James Vivian Clinton (6 February 1902 – 18 May 1973) was a Gold Coast-born Sierra Leonean journalist, legal practitioner, and expatriate to Nigeria. He hailed from a prominent Sierra Leone Creole family of West Indian, Liberated African, and European origins that moved across many parts of West Africa. Although he maintained strong ties to the Sierra Leone Creole community, Clinton eventually settled in Calabar, Nigeria, and was honored with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1949.
Early Life
Clinton was born on 6 February 1902 in Axim, then in the British colony of the Gold Coast.
- His grandfather, James Clerk Clinton, was a West Indian from St. Vincent who settled in Sierra Leone and was a pioneer in the mahogany trade across West Africa.
- His father, Charles Warner Clinton, born in Liberia and educated in Sierra Leone, practiced law in Calabar, Nigeria, and served as a member of the Legislative Council from 1928 to 1938.
- His mother, Muriel Clinton, was a Sierra Leone Creole and daughter of the Attorney-General of the Gold Coast.
Education
Clinton began schooling in Calabar in 1910, and later attended:
- A private preparatory school in Bexhill, Sussex
- Taunton School in Somerset
- Cambridge University, where he earned a B.A. in History and Law
- He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1924
Career
Clinton initially returned to Sierra Leone and worked as a journalist, before joining his father’s legal practice in Calabar. In 1926, he moved to Port Harcourt to establish his own law firm. Unfortunately, a prolonged illness left him completely deaf, ending his legal career.
His mother took him to Britain and Austria for medical treatment, but to no avail. While in England, Clinton: - Attempted to train as a surveyor at the London Institute of Estate Management (but failed) - Turned to journalism, working in Fleet Street
After five years in England, he returned to Sierra Leone to work with the Daily Mail of Sierra Leone before returning to Calabar.
In 1935, with his father’s support, he founded the Nigerian Eastern Mail in Enugu.
- In 1951, he sold the paper to the Eastern Press Syndicate, continuing as editor of its daily publication.
Clinton also ventured into the fishing industry in Ibeno, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
From 1954 to 1962, he served as Senior Publicity Officer in the Federal Ministry of Information in Lagos.
After retirement, he was briefly recalled during the Action Group crisis to serve as Chairman of the Western Nigeria Housing Corporation.
Later Life and Death
Clinton and his family settled in Lagos in 1965, where he became a freelance journalist, writing a weekly editorial for the Sunday Times.
In 1971, he published the novel "The Rescue of Charlie Kalu" with Heinemann Publishers and began drafting his autobiography titled "The Fisherman's Story".
He died in Lagos on 18 May 1973.
See Also
- Sierra Leone Creole people
- Journalism in Nigeria
- History of the Nigerian press