Clayton’s of Clayton Township, Perry County, Ohio

By Teresa Martin Klaiber Jan. 2020

Perry County was named for Oliver Hazard Perry. Ohio counties are divided into townships.   The Muskingum and Hocking River flow through Clayton Township in Perry County.  Known as, Township 16 it was named for Thomas Clayton, (Thomas, Zebulon, John, Edmund).  The road that led to Clayton Township took the Clayton’s from New Jersey to Virginia, before settling in Ohio.

John Calvin Clayton[i] was born 24 March 1773, the eldest child of Thomas (b. 1742 Monmouth County, NJ) and wife Mary. Brother, Joseph, was born in New Jersey about 1775.   The family paid their tax in Shrewsbury, Upper Freehold, Monmouth County until 1779 according to published extractions.  Thomas’ father was still living which may cause a bit of confusion with the extractions.

Thomas and Mary, with their two small sons, migrated to Hampshire County, Virginia.  According to Historic Hampshire quite a few were from the northern hills of New Jersey which resembled their new land. The tie to New Jersey was so strong that they named a mountain Jersey Mountain. Today you can still drive along Jersey Mountain Road.[ii]  Bible records indicate that John Calvin Clayton’s little sister Mary was born 18 February 1777 in Virginia. 

Thomas Clayton, already described as a resident, of Hampshire County, Virginia appears as an assignee[iii] of Jonathon Pugh for land on Tear Coat and Little Capon 26 May 1778. He received his land grant for 424 acres. The Capon River also known as the Cacapon River drew a great migration during this time frame.

Thomas is credited with a Public Service Claim in the Patriotic Service Records, at the Virginia State Library, for supplying thirty pounds of flour in 1781 “for Frederick Starkey.” Starkey was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey in 1745 and married Mary King.  Several researchers, at the time of this writing, on popular genealogy sites, state that Frederick Starkey’s parents were Thomas David Starkey born between 1781 and 1722, in New Jersey and wife Ann Clayton.  Ann Clayton was born 16 May 1689, a Quaker, in Newport Rhode Island and was the daughter of David Clayton and Amy Cooke.  This would make Thomas Clayton and Frederick Starkey cousins (third once removed).

While 1781 was the height of the Revolutionary War, the family was doing well, having been taxed for 10 cattle and 4 horses in Hampshire County. Thomas and Mary had their fourth son William the following year. Daughters Elizabeth, Martha and Rachel were born two years apart beginning in 1784.

In October 1797 Thomas and Mary sold 212 acres of land to Tunis Peterson and another 212 acres to Stephen Lee. This accounts for all 424 acres of the land grant. Thomas continues to tithe in the county and was ordered to work the North River Road in 1788.  One road survey, in the county minutes cites “Clayton’s on the Frankfort Road.”[iv]  He also served several times on county court juries.  In December 1799 he purchased a lot in the town of Springfield on Market Street.[v] Springfield is in the northwestern portion of Hampshire County in what is now West Virginia. The town was well established by the time they purchased their lot. 

The family paid taxes in Springfield until 1804 when they sold the town lot.[vi]  His daughter-in-law, Mary Brown Clayton’s brother Isaac Brown was one of the witness to the sale. They made 100% profit from this sale having purchased the lot for $50.00 and selling it for $100.00.   The next year Thomas begins making payments under the credit system for land in Muskingum County, Ohio.  Apparently doing well Clayton bought  254 more acres in 1809, on Spring Gap in Hampshire County, Virginia.

With a bit of wonder lust, and owning 254 acres in Hampshire, Thomas appears to meet up with others from Turkey Creek, Somerset County, Pennsylvania for the migration to Ohio. We assume this is how son Samuel met his wife-to-be, Phebe Rush, who was a member of the Jersey Church in Somerset County. 

Thomas and his family settled in what was then Muskingum but would become known as Clayton Township, Perry County, Ohio. Thomas is listed as an Entryman and continued to make payments at the Zanesville Land office until 1810 when his land was entered as all payments received. The township was named in his honor. His patent was registered 23 December 1811. In April the following year son William received a patent in the same area as an assignee of Thomas.  john Calvin Clayton (compiler's ancestor) received his, along with brother Joseph,  in July 1814 in Section 29. 

Thomas Clayton, at the age of 71, died in August 1813 in Clayton township while still Muskingum County, Ohio, leaving a will that was probated on August 25^th. He provided for his wife Mary leaving her bed and bedding and land of her choice. He also requested that his dwelling house and personal effects be sold and the money divided among his children. The sale was advertised in the Zanesville Express September 6, 1813. No grave has been located but it has been assumed that Thomas Clayton and possibly Mary were buried in early graves in Unity Presbyterian Church in Clayton Township.

Muskingum County, Ohio Will Book A page 224

Unity Church is one of the oldest religious organizations in the county.  The Church sat within the township on a rolling hill. Today all that remains is Unity Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Among the tombstones you will find the graves of John Calvin Clayton (Thomas, Thomas, Zebulon, John, Edmund) and wife Mary Brown Clayton.  We visited several times while residing in Muskingum County, Ohio.  My husband spent several back breaking hours up-righting John Clayton’s stone in the early 1990’s. 

We know so little about Mary. Yet she was a pioneer woman having migrated from New Jersey to Virginia, finally settling in the township that would be named in her husband’s honor. By virtue of the birth of Thomas’ known children researchers estimated the marriage circa 1772.

There is a marriage of Thomas Clayton to Mary Walker in Christ Church, Philadelphia on 16 June 1772. Because of the proximity to Monmouth County, New Jersey with Philadelphia, researchers have been quick to attribute this marriage with our Mary.  This compiler, felt researchers were not taking into consideration seven other Clayton marriages listed in Christ Church, none attributed to our direct ancestor.  None of the early researchers supplied further documentation. With extensive research, locating the diaries of Jacob Hiltzheimer, I know that the marriage is another Clayton family.   Mary Walker was sister of Hannah Walker who married Jacob Hiltzheimer.  Thomas Clayton requested permission to marry Jacob’s sister-in-law in April 1772.  Mary Walker Clayton “wife of Col. Thomas Clayton” remained in Chester county where she died, age 40, July 1790, and was buried in Friend’s Cemetery.

Even though, to date we do not know Mary’s maiden name, she like other pioneers had to be a strong woman. Sadly, women were not given the credit of men in that day.  Women of the day were often there to do the work and have children. It appears that while Mary had a choice of property she did not stay in her own "dwelling house" as it was sold according to court records. Mary is on the roll of Unity Church in 1816.  In April 1818, the 254 acres were sold on her behalf in Hampshire County, signed by all the heirs of Thomas Clayton, deceased.[vii]

She was dismissed from the rolls of Unity in March 1822. Seven months after being dismissed from church, Moses Goodin, Sr. married Mary Clayton on 24 October 1822 in Perry County. Moses was born before 1755 and had grown children. Age wise he would have been a contemporary of Mary. Moses Goodin sold Mary Clayton’s grandson property in Reading Township in 1825 and at the same time purchased property from Mary’s son, John Calvin Clayton and wife Mary Brown Clayton, in Clayton township. The land in Clayton township was described as second class with no meadow. Moses Goodin died 20 September 1836 and was buried in Hopewell Cemetery in Somerset, Perry County. Goodin researchers report no information on Mary, either unaware of this 2nd marriage or because of their age, simply not citing it. When Moses died, his will written 17 April 1831, mentions no wife only his children by his first marriage. It is assumed by this researcher that Mary must have died between 1825 and 1831.

Thomas Clayton and Mary had eight children. Thomas and Mary’s daughter Mary married Isaac Brown and through daughter Jane are direct ancestors of Past President Richard Milhous Nixon.  Thomas and Mary’s eldest son John Calvin Clayton married Mary “Polly” Brown, sister of Isaac.  Richard Nixon was their third great grandnephew.

Son, John Calvin Clayton received his grant for land in Muskingum, later Perry, the year his father died, 1813.  In 1827 the directors of school lands paid John Clayton $4.00 for one acre in the same range, section 29.  John Calvin Clayton continued to live in Clayton Township until his death 5 May 1854.  

Unity Cemetery, Clayton Township, Perry County, Ohio

Son, Joseph settled in Washington County, Ohio and died 7 May 1829.  Son William died in 1847 in Illinois.  Daughter Elizabeth born about 1784 married William Minniear and settled in Miami/ Shelby county, Ohio.  Daughter Martha married Isaac Millison and remained in Hampshire County, Virginia.  Rachel Clayton, the youngest child of Thomas and Mary married Jonathon Carroll and died in 1840 in Perry County, Ohio.

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[i] 4^th great grandfather of compiler.
[ii] Jersey Mountain is now known as Three Churches.[iii] a person to whom a right or liability is legally transferred[iv] June 1798
[v] Virginia, Hampshire dbk 12 p. 139-40
[vi] Virginia, Hampshire dbk 13 p 181-5
[vii] Virginia, Hampshire dbk 21 - 384