Henry Clayton b1816

Elizabeth Lloyd was born 16 Nov 1837 with "Henry Claton, porter" named as father on her birth certificate. Her birth is indexed as "Elizabeth Claton". She appears in Bala in the 1841 census living with her grandparents as Elizabeth Lloyd, and on her marriage certificate in 1861 puts her father down as "Henry Lloyd, butcher, deceased". There is no reason to doubt the birth certificate that Henry Claton (or some rendering of this name) was the father of Elizabeth Lloyd, but she lived her whole life as Elizabeth Lloyd, and her mother Bridget Lloyd never married Henry Claton. The birth certificate oddly does not give the place of birth. He may have died or it could be the shoemaker from Welshpool. Montgomery District includes Pool, and there are no Clayton or Claton deaths in Merioneth (ie Bala).

Elizabeth Lloyd's place of birth is recorded as Llangollen in all the censuses through her life, so one assumes that she was born there, and that is where her parents Bridget Lloyd and Henry Claton met.

There appear to be only two possibilities for his identity, either he died between the conception of Elizabeth Lloyd in 1837 and the census in 1841, or he is Henry Clayton of Welshpool that one can follow through the censuses below.

The only deaths that it could have been for a Henry Clayton in North Wales at that time are Deaths Dec 1838 Clayton Henry Montgomery 27 71 (not him, he was only 12 when he died) or Deaths Jun 1839 Clayton Henry Montgomery 27 80 (not him, a 53 year old innkeeper).

If he did not die, then the only other possibility is that he is Henry Clayton, shoemaker of Welshpool, who can be seen in the censuses of 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 before expiring in the workhouse in 1893. This Henry Clayton lives in and around Welshpool except for a foray to Thurstaston, Cheshire in 1881, which appears to have been to "baby sit" for his grandson. He does not marry, but has a son Henry born circa 1838, about a year after Elizabeth Lloyd was born.

• 1841 Henry Clayton age 25, shoemaker living as a lodger at Welshpool. Only Henry Clayton in Wales. His son who appears in 1851 census, does not appear in the 1841 census under "Henry Clayton"
• 1851 Henry Clayton, age 35, shoemaker & lodger, born Welshpool, with 13 year old son, Henry Clayton living at Welshpool. No wife & down as unmarried. Only two Henry Claytons in Wales. No Henry Clayton registered at Welshpool, but there is a Henry Lloyd registered at Montgomery which covers Welshpool (Births Sep 1838, 27 101) but this child does seem accounted for with parents called Lloyd in 1841 census.
• 1861 Henry Clayton, shoemaker & boarder age 46. Living at Welshpool, & born Welshpool. Only other Henry Clayton is his son, now married.
• 1871 Henry Clayton, age 56 and widower, bootmaker, lodger, born in Welshpool and living in Welshpool. There is no record of him having married, so it is difficult to see why he is down as "widower" here.
• 1881 Henry Clayton age 67, born Welshpool, living with George Clayton, grandson (age 16 and born in Welshpool) at Civil Parish: Thurstaston, Cheshire. This George is the son of Henry's son Henry seen in the 1851 census. Henry (b1838) marries Elizabeth, joins the police, and they have two children Edward and George and were living in Toxteth Park, Liverpool in 1871 census,and a widower living alone in 1891 census.
• 1891 Henry Clayton, age 77, formerly shoemaker, in the Forden Union Workhouse
• 1893 Henry Clayton dies at Forden age 79

1841 census

1851 census

Henry Claton, age 35, shoemaker & lodger, born Welshpool, with 13 year old son living at Welshpool. No wife & down as unmarried

1861 census

Henry Clayton, shoemaker & boarder age 46. Living at Welshpool, & born Welshpool

1871 census

Henry Clayton, age 56 and widower, bootmaker, lodger, born in Welshpool and living in Welshpool.

1881 census

Living with George Clayton, grandson at Civil Parish: Thurstaston, Cheshire

1891 census

In the Forden Union Workhouse

1893 died

Name: Henry Clayton
Estimated Birth Year: about 1814
Year of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep, 1893
Age at Death: 79
District: Forden, Montgomeryshire, Shropshire
Volume: 11b. Page: 123

Bridget Lloyd 1811