William CLAYTON was born in Thorpe Willoughby in about 1793/4. William was variously described as a woodman, woodfeller, woodcutter and timber squarer.
No baptism has been found
It is thought that William married Elizabeth WATSON in Howden in 1815. This is based on the use of WATSON as a secondary forename for a daughter Mary Watson CLAYTON, however the timing of the marriage just 8 weeks before the baptism of their first child is a question mark. According to the 1851 census, Elizabeth was born in Barmby-in-the-Moor (now Barmby on the Marsh) which is 3.5 miles west of Howden towards Thorpe Willoughby which is another 7 miles further west. On balance it looks like the marriage was the result of an unplanned pregnancy.
William and Elizabeth had twelve children between 1815 and 1837. William is identified as Dinah CLAYTON's father on her wedding certificate. In 1841 Elizabeth is living in Thorpe Willoughby with her four youngest surviving children and William's father Thomas.
William was working as a sawyer in Shude Hill, Sheffield in 1841 with his son William and two other CLAYTONs: William, aged 17 and James aged 28. "William" aged 17 is probably his son John, who was a woodman in 1851, but James CLAYTON is a mystery and may have had a different surname.
In 1851, aged 57, William was living in Thorpe Willoughby in the Parish of Brayton, Yorkshire. In 1861 he was lodging in Brocklesby, Lincolnshire. No connection to that family has been found so perhaps it was for health reasons.
In 1871, he is living in Thorpe with his son William, now a railway plate layer (labourer), his wife and his four children. They also have a lodger.
William died in Thorpe Willoughby, aged 86 and was buried in the Parish of Brayton on 9 Mar 1880.
Other information:
In 1851, a Joseph CLAYTON, 51 labourer woodman, born in Thorpe Willoughby was living in East Common, Selby with wife Sarah and three daughters. Joseph may have been the son of Thomas CLAYTON and MARTHA WILSON baptized in Church Fenton on 26 Dec 1801. However William could not be a brother as the Church Fenton are surprisingly detailed including the order of each birth i.e. 1st son, 2nd daughter etc.
