Abigail Royal (Garrett) Clifton (1823 - 1891)

Born 2 Jan 1823 in Ludham, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Wife of John Francis Larter — married 20 Sep 1842 in Ludham, Norfolk, England

Wife of John Thomas Clifton — married 8 Jun 1856 in Kanawha, West Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Feb 1891 at age 68 in Charleston, WV, USA

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Biography

Abigail (Garrett) Clifton migrated from England to United States.

Arrived in New York on the ship 'Christiana' 6 August 1852 with children James Larter (9), Royal Larter (5), Miriam Larter (3), and Dorcas Larter (1) in the company of John Clifton^[1].

Abigail Royal Garrett. ^[2][3][4][5]

Born 2 JAN 1823. Norfolk, England. ^[6][7]

Died 23 FEB 1891. Charleston, WV, USA. ^[8]

Event: Departure London, England. ^[9] Arrival 6 Aug 1852. New York, New York. ^[10]

Baptism: 29 Jan 1823. Wesleyan,Great Yarmouth,Norfolk,England. ^[11]

Buried Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States of America. ^[12]

Note: Abigail Royal Garrett was the daughter of Royal Garrett and Hannah Vincent. Her first husband was John Francis Larter, whom she married on September 20, 1842 in Ludham. They had four children that appear in birth records in Norfolk: James Garrett Larter born 1843, Royal Jethro Larter born 1845, Miriam Susanna Larter born 1848 and Dorcas Hannah Larter born May 1851. All of the above people except Dorcas Hannah were listed in the 1851 census because Abigail was pregnant with her at the time. They lived in one of the now famous Rows of Great Yarmouth. They lived on Row 100 which is currently the Row next to 18 South Quay on the River Yare. A few months after the 1851 census, John Larter left England and traveled to America on the ship "Savannah". What happened to him is a mystery to us. Some say he drowned in Brooklyn Naval Yard. Others say he drowned in Lake Erie. While others say he just abandoned her altogether. On August 6, 1852, almost exactly one year after John Larter arrived in America his wife Abigail also sailed into New York City with her future husband John Thomas Clifton and the four children listed above. According to the ship record they were going to Ohio. At this point we have a couple of different stories. One story states that they took a boat across Lake Erie and another says they moved to Pennsylvania with family or friends. What we do know is that they finally settled in West Virginia. The next official record we have for them is a Kanawha County, WV marriage record. On the marriage record they both state their place of birth as Norfolk, England and they both claimed to be widowed but in John's case he was definitely still married to a lady named Mary Ann Fryer back in Merry Old England. They moved to Boone County shortly after their marriage where we find them in the 1860 census. Little Dorcas Hannah Larter is missing and is replaced by Hannah Clifton, who is a few years younger but oddly born the same month. They had two more children of their own named Merab Clifton born 1859 and Ella Clifton born 1864. They adopted a boy named William Edward Nicely sometime in the 1870's and he took their last name. We are still left with a few family mysteries for Abigail and her husbands. What happened to John Larter? Why did John Thomas Clifton leave his family? Who did Hannah Clifton really belong to. We know that on her death bed Abigail whispered something to Hannah that Hannah never told a soul.

Marriage 1856 Kanawha, West Virginia, United States. ^[13]

Name: Abigail Royal Clifton. ^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
2. ↑ Source: #S261846793
3. ↑ Source: #S259194629
4. ↑ Source: #S262520719
5. ↑ Source: #S259784418 Year: 1852; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 117; Line: 6; List Number: 1094
6. ↑ Source: #S261846793
7. ↑ Source: #S259784418 Year: 1852; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 117; Line: 6; List Number: 1094
8. ↑ Source: #S261846793
9. ↑ Source: #S259784418 Year: 1852; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 117; Line: 6; List Number: 1094
10. ↑ Source: #S259784418 Year: 1852; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 117; Line: 6; List Number: 1094
11. ↑ Source: #S262520719
12. ↑ Source: #S261846793
13. ↑ Source: #S259194629
14. ↑ Source: #S455941992 Ancestry Record 60525 #109869528

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYBR-3QY : accessed 11 Apr 2014), Royal Garrett in entry for Abigail Royal Garrett, 29 Jan 1823; citing Ludham, Ludham, Norfolk, Eng, reference ; FHL microfilm 0828114 (RG5 170-1).
• Source: S258339272 Repository: #R250477388 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=108753051&pid=84
• Repository: R250477388 Ancestry.com
• Source: S259194629 Repository: #R250477388 West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785-1971 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
• Source: S259784418 Repository: #R250477388 New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
• Source: S261846793 U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Note: Find A Grave
• Source: S262520719 Repository: #R250477388 England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
• Source: S455941992 U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Record Collection 60525