Cracherode, Clayton Mordaunt (1730 -1799)

Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode was the only son of Mordaunt Cracherode, Colonel of Marines, and Mary, daughter of Thomas Morice, Paymaster of the British Forces in Portugal. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he was elected a student in 1746, took his B.A. 4 May 1750, and his M.A. in 1753. He retained his Studentship until he died, took orders, and in 1762 became perpetual curate of St Margaret's Church, Binsey, Oxford, but neither obtained nor sought further preferment. On the death of his father in 1773 he inherited a large fortune. A confirmed bachelor, he spent the rest of his life collecting early and fine editions of the classics, engravings, coins and antique gems, and was one of the first collectors to appreciate the bindings executed for the great French collectors of the sixteenth century, Grolier, Mahieu and De Thou. He bequeathed his collections to the British Museum. Some of his books contain his monogram CMC usually accompanied with the date of purchase, or his motto “Quod sis esse velis nihilque malis”.