Founder of the Toc H Movement, he was born Philip Thomas Byard Clayton, the son of Reginald B B Clayton and Isabel B Clayton.Toc H (TH) is an international Christian movement, the name being an abbreviation for Talbot House, 'Toc' signifying the letter T in the signals spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War I. A soldiers' rest and recreation centre named Talbot House was created by him in December 1915 at Gasthuisstraat 43, B - 8970 Poperinghe, Belgium. It aimed to promote Christianity and was named in memory of Gilbert Talbot, son of Edward Talbot, then Bishop of Winchester, who had been killed in action at Hooge in July 1915. Gilbert's elder brother Neville Talbot, then a senior army chaplain,was a co-founder.The original Talbot House at Poperinge remains open as a residential and conference house and as a museum.It was a homely club for the troops passing to and from the battle lines of the Ypres Salient. The ‘Lamp of Maintenance'featuring the cross of Ypres, still burns in the Lady Chapel at All Hallows, specifically in a casket at the altar tomb of Alderman John Croke [1477]. The casket was given by Edward, Prince of Wales in 1922 and contains stained glass shields depicting the arms of places where branches of Toc-H were founded between 1919 and 1929. The altar tomb was destroyed in the air raid of 1940 but was restored from over 150 fragments.Every year on Tubby Clayton's birthday the Lamp of Maintenance is lit in the Upper Room at Talbot House for 24 hours, from 9pm on the night of 11th until 9pm on 12th December. This is the start of a series of lamp lightings in all the TOC H branches around the world. The symbolic oil lamp was not known for it's strength of illumination,and Talbot House,being close to the Front Line,had to be very dim for security reasons - hence the phrase "dim as a Toc H lamp" to describe someone who is not the brightest.In 1922 Tubby became the vicar at All Hallows-by-the-Tower where he was incumbent for 40 years. This led to the church becoming Toc H's Guild church and to Tubby's long-standing interest in Tower Hill.Tubby was cremated and his ashes are in an urn in the crypt, specifically the Undercroft Chapel, formerly known as the "Vicar's Vault"; part of this chapel is 14th Century and was previously outside the main building. Now it is the principal altar of the Undercroft.The walls of this chapel are a Columbarium for the ashes of the departed, though the urn containing Tubby's ashes stands separately beside the altar.
The earliest statement of the aims of Toc H, known as the Four Points of the Compass has been revised at various times in its history,and is now summarised thus:
1. FRIENDSHIP: To love widely.
To provide members with opportunities to develop a spirit of understanding and reconciliation.
2. SERVICE: To build bravely.
To enable members, with their varying gifts, to serve their fellows.
3. FAIRMINDEDNESS: To think fairly.
To bring to members the knowledge and experience of others.
4. THE KINGDOM OF GOD : To witness humbly.
To work for a better world through the example of friendship, service and fair-mindedness.
Awards, Decorations and Honours:
Military Cross
Companion of Honour
Doctor of Divinity
Fellow of the Society of Arts
The earliest statement of the aims of Toc H, known as the Four Points of the Compass has been revised at various times in its history,and is now summarised thus:
1. FRIENDSHIP: To love widely.
To provide members with opportunities to develop a spirit of understanding and reconciliation.
2. SERVICE: To build bravely.
To enable members, with their varying gifts, to serve their fellows.
3. FAIRMINDEDNESS: To think fairly.
To bring to members the knowledge and experience of others.
4. THE KINGDOM OF GOD : To witness humbly.
To work for a better world through the example of friendship, service and fair-mindedness.
Awards, Decorations and Honours:
Military Cross
Companion of Honour
Doctor of Divinity
Fellow of the Society of Arts
Founder of the Toc H Movement, he was born Philip Thomas Byard Clayton, the son of Reginald B B Clayton and Isabel B Clayton.Toc H (TH) is an international Christian movement, the name being an abbreviation for Talbot House, 'Toc' signifying the letter T in the signals spelling alphabet used by the British Army in World War I. A soldiers' rest and recreation centre named Talbot House was created by him in December 1915 at Gasthuisstraat 43, B - 8970 Poperinghe, Belgium. It aimed to promote Christianity and was named in memory of Gilbert Talbot, son of Edward Talbot, then Bishop of Winchester, who had been killed in action at Hooge in July 1915. Gilbert's elder brother Neville Talbot, then a senior army chaplain,was a co-founder.The original Talbot House at Poperinge remains open as a residential and conference house and as a museum.It was a homely club for the troops passing to and from the battle lines of the Ypres Salient. The ‘Lamp of Maintenance'featuring the cross of Ypres, still burns in the Lady Chapel at All Hallows, specifically in a casket at the altar tomb of Alderman John Croke [1477]. The casket was given by Edward, Prince of Wales in 1922 and contains stained glass shields depicting the arms of places where branches of Toc-H were founded between 1919 and 1929. The altar tomb was destroyed in the air raid of 1940 but was restored from over 150 fragments.Every year on Tubby Clayton's birthday the Lamp of Maintenance is lit in the Upper Room at Talbot House for 24 hours, from 9pm on the night of 11th until 9pm on 12th December. This is the start of a series of lamp lightings in all the TOC H branches around the world. The symbolic oil lamp was not known for it's strength of illumination,and Talbot House,being close to the Front Line,had to be very dim for security reasons - hence the phrase "dim as a Toc H lamp" to describe someone who is not the brightest.In 1922 Tubby became the vicar at All Hallows-by-the-Tower where he was incumbent for 40 years. This led to the church becoming Toc H's Guild church and to Tubby's long-standing interest in Tower Hill.Tubby was cremated and his ashes are in an urn in the crypt, specifically the Undercroft Chapel, formerly known as the "Vicar's Vault"; part of this chapel is 14th Century and was previously outside the main building. Now it is the principal altar of the Undercroft.The walls of this chapel are a Columbarium for the ashes of the departed, though the urn containing Tubby's ashes stands separately beside the altar.
The earliest statement of the aims of Toc H, known as the Four Points of the Compass has been revised at various times in its history,and is now summarised thus:
1. FRIENDSHIP: To love widely.
To provide members with opportunities to develop a spirit of understanding and reconciliation.
2. SERVICE: To build bravely.
To enable members, with their varying gifts, to serve their fellows.
3. FAIRMINDEDNESS: To think fairly.
To bring to members the knowledge and experience of others.
4. THE KINGDOM OF GOD : To witness humbly.
To work for a better world through the example of friendship, service and fair-mindedness.
Awards, Decorations and Honours:
Military Cross
Companion of Honour
Doctor of Divinity
Fellow of the Society of Arts
The earliest statement of the aims of Toc H, known as the Four Points of the Compass has been revised at various times in its history,and is now summarised thus:
1. FRIENDSHIP: To love widely.
To provide members with opportunities to develop a spirit of understanding and reconciliation.
2. SERVICE: To build bravely.
To enable members, with their varying gifts, to serve their fellows.
3. FAIRMINDEDNESS: To think fairly.
To bring to members the knowledge and experience of others.
4. THE KINGDOM OF GOD : To witness humbly.
To work for a better world through the example of friendship, service and fair-mindedness.
Awards, Decorations and Honours:
Military Cross
Companion of Honour
Doctor of Divinity
Fellow of the Society of Arts
