William Clayton (abt. 1624 - bef. 1686)

Born about 25 Oct 1624 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England

Husband of Hannah (Crosfield) Clayton — married 19 Jan 1657 in Brindle, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died before 1686 before about age 61 in Richmond, Virginia

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Biography

William Clayton was a Virginia colonist.

William was born about 25 October 1624 and was christened 15 March 1624/25 at Saint John, Preston, Lancashire, England. ^[1] Please note: it is not confirmed this is the birth record for the William Clayton who arrived in Northumberland County, Virginia by March 1651.

William's exact death date is unknown; his will has not been located. He is known to be deceased when William Clayton (Jr.) was mentioned as an "orphan" in 1686.

7 July 1686: Twenty-three head of cattle that had belonged to the Orphans of William Clayton, deced, whereas William Clayton, son of said William Clayton being arrived at age of one and twenty years, has requested these cattle be delivered to him. Old Rappahannock County, Orders, 1685---1687.^[2]

Research Notes

William married Hannah Crosfield on 19 Jan 1657 in Brindle, Lancashire, England.^[3]

William Clayton was transported from England to Northumberland County, Virginia by Thomas Thornbroujh before March 1651.^[4]

These two dates, marriage in 1657 and transport before 1651, cause a small problem. Did William return to England to marry after he had settled in Virginia?

Is there any documentation that proves William's wife, Hannah, was in fact Hannah Crosfield of Lancashire, England? No documentation so far located in Virginia gives Hannah's surname.

Notes

The following text is taken verbatim from the website cited in the attached footnote.

"William Cleaton (Clayton) "of New Kent County" bought two parcels of land in 1667 and 1670 in the part of Old Rappahannock County that became Richmond County. He was apparently deceased by 1680 when William Clayton (Jr.) was mentioned as an "orphan". William Clayton Jr. later sold the parcel purchased by his father in 1667.

"This deed, dated 1689, says "Wm. Cleaton and wife Mary Cleaton of Parish of North Farnham and County of Rappa.", for 2,000 pounds tobacco, sell to Abraham Cooke of same county and parish, fifty acres of land the which land belongeth to my mother's plantation and (blot) hundred acres of land that she doth now live on and that my father bought of William Landman." William Clayton Sr. had bought this 100 acres from William Landman in 1667. In 1686 there is a court record that bears on the birth year of William Clayton Jr.: "Henry Awbrey & Arthur Forbes as marrying the administrix of Capt. Tho. Goldman decd have in their custody 23 head of cattle belonging to the orphans of William Clayton, decd and whereas William Clayton, son of the said William Clayton decd, being arrived to the age of 21, has petitioned this court to be possessed of the said cattle..." William Clayton Sr.'s widow was named Hannah. It is likely she later remarried to Andrew MacAllister. William Clayton Jr,'s wife was named Mary. It appears that they lived on the land purchased by his father in 1670, which lay in North Farnham Parish of Rappahannock County. The area covered by this Parish was later renamed Richmond County. William and Mary Clayton later show up in the records of Richmond County. William Cleaton, Sr. was a tobacco merchant in old Rappahannock Co., VA. His wife, Hannah, acted as his collection agent in many of the court records of those time. William, Sr. died about 1667/8 and Hannah carried on the business. William Cleaton, Jr. first came into promience in 1687 when he became 21 years of age, and used the courts to collect the cattle due to him. It is believed that he married his wife, Mary, very shortly afterwards. Hannah Cleaton married Andrew McAlster after 1792, and moved to New Kent Co.,VA after that. William Cleaton, Jr. wrote his Will in December, 1705, and died very shortly after that, with the Will being probated in court in early 1706. William Cleaton, Jr. was the father of Stephen Cleaton. Not much is known about Mary, after the death of William Cleaton, Jr. All of the Cleatons were believed to have moved from this area, with the exception of William. Alexander Cleaton died in 1717/8, without ever having married, but his estate was given to a lady friend. Stephen Cleaton was in one other county, before moving on to North Carolina, where he later died. There is the possibility that William Cleaton, Sr. is associated with the tobacco merchants, Thomas Clayton and William Clayton, in Liverpool, England. 25 March 1651--Virginia---William Clayton transported to Northumberland County, Virginia with 13 others by Thomas Thornbrough, who got 700 acres near the Nomeny River." 6 March 1666: William Clayton purchases 100 acres of land from William Landman in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Old Rappahannock County Deed Book, pp. 207--208. 7 July 1686: Twenty-three head of cattle that had belonged to the Orphans of William Clayton, deced, whereas William Clayton, son of said William Clayton being arrived at age of one and twenty years, has requested these cattle be delivered to him.Old Rappahannock County, Orders, 1685---1687.^[5]

Event

Arrival

Date: 1651

Place: Virginia^[6]

William was born about 1630. He passed away about 1706.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NY1Z-4L9 : 21 September 2020), Willm. Clayton, 1624.
2. ↑ William Clayton, d 1667/68
3. ↑ Citation needed
4. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935. Page 212
5. ↑ William Clayton, d 1667/68
6. ↑ Source: #S-2141116132 Page: Place: Virginia; Year: 1651; Page Number: 212. Note: http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=pili354&h=3971172&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt Note: Data: Text: Arrival date: 1651 Arrival place: Virginia APID: 1,7486::3971172

See also:

• William Clayton, b 1630
• Source: S-1526116839 Repository: #R-1896716442 Title: Public Member Trees Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members.Original data: Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Note: Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=1575471&pid=1318
• Repository: R-1896716442 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com Note:
• Source: S-2128385086 Repository: #R-2146436631 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Note: Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=6735994&pid=1381
• Source: S-2141116132 Repository: #R-2146436631 Title: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Author: Gale Research Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.Original data - Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2006.Original data: Filby, P. William, ed.. Passe Note: APID: 1,7486::0
• William CLAYTON in the

England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Record details Name William Clayton Gender Male Baptism Date 23 May 1630 Baptism Place Ribchester,Lancashire,England Father John Clayton FHL Film Number 253243