This page is devoted to the descendants of William Clayton of Pendleton District, South Carolina. I am not a professional genealogist nor the "family historian," but I have acquired over the years quite a bit of material related to this branch of the Clayton family in the USA.
   I have acquired a new genealogical software package ULTIMATE FAMILY TREE, which I am slowly learning in my spare time. I will not post any other materials on this website until I get the new software up and running.
    In the meantime, I have posted some materials below. This page is kind of skewered right now toward my line [I am Lawrence Anthony Clayton, 1942-] since it is the one I am most familiar with.
  Please feel free to EMAIL me with suggestions or additions to this project to retrieve and publish documents and information about our family.
  For those curious, or just kibbitzing, William Clayton was a Revolutionary War-era settler in the Upper region of South Carolina. He fought in the war, settled in the Pendleton District, and there raised a family.
  For purposes of organization, I have temporarily placed family names into a table below that can easily be accessed by toggling on the name. The names will be in rough chronological order. The new page will use the ULTIMATE FAMILY TREE software and format.
 

William Clayton, Sr., 1761-1845	William Clayton, Jr., 1802-1891	Frederick Van Clayton, 1834-1915	Lawrence Garvin Clayton, 1854-1935	William Harold Clayton, Sr., 1900-1988
William Harold Clayton, Jr., 1931-	Lawrence Anthony Clayton, 1942-

William Clayton, Sr., 1761-1845.[no image available]
This William Clayton, Sr. is the first Clayton settler of our family to locate in Pickens District, South Carolina. Exhibit 1 [to be added to website in future] shows him to be a soldier of the Revolution.
From the Pendleton Messenger, Jan. 9, 1845
William Clayton, Sr. died 24th ult. {December, 1845], aged about 84 years, a very old, very honest and very industrious citizen of Pickens District.
Various other pieces of evidence in Faith Clayton's files [now located in the Family Research Center, Carolina Wesleyan College, Central, South Carolina] indicate that this William clayton, Sr. was with Roebuck's Regiment during the American Revolution, and he was the same who moved to Pickens District and lived on golden Creek.
His name appears on Pickens County jury list several times, even though over 65.
William, Sr. lived with his son Carter later in his life (evidence deed of gift from William, Sr. to Carter Clayton--Ann Gonsiour's [sp?] line--this deed included 1285 acres).
On his origins: legend has it that he came from Virginia to South Carolina because of a land dispute. He appears in 1790 census as head of family with one son under sixteen, Pendleton County.
Appears in "Stubs-Indents" (list of what South Carolina paid Revolutionary War soldiers) as Wm. Clayton in [Roebuck's Regiment] (1780). Lived in Spartanburg District at one time.
My [Lawrence Anthony Clayton, 1942-]notes furthermore indicate that there is a list from all soldiers who fought at King's Mountain; is Wm. Clayton among them? I don't know. While in Washington, D.C. back in 1970s or 1980s doing my own research, I popped into the genealogical room at the National Archives. Don't remember finding much to supplement much of what Faith Clayton entrusted to me.
Also, in my notes, I have the following: "Lord Granville (one of eight Lords Proprietors of S.C.) had one daughter, Lady Louise Granville Clayton who married a William Clayton, given power in N.C. to run squatters off their land. A Thomas Clayton appointed by Lords Proprietors in England to come to Penn's colonies to buy land from Indians. Faith suspected William (married to Lady Louise] as son of John Clayton."

 

William Clayton, Jr., 1802-1891 [no image available]
From obit in Pickens Sentinel, Oct. 22, 1891.
Mr. William Clayton, the oldest citizen of the county, died at his home near Central, last Monday morning, at one o'clock, aged 92 years. The funeral was held at the family burying ground at 4 p.m. Monday. For over fifty years Mr. clayton had been a consistent member of the old Libery Baptist church. All of his brothers and sisters, his wife and three children have preceded across the "dark valley." Three children survive him, Capt. F. V. clayton, Mrs. Mary Mulligan, and Mrs. Tempy Clayton.
He had lived a score of years beyond the days allotted to man and when his work was done, laid down life's mantle, leaving a clean record,--universally respected by all who knew him for his honesty and integrity and leaving to his descendants the most priceless of all legacies--A GOOD NAME! He has gone to his reward and is at rest. Peace be his ashes.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge #34 of Pendleton.
 

Frederick Van Clayton, 1834-1915. Sorry, not the greatest image. I'm working on it. Anyhow, the following was taken from an obit in the Easley Progress and printed in the Pickens Sentinel Jan. 21, 1915.
 News of the death of Mr. F. Van Clayton, one of the oldest and best known men of the County, reached the city Sunday morning. He died at his home near Central on Saturday afternoon the 16 inst. and was buried on Sunday afternoon at Sharon Church near his late home. The deceased was in his 82nd year. He is survived by two sons, Dr. L. G. clayton of Central and W. V. Clayton of near Central, and one daughter, Mrs. Epps with whom he was residing at the time of his death.
 His wife who was Miss Martha Hendricks, a daugher of the late Lemeul Hendricks of this County, preceded him to the grave about 20 years ago. He had suffered a paralytic stroke several years ago and as a consequence has been in feeble health since.
 He was a man of splendid character and an abundance of good common sense, jovial in his disposition and up to a few years ago was strong and energetic. For many years, in connection with large farming interests, he followed the occupation of surveyor. In 1873 he surveyed and platted the town of Easley,--then but an old field, now a thriving city of 4000 or more people. He also, we believe, surveyed the towns of Liberty and Central in the same years. He has many friends through out the county who will be sorry to know of his passing away.
 My notes indicate he was in Hampton's Legion during the Civil War. He joned the Palmetto Sharpshooters, Company I. He was wounded two or three times. Shot in hip once, grazed head in another wound. Walked home from Tennessee after being wounded in the hip. Ouch! Was with the Army of Virginia, marched from Virginia to Morristown, Tennessee. Never applied for a pension, nor did William Clayton, Sr., veteran of American Revolution.
 

Lawrence Garvin Clayton, 1854-1935. Promise I'll find a better image soon! More to come on L. G. Clayton, M.D. as I get more time to add to this page.
 

This page created Feb. 20, 1999.
Last updated March 13, 1999