Born: Dec 1886 Samoa
Died: Died of typhus in May 1924 in Shanghai, China. Funeral held Bubbling Well Cemetery 7 June 19241
Parents: Son of London Missionary Society missionaries, Rev Arthur E Claxton (1862-1941) & Frances Alice Clarke ( -1916), who worked in Samoa from 1885 to 1893/42. This is the same Arthur Claxton who threatened Robert Louis Stevenson for libel, claiming he was depicted as “gentleman so depraved” in A Footnote to History.
Early life: Archibald went to boarding school3 in London then later joined his parents, this time as missionaries in Chungking (Chongqing), Western China. He worked in Hong Kong from 1908, firstly for Beauregard, then JD Hutchison & Co and in 1913-1914 he was a merchant for MacEwan, Frickel & Co.4
Business: Archibald Claxton was a partner in an import/export business (Messrs Newall & Claxton) trading in both Singapore & Hong Kong from 1918-19225. Partnership in this firm was dissolved in June 19226.
Family: Wife – Cecilia Rebecca Bolger (Cecilia Rebecca Finlayson), born in 1876, Victoria, Australia.
Daughter - Joyce Josephine Claxton, born 27 July 1920, possibly in Singapore.
Stepson – Wilfred Francis Finlayson
Additional: Famous cricketer who played for Hong Kong, Malaya & Singapore7 from 1908 to 1923. He was a wicket keeper.
1The Straits Times, 7 June 1924 p8
2Surman index, http://surman.english.qmul.ac.uk
3UK census, 1901
4Juror records, Hong Kong Government Gazette,http://gwulo.com1913 & 1914
5The Straits Times, 4 June 1924 p10
6The Straits Times 13 July 1922 p7
7Cricket Archive, www.cricketarchive.com