Charles Ernest Thomas Clayden (1871-1926), was born in Saffron Waldon, and died on 7th August 1926. Jason West, Charles' great-grandson, sent us some further information on Charles Clayden, including a photograph of Charles by his shop in Euston Road, London; and this description, written by Charles Clayden's daughter Molly:
‘My father was an antique dealer who had a shop in Euston Road, Marylebone, London.My mother kept the shop whilst my father was attending sales.He also had a weekly store (Friday) in the Caledonian Market and another one (Saturday) in Blandford Street, Marylebone. The shop had a room off from the shop in which we lived and upstairs there were two bedrooms – boys in one and I shared my parents’ bedroom.I can see it now – the big double bed took up all the room with a small cupboard and my small bed alongside.Step out of bed and you were on the landing. Every Saturday morning we had to clean the brass and silver ready for the evening trade in the shop.Those days shop would remain open until 10pm.There were a lot of items to do. My father would make chests and belt them with chains.We children could jump on them in our boots.The chests would be sold as antiques. One thing my father could be sure of making money at was from the ladies of the night (prostitutes) who would come in with their man.The men would buy them whatever took their fancy and the next day the ladies would return the goods and my father would buy back the goods at a discount. The police were a great nuisance.They would come and ask for something and if my father refused, they would stand outside the shop and then the customers would not come in. Before I started school I used to go to the auctions with my father.He had a Tin Lizzie, one of the first Fords.He taught himself to drive and was not a good driver. Everyone else on the road was wrong but him! One day I was playing in the shop, which I was forbidden to do, when a customer came in.I hopped in an Egyptian Mummy to hide when it feel over with me inside.The customer fled from the shop and I was given a hiding.
My life changed dramatically when I was ten years of age.My brothers, except one, had left home.My father went into the shop one night and a picture had fallen from the wall.Glass from the picture pierced his leg right through his pants.Septicaemia set in and he was taken to Middlesex Hospital, London, where he died in seven days.’
The business was continued after the death of Charles in 1926 by his wife Mary Elizabeth Clayden; the business ceased trading by 1928.
