According to the 1851 census, Elizabeth WATSON was born in about 1791/2 in Barmby on the Moor (now known as Barmby on the Marsh).
Elizabeth married William CLAYTON in Howden in December 1815, 8 weeks before they baptized their first child Thomas in January 1816. Howden is the nearest town to Barmby that doesn't involve crossing the River Ouse.
Elizabeth and William baptized twelve children between 1815 and 1837, including Mary Watson CLAYTON, their sixth child, which confirms that Elizabeth WATSON was her mother. Their first two children were baptized in Barmby, the remainder in Selby Minster. Barmby and Selby are 5 miles apart (and longer by road), but a regular 'packet' ferry ran every Monday between Barmby and Selby "every Mon. at 7 mg for goods and passengers".
It is thought that Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas WATSON, the Barmby On the Marsh tutor, and his wife Mary THOMPSON. Thomas and Mary WATSON christened at least four children in Barmby On the Moor: Mary 1790, John 1794, Sarah 1797 and William 1801.
The evidence that points to Thomas and Mary being the parents includes:
1. Elizabeth was from Barmby in the Moor. Thomas and Mary are one of two WATSONs baptizing children in this period, the other being 'Josh' and Mary, but their only child was also born in 1791.
2. There is a four year gap betwen the baptisms of Mary (1790) and John (1794) when Elizabeth would have been born.
3. The parish records for this period are fragmented. Entries prior to 1790 are chaotic, Jan-July 1791 are complete but Aug-Dec 1791 is missing, Jan 1792 to May 1792 is partial with most entries dated 10 May, 1793 has 4 entries and 1794 starts in May. It is as if the remaining records were reconstituted from what could be recovered from some major damage.
4. The names of Thomas WATSON's children match almost exactly the names of Elizabeth CLAYTON's children. Only when all the above names have been used does she resort to new names such as George and Robert.
On balance this is almost certainly the right family despite the missing confirmatory baptism entry.
In 1851 Elizabeth was 59 years old and living in Thorpe Willoughby, just West of Selby, with her husband and three of her daughters including Dinah. She was recorded as being blind.
Elizabeth died aged 60, and was buried in Brayton (between Selby and Thorpe Willoughby) on 12 Oct 1852.
Additional information:
An Elizabeth WATSON was christened in Selby Minster in Feb 1792 by Henry WATSON, a sailor and Mary his wife, however upon inspection of the original records is transpires that the same child died three years later of a sore throat which excludes this particular Elizabeth WATSON.
