection in Norwich, compiled by Ethel James
  1. Transcripts in Ethel James's hand of Clabburn memorials in St Augustine's Church, Norwich
  2. Photograph of "Sunny Hill, Thorp St Andrew, Norfork, home and birthplace of Arthur Edward Clabburn" (identified on reverse in hand of Ethel James)
  3. Leaflet on "The Town House" guesthouse in Norwich, mis-identified in hand of Ethel James as "an early home of Clabburn family", which it was not (WH Clabburn lived at the adjacent Walpole House) [See discussion of this house in letter CLA/3/5/5]
Held by John Barnard
CLA-51 Photo of Dante Gabriel Rossetti given to Arthur Edward Clabburn (unsigned; identified on reverse in hand of Lionel James) Held by John Barnard
CLA-52 Photocopied page 63 from catalogue of Royal Academy Exhibitors listing 3 paintings by Arthur Edward Clabburn:
  • From Sunninghill, Thorpe, Norwich, 1875: No. 1064 Miss Fanny Jecks
  • From 25 Eastbourne Terrace, 1876: No. 1142 A Portrait
  • From 159 High Street, Notting Hill, 1879: No. 1397 Portrait of a lady.
Held by John Barnard
CLA-53 Two colour photographic prints showing portraits of members of the Clabburn family held by Noël Crosse:
  1. Hannah Louisa Clabburn (née Blyth) (1824-1878) - signed drawing by Frederick Sandys; copy of the version at Norwich Castle Museum [CLA/29 2.A.124] (note that the signature is in a different position to the version at Norwich)
  2. Mary Louisa Clabburn (later Crosse) (1850-1886) - painting by Emma Sandys (1843-1877), sister of Frederick Sandys; the sitter married Edmund Meredith Crosse (1846-1918) in 1869. See also CLA/54
Photographs held by John Barnard; original pictures held by Noël Crosse
CLA-54 Letter from Betty Elzea to Noel Crosse (22 Jun 1989) concerning Emma Sandys portrait of Mary Louisa Clabburn (later Crosse) [CLA/53/2] - see also CLA/3/2 for another letter from Betty Elzea to Noël Crosse Original letter held by Noël Crosse
CLA-55 Baptism record for William Houghton Clabburn, 20 Feb 1820 (born 17 Feb 1820) Norwich St Paul (Norfolk Bishop's Transcripts) Downloaded from https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDTX-TF7 [Image 308, No. 456]
CLA-56 Miscellaneous articles discussing the writings of James Blyth (HJC Clabburn)
  1. Entry for James Blyth in "Edwardian Fiction: An Oxford Companion" by Sandra Kemp, Charlotte Mitchell and David Trotter (OUP, 1997)
  2. John Clute, "James Blyth" in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction [https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/blyth_james]
  3. Harry Wood, "James Blyth's Ichabod" in Island Mentalities blog (20 June 2012) [https://invasionscares.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/james-blyths-ichabod/]
  4. Harry Wood, "A Flight of Fancy" in Island Mentalities blog (29 Sep 2014) [https://invasionscares.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/a-flight-of-fancy/]
  5. Cameron Self, "Literary Norfolk: Fritton" [https://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/fritton.htm]
Downloaded from the Internet
CLA-57 Letter from Arthur Conan Doyle to James Blyth (HJC Clabburn) at London School of Journalism, circa 1918-1925. Concerns spirit mediums and recommends Blyth to Mrs Wriedt at 69 Clarence Gate Gardens. Offered for sale by Boston antiquarian bookseller Peter L. Stern [www.sternrarebooks.com/pdfs/0409a.pdf , No. 56] [visited 27 May 2022]
CLA-58Miscellaneous items relating to James Blyth (Henry James Catling Clabburn)
  1. Advert for London School of Journalism, The British Weekly, 7 Sep 1922, page 465, listing James Blyth, MA as one of the tutors.
  2. Index of articles by James Blyth appearing in Cassell’s Magazine, 1902-1905
  3. GRO Death Index entry (Q1 1933 Paddington 1a 107)
  4. GRO Birth Index Entry (Q1 1864 Blofeld 4b 210)
  5. Baptism record at St Augustine Norwich, 29 Mar 1864 [His name is given as James Henry Catling Clabburn, and his sister Mary Louisa and brother Walter were baptised the same day]
  6. Alum. Cantab. entry [CLBN882HJ], giving birth date as 17 Jan 1864
CLA-59Census entries for James Blyth (Henry James Catling Clabburn)
  1. 1891 (as Henry J. C. Clabburn; lodger at 18 Steele's Road, Hampstead; single; solicitor)
  2. 1901 (Fritton, Suffolk; author; Ray E Blyth (age 32) shown as wife)
  3. 1911 (Pakefield, Suffolk; Ray E Blyth (age 42) shown as wife; domestic servant Emma Hound)
  4. 1921 (23 Bovington Road, Fulham; Assistant Director of Studies, London School of Journalism; Rachel Elizabeth Blyth (age 52 years 8 months, born Bow) shown as wife)
Downloaded from FindMyPast
CLA-60Census entries etc. for Margaret Rebecca Clabburn (née Rance), who married HJC Clabburn in Q2 1891 (Hampstead 1a 1143)
  1. 1891 (at South Hill Park, Hampstead, with parents George and Anne, three brothers, Arthur (24), Herbert (19) and Frederick (15) and a sister Maria (27); shown as single, age 22)
  2. 1901 (at 47 Dartmouth Park Road, London; with widowed father George Rance, sister Maria and cousin Rosalind Rance; shown as married, age 32, milliner, born Islington)
  3. 1911 (at Prittlewell, Essex, with brother Frederick Rance (clerk in holy orders) and family; shown as married for 19 years, age 42)
  4. 1921 (with brother Frederick, Vicar of St Margaret's Leytonstone, family members and servant; shown as married ["divorced" was an option on 1921 census]
  5. 1939 Registration (boarder at 43 Carisbroke Road, Hastings; shown as widowed with private means)
  6. 1871 (at 125 Mildmay Rd, Islington with parents, sibling and 2 servants; father George described as Ribbon Warehouseman)
  7. 1881 (at 43 South Hill  Park, Hampstead with parents, siblings, 1 servant and 2 boarders; father described as agent for cloth manufacturer)
  8. Will of Margaret Rebecca Clabburn of Selsey, Sussex, dated 9 Dec 1951. Appoints nephew Derek  Rance, Schoolmaster of Brentwood School, Essex as Executor, and leaves entire estate to him, to be used for education of his son Nicholas Anthony Rance.
  9. Probate Grant for Margaret Rebecca Clabburn (died Royal West Sussex Hospital Chichester, 5 Feb 1954) made to Derek Rance 22 April 1954. Estate value £1046 9s 4d net.
Downloaded from FindMyPast and probate registry
CLA-61List of published novels by James Blyth (Henry James Catling Clabburn) [Compiled from British Library catalogue and notes by Margaret Langley [CLA/3/6/2]]
CLA-62Census and GRO Records for Ray Blyth (née Rachel Elizabeth Ockelford) and family members [see also CLA/59]. Her family name is variously spelled Ockleford or Ockelford.
  1. Birth certificate for Rachel Elizabeth Ockelford 12 Oct 1868, born at 2 Eagle Place, Mile End. Parents William (furniture salesman) and Rachel (née Hampton) Ockelford [Index reference Q4 1868 Mile End 1c 542]
  2. 1871 census entry showing her (age 2, and spelled Rachael) with her parents William (Salesman, age 29) and Rachel (age 28) Ockleford at 128 Oxford Street, Tower Hamlets (an address with three separate households recorded)
  3. 1891 census entry. Rachel Ockelford shown as servant at Castle & Falcon Hotel, Aldersgate Street, single, age 23.
  4. 1939 Registration entry for 120 Ramuz Drive, Southend-on-Sea. Ray Blyth (b. 12 Oct 1868) living with Arthur (house decorator) and Dorothy Harrod and redacted entry [presumably child still living]
  5. 1861 census entry showing Rachel's father William Ockelford (age 23) with his parents and siblings at 134 Whitechapel Road. His and his father's occupations are given as upholsterers, and a resident servant is also listed.
  6. GRO Marriage Index entry for William Tupper Ockelford and Rachel Good Hampton (m. Q4 1865 St George in the the East 1c 989) [Ray Blyth's parents]
  7. GRO Death Index entry for William Tupper Ockelford, died Q2 1875 Mile End 1c 361 age 38 [Ray Blyth's father]
  8. GRO Death Index entry for Rachel Tupper Ockleford, died Q2 1888 Mile End 1c 293 age  44 [Ray Blyth's mother]
CLA-63Press reports of divorce proceedings between Henry James Catling Clabburn and Margaret Rebecca Clabburn (née Rance), March 1896
  1. The People, Sun 29 Mar 1896, p. 7, col. D
  2. London Evening Standard, Tue 24 Mar 1896, p. 2, cols. B-C
  3. London Evening Standard, Wed 25 Mar 1896, p. 4, col. G
  4. London Evening Standard, Fri 27 Mar 1896, p. 6, col. G
  5. Reynolds’s Newspaper, Sun 22 Mar 1896, p. 8, col. A
  6. Reynolds’s Newspaper, Sun 29 Mar 1896, p. 3, col. E
  7. Weekly Dispatch (London), Sun 22 Mar 1896, p. 4, col E; p. 5, col. A
  8. Weekly Dispatch (London), Sun 29 Mar 1896, p. 4, col. E
  9. Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sun 22 Mar 1896, p. 3, col. D
  10. Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sun 29 Mar 1896, p. 5, col. D
  11. Daily News (London), Wed 25 Mar 1896, p. 3, col. E
  12. Daily News (London), Fri 27 Mar 1896, p. 7, col. F
  13. Morning Post, Wed 25 Mar 1896, p. 8, col. D
  14. Morning Post, Fri 27 Mar 1896, p. 7, col. E
  15. Norwich Mercury, Sat 28 Mar 1896, p. 5, col. F
  16. Willesden Chronicle, Fri 27 Mar 1896, p. 7, col. C
  17. Horsham, Petworth, Midhurst and Steyning Express, Tue 31 Mar 1896, p. 4, col. A
Downloaded from British Newspaper Archive, Aug/Sep 2022
CLA-64Nigel Jeffries, Lyn Blackmore and David Sorapure, Crosse and Blackwell 1830-1921: A British Food Manufacturer in London's West End. Crossrail Archaeology Series, Museum of London Archaeology (2016) [Describes the excavation of former Cross & Blackwell warehouses between Soho Square and Charing Cross Road, some of which were designed by R.L. Roumieu.]Given to John Barnard by Noël Crosse, January 2023
CLA-65Material related to Clara Eliza Shardelow (life partner of Lucy Clabburn)
  1. Baptism entry for Clara Eliza Shardelow (b. 15 Sep 1849) at Thorpe St Andrew, 14 Oct 1849. Parents given as Benjamin Shardelow (plumber and glazier) and Mary (née Blunderfield). [The immediately preceding entries, with the same date, are for William Houghton Clabburn II (b. 3 Jan 1848) and Arthur Edward Clabburn (b. 7 Apr 1849)]
  2. Will of Clara Eliza Shardelow, dated 1 Dec 1920. Executor is Geoffrey Sayer (solicitor, who was also joint executor for Lucy Clabburn); residue in trust for nephew Frank Alfred Blunderfield
  3. Probate for Clara Eliza Shardelow, dated 22 Aug 1932 to Geoffrey Sayer. Address given as 39 Beresford Road Lowestoft, formerly of The Willows, Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, formerly Linden House Beccles, Suffolk. Valuation £2443 12s 4d gross, £1986 7s 10d net
  4. 1851 Census entry for Clara Eliza Shardelow (age 1) at Thorpe Road, Thorpe, Norwich. With parents Benjamin (Master Plumber) and Mary, siblings Benjamin (18), Rosa (16), Martha (14), Emma (12), grandmother Mary Blunderfield (65), aunt Martha Shardelow (35)
  5. 1861 Census entry for Clara Eliza Shardelow (age 11) at Thorpe Street, Thorpe, Norwich. With parents Benjamin and Mary, sister Martha (23), nephew Alfred Tucker (2)
  6. Website with information concerning Clara Shardelow's sister Martha and her husband Francis Browne Blunderfield's family (thinly disguised versions of these people appear in James Blyth (Henry James Catling Clabburn)'s novel Celibate Sarah (CLA/61/2) [http://www.jacksontree.co.uk/pafg32.htm#1057]
  7. Shardelow genealogy website entry for Clara Eliza Shardelow which notes that she was the model for Sarah Chindaffy in James Blyth's novel Celibate Sarah [https://shardelow.com/getperson.php?personID=P242&tree=tree1]
CLA-66Material related to bibliophile Ron Fiske, who collected novels by James Blyth (HJC Clabburn) and made a study of them (see also CLA/3/6/1)
  1. Anonymous "Ron Fiske" [obituary], Aylsham Local History Society Journal 11 (3) 88-93 (Aug 2018) [https://aylshamhistory.org/portfolio-items/volume-11/]
  2. Stuart Anderson, "Man who loved Norfolk could 'illuminate the past in so many ways'", North Norfolk News, 18 Apr 2018 [https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/22800039.man-loved-norfolk-illuminate-past-many-ways/]
  3. Caroline Culot, "Race against time to save historic documents for Norfolk", Eastern Daily Press, 4 Sep 2016 [https://www.edp24.co.uk/lifestyle/20860254.race-time-save-historic-documents-norfolk/]
CLA-67T. Farrell, "A Tinned History of Crosse and Blackwell 1706-1907". Blog post on Let's Look Again: A History of Branded Britain, 20 Oct 2014 [http://letslookagain.com/2014/10/crosse-blackwell/]
CLA-68Death certificate for Lucy Clabburn, 5 June 1914 at Linden House, London Road, Beccles. Cause of death given as (i) congestion of liver (ii) syncope. Informant Frank A. Blunderfield [nephew of Clara Shardelow] at same address.Copy provided to John Barnard by GRO
CLA-69Will (dated 1 Dec 1920) and Probate (dated 22 Aug 1932 at Norwich) for Clara Eliza Shardelow (died 28 Jun 1932)Copies provided to John Barnard by Probate Office
CLA-70Two oil paintings by Walter Lionel Clabburn (1889-1951). Given or sold to his niece Pascha James during her visit to Australia 1949-51.
  1. Cape Schanck, Victoria, 1945
  2. "Crabs" (beach scene) [priced on back at 8 guineas; possibly depicting his daughter Joy and three of her children]
Held by John Barnard
CLA-71Betty Elzea, A Singular Man. A Documented Life of the Artist Frederick Sandys: 1829-1904. Norwich: Unicorn Press (2023). [Comprehensive biography of the artist, with frequent references to his patron W.H. Clabburn]Purchased by John Barnard
CLA-72Lin Bensley, "A Touch of the Marsh Fever", Chapter 2 of The Book of Haddiscoe: Remarkable People and Momentous Events, Wellington: Halsgrove (2012), pp. 21-54. [Discussion of the novels of James Blyth (Henry James Catling Clabburn) with extended plot summaries and extracts. The novels covered are Juicy Joe, Celibate Sarah, Deborah's Life, The Same Clay (its sequel), Rubina (suggested as the best of Blyth's novels) and the non-fiction Edward Fitzgerald and Posh. There is also some discussion of Amazement (with the suggestion that this is based on the author's own experience of marriage), A View to Matrimony (short stories), Thora's Conversion ("fulminating against the independence of women"), The Member for Easterby, and Ichabod (both antisemitic). Bensley identifies many of the locations in the novels with real places, notes that several characters are thinly disguised versions of real people and suggests that the character Harry Lyndon (who features in Celibate Sarah and some other stories) is based on Blyth's collaborator Barry Pain.Purchased by John Barnard at The City Bookshop, Norwich, Sep 2023