William M. Clayton (1837 - 1880)

Born 7 Jan 1837 in Lawrence, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Elizabeth (Gallaher) Clayton — married 7 Jan 1858 in Wayne, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Mar 1880 at age 43 in Giles, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

William was a traveling Methodist Minister.

William was born in 1837, the son of Hardy Clayton and Frances Parker. On the 7th of January, 1858, William married Sarah Elizabeth Gallaher^[1] in Wayne, Tennessee. In 1860,^[2] the couple are living in District 8, Hardin, Tennessee. It appears from the census records that William and his family are sharing a house with his brother David and his family. Listed under family number 936 are David (26), who is farming on real estate valued at $1000 with a personal estate valued at $300. His wife Mary (20) is listed along with their infant son John D. (2). William (22) does have an occupation listed but there is a personal estate valued at $250. Sarah (18) is listed below William with their one year old daughter Isabella.

In 1870, ^[3] the family have moved and are living in Lawrence, Tennessee. William is farming on real estate valued at $800, with a personal estate of $550. Sarah is keeping house. Also in the household is her mother Isabella who is 62 years old. William and Sarah have 3 children:

• Isabella (11) - born 1859
• Frances (6) - a daughter born in 1864
• James - born in 1870

The couple are farming next to William's father Hardy, who is now 73 years old. David (37), with his wife and 4 children are recorded on the next page of the census. Below David on the same page is listed an Enac (Enoch?) M. Clayton (37), with wife Luisa and 6 children. Enac is also farming.

"Along about this time (about 1871-72) my father bought sixty-five acres of land on Shoates Creek, where we were raised. He paid for his land by splitting rails for fifty cents per hundred. What he got off of his Circuit (father was a traveling Methodist Minister) in those days he could usually bring it home on horse back; it mostly consisted of wheat, corn, hog jaws and now and then a hen. And believe me he kept a horse big and fat that could carry a load. I remember his horse well - his name was "Old Rock".

In 1877, I think, my father was moved to the Lexington Circuit in West Tennessee at Lexington (Henderson County). We lived at the foot of the hill known as "The Big Cedars" on land owned by a man by the name of Caffee Wilson, for whom my brother Caffee was named.

Another thing I remember while living in Lexington was my father breaking us (my brothers and me) from stealing sugar. Sugar was really a rarity in those days. One day we saw our daddy coming with a large bag in his hand. All of us kids began clamoring at once: "what is it Pap? What is it?" "Sugar, Boys." he said. "Oh give us some," we cried. "Come right in boys." He took us into the house and set the sack in the middle of the table. He gave each of us a large spoon and told us to get up there and help ourselves - and believe me we did. From that day to this I have never stolen any more sugar.

Another funny little incident I can remember while in Lexington was on my brother, Kynette. My father would buy pills in little boxes. All of us wanted the little box after the pills were gone because it was a cute little wooden box that resembled a coffin. So one day he came in with a new box of McLean's pills and we jumped him for the box. "No," he said. "The box goes to Kynette this time after the pills are gone." A day or so after this Kynette took the "trots" terribly bad. Upon trying to find out what could be wrong my father thought of his pills and upon going and looking he found them all gone. He asked Kynetteif he had taken any of them. He said: "Yes Pa, you told me I could have the box after they were gone, so I took them all." Well, I don't suppose it hurt him much, but he was cleaned out better than General Patton has been able to clean out those pillboxes in Europe.''

The following 13th of March 1880 my father died (died of consumption - treated by Dr. R. Davison) leaving my mother with four boys and two girls, living: three children died in infancy. One sister (Isabella - 01/08/1859) was married at this time and the other, Francis (10/05/1864), was at home. My two sisters were five and ten years older than I. I was the oldest boy, (07/24/1868), just twelve years old. Kynette (10/17/1870), John (04/29/1873) and Caffee (06/22/1878) were my brothers. After burial expenses were all settled we had the farm and "Old Rock""^[4] J.R. Clayton

William died in March of 1880.^[5] The cause of death was listed as consumption (now know as pulmonary tuberculosis). William was buried in the Choates Creek Cemetery, on the grounds of the church he served. He was a Minster to Choates Creek United Methodist Church from 1870 to 1872, and from 1874 to 1877. ^[6][7]

The census of 1880 or Giles County, Tennessee, was taken in June.^[8] Sarah is listed as a widow at the age of 38 with 5 children. In addition to Frances (16) and James (11), there are 3 little boys:

• Kynett (8) - born Oct 1872
• John (6) - born 1874
• Caffey (1) - born June 1878

Isabella married James W. Sneed in 1875.^[9] The census of 1990^[10] records that Sarah (58) is the head of the household. She has bore 9 children, 5 of which are living. Also in the home are Kynett (29), Coffee W. (21), and a grandaughter Fannie B. Sneed who is 10. Isabella died in 1890.^[11]

Sarah died on the 3rd of June 1902 at the age of 60. She is buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Lawrence, Tennessee.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ "Tennessee State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VN8X-5HX : 4 December 2014), William Claton and S E Gallaher, 07 Jan 1858; from "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing p. 6, Wayne, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TD-ZNW : 18 February 2021), Isabela P Cloton in entry for David Cloton, 1860.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDD8-JTK : 29 May 2021), William Clayton, 1870.
4. ↑ Family Recollections of son J.R. Clayton, dated Dec 1944 - complete copy included in images. Document does not have citations. Shared on Ancestry 22 Feb 2012 by "cjh49" who is grandaughter of Caffee W. Clayton, son of William M. Clayton.
5. ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8756/images/TNT655_28-0594?pId=2133466. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Federal Mortality Census Schedules, 1850-1880, and Related Indexes, 1850-1880; Archive Collection: T655; Archive Roll Number: 28; Census Year: 1880; Census Place: District 18, Giles, Tennessee; Page: 789. Source InformationAncestry.com. U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
6. ↑ https://gilestn.genealogyvillage.com/church/choates.htm. History of Choates Creek Church, The First 141 Years
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #6266408Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6266408/william-m-clayton: accessed 13 October 2022), memorial page for Rev William M. Clayton (7 Jan 1837–13 Mar 1880), Find A Grave: Memorial #6266408, citing Choates Creek Cemetery, Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Angela Sandusky (contributor 46504735) .
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD7H-3F6 : 15 January 2022), Sarah Clayton, Giles, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
9. ↑ "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKH3-LFF8 : 10 March 2021), James W Sneed and Isabella P Clayton, 10 Nov 1875; citing Giles, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 968,829.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS8N-RT2 : 11 March 2022), Sarah E Clayton, 1900.
11. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #38480983Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38480983/isabella-panther-sneed: accessed 15 October 2022), memorial page for Isabella Panther Clayton Sneed (1859–1890), Find a Grave Memorial ID 38480983, citing Choates Creek Cemetery, Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Donrae52 (contributor 47126337) .
12. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #16806032Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16806032/sarah-elizabeth-clayton: accessed 15 October 2022), memorial page for Sarah Elizabeth Gallaher Clayton (22 Feb 1842–3 Jun 1902), Find a Grave Memorial ID 16806032, citing Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Lawrence County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by PFW (contributor 47529173) .