Robert Clayton (~1775 - >1860)

of Georgia
	Columbia County, Georgia - 1799
Robert Clayton was born in 1774 or 1775 in Georgia. He was probably the son of Thomas Clayton and his wife Milly of South Carolina. He married Nancy Unknown sometime around or before 1800 in Georgia. He first appears in the record in March, 1799 when he bought 200 acres on Loyds Creek in Columbia County, Georgia from Benjamin Carter. He was living on Sullivan Creek, and Little River in Columbia Co., GA, adjacent to Jesse Moon and an William Willingham, by 1805 where he paid a poll tax (Source: 1805 Tax List, Columbia Co., GA).
	Georgia - 1827 - 1850
From 1827 until sometime before 1860, Robert Clayton lived in a number of Georgia Counties. In 1827, he was the fortunate winner of a draw in the land lottery while living in Pike County. He was in Taylor County by 1828, and Jasper County by 1830. By 1840, he was living in Coweta County, and was back in Pike County, Georgia by 1850.
	Tallapoosa Couty, Alabama - 1860
In 1860, Robert Clayton appears in the US Census in the household of his youngest son, Cash Marion Clayton. He was listed as 85 years of age.
	Children
Robert Clayton and Nancy are believed to have had the following children: Wiley A. Clayton b. ca 1800 GA d. after 1850 AL m. Elizabeth Rachel Clayton b. 1802 GA d. 1880 GA m. Creed Caldwell [NOTE: She is not a documented daughter of Robert Clayton.] Thomas B. Clayton b. 1804/5 GA d. after 1850 m. Priscilla Weathers John Anderson Clayton b. 1806 GA d. about 1850 GA m. Lucinda Duke Jack Clayton b. GA m. Emily Coe Isaac N. Clayton b. about 1813 GA d. after 1860 m. Elizabeth William W. Clayton b. 1816 GA d. after 1860 m. Sarah Cash Marion Clayton b. 1820 GA d. 1863 IL m. Jane Elizabeth Wadsworth
Many of the sons of Robert Clayton lived in Tallapoosa County, Alabama during the 1850 - 1860 time frame. Census records indicate that they were a close family.
Some info on a few of Robert Clayton's children: Rachel Clayton b. July 18, 1802; m. Creed Caldwell December 22, 1819; d. June 28, 1880 in Meriwether Co., GA. -- Creed Caldwell and wife, Rachel, were members of New Hope Primitive Baptist Church at Yatesville near the eastern line of Upson Co., GA at the time his mother lived in Upson Co. Creed Caldwell was a Baptist preacher for many years. On 27 June 1839 he, with Robert Toler and John W. Turner, ordained preachers, organized Ephesus Primitive Baptist Church, Woodland, one half mile north of Pleasant Hill in Talbot Co., GA. Some of the pastors were C.A. Parker, David Caldwell (Creed's son), and John Rowe; some clerks were J. M. Caldwell and G. B. Caldwell (Source: "History of Talbot County" [need citation]). Creed Caldwell died on February 16, 1862. Family legend is that he had sold some cotton and on his way home he was attacked and killed for the money [need source]. In the 1870 census, Rachel was living in the family of son, James Caldwell in the White Sulphur Springs area [need citation]. Creed was the second son of David and Elizabeth Tanner Caldwell to live to adulthood. [need source]. "My mother Mrs. Rachel Caldwell, departed this life in Meriwether Co. Ga. June 28, 1880 in the 78th year of her age. She was a faithful and orderly Primitive Baptist for about 55 years. She was a kind affectionate mother and wife, having been all her married life the wife of my father, the late Elder Creed Caldwell, who is affectionately remembered by the Primitive Baptist as a firm, faithful and gifted minister of the gospel. She was the mother of the late Elder David Caldwell, who was called home to glory the present year. She lived to see about all her children either members of the church or in hope of salvation. She expressed herself for a length of time as waiting for her change to come; and when the time of her departure came she met death willingly, preferring to depart and be with Christ. And so she fell asleep in Jesus; blessed sleep from which none ever awake to weep. In sorrow, yet in hope that I shall meet her again, I remain her bereaved son, John Caldwell." (Source: "The Gospel Messenger, Butler, GA. Vol. 2 No. 12 September, 1880).[NOTE: She is not a documented daughter of Robert Clayton.] Isaac N. Clayton m. Elizabeth (Rutledge) Isaac and Elizabeth had several children of which many on this Clayton list are descended. One of their sons was Joshua Thornton Clayton who married Syntha Caroline Berryhill (who was of Creek Indian descent). Another of their sons was John Thomas Clayton who married Missouri Ella Jones (She was the daughter of Aaron Francis Flourney Jones and the granddaughter of Isaac Jones). Isaac and Elizabeth also had a daughter Nancy Elizabeth Clayton who married James L. Hall. John Thomas and Joshua Thornton were very close and lived next door to one another at the time of Joshua's death in 1897. Among those on this list who are descended from Isaac and Elizabeth are Tommy Clayton, Sue Clayton Beamer, Galen Clayton, J.R. Ammons, Jennifer Smith and Sharon Clayton Kellog. (Provided by Sharon Clayton Kellog (SCK) 12/13/1999) [Note: G. W. Clayton material lists "Isaac Clayton."] John Anderson Clayton b. 1806 GA; m. Lucinda Duke February 1, 1835 in Coweta Co., GA. Lucinda Duke was also married to John Shaddix, Jr., who was a first cousin of John Anderson Clayton. John and Lucinda had children sons named Creed and Cash (Source: 1850 US Census, Tallapoosa Co., AL, Page 262 [also source for his birth]). Barbara Clark of this list is descended from John Anderson Clayton. (SCK12/13/1999). Cash's son Jacob wrote a short family history which can be reached at this link. [Note: G. W. Clayton material lists "John Clayton."] Cash Marion Clayton b. June 14, 1820, GA; m. Jane Elizabeth Wadsworth June 8, 1842 in Pike Co., GA. -- Cash Clayton was a "Overseer" in Pike Co., GA in 1860 (Source: 1860 US Census, Pike Co., GA). He fought in the Civil War. He was captured and was a member of a group of 9 men taken prisoner to Chicago, Illinois from Fort Donaldson near Nashville, Tennessee. The were imprisoned at Camp Stephen Douglas (Source: Diary of Cash M. Clayton). Cash M. Clayton died at Camp Douglas. Jane Elizabeth Wadsworth was the daughter of John Wadsworth and his wife Nancy of Pike Co., GA. Cash and Jane had seven (7) children. "A GOOD WOMAN DEAD Mrs. Jane Elizabeth Clayton departed this life near New Hope Church, Pike County, April 1st 1915. The subject of this notice was born January 5, 1827. She was therefore, 88 years, 2 months, and 26 days old. Her maiden name was Jane Elizabeth Wardsworth and married to Mr. Cash M. Clayton on January 9th, 1842. There were born to this union 7 children, 5 boys and 2 girls, three of them living, two sons and one daughter: Tom Clayton of Jackson County, Ala., and Rev. J. J. Clayton of DeKalb County, Ala., Mrs S. G. [note: Seaborn Gideon] Jones, also of Jackson County, Ala. Besides the above she leaves to mourn her loss 40 grandchildren, 114 great grand children and 7 great great grand children, and a host of other relatives and friends, both in Georgia and Alabama. In early life she joined the Baptist Church at Mt. Zion and was baptized in Potato Creek by the Rev. David Moore, and as long as she lived she led a peaceful and devoted Christian life and died in the full triumph of the Christian hope. She died at the home of her son-in-law, Mr. John E. Smith from where she was buried at New Hope Baptist Cemetery, after the funeral sermon conducted by Rev. ? E. Lavender." Of those on the list, Marcus Thomas's wife Lisa Renee Jones and also Tom Bowdens are descended from Cash Marion Clayton. [Note: Janice Gooch's G. W. Clayton material gives one son as "Cash."]