Life History

Notes

• The Davidson Family Genealogy reports information about Clayton and his family.
  
  "Clayton DAVIDSON (Mr.) was born 1827 in Tennessee. He died 10 Aug 1862 in McNairy County, Tennessee and was buried in Sanders Cemetery, McNairy County, Tennessee.  Clayton married Elmira (Lucretia Elmira) SHEFFIELD, daughter of Ephraim Hogan SHEFFIELD and Sarah E. DAVENPORT, on 20 Dec 1849 in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Elmira was born 5 Feb 1830 in Lauderdale County, Alabama. She died 5 Feb 1915 in McNairy County, Tennessee and was buried in Sanders Cemetery, McNairy County, Tennessee."
  --  Davidson of Tennessee Genealogy, http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html
  
  In 1850, we find Clayton as head of the household including his widowed mother and most of his siblings.  He has been married for about a year and he and Elmira (Almira) have a three-year old son Ephraim who was born in Alabama.  They are living in Franklin County, Alabama, thought all except Ephraim were born in Tennessee.  Note that, in contrast, the Davidson family information rpeorts that Elmira was borni n Lauderdale County, Alabama.
  
  The printed year date of the census 1850 has been overwritten with a 1, which seems to indicate that the census in this county was not taken until August 1851.  I have found one other case of such a date change.  This mark may, on the other hand, have been because of some other unexplained factor.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Franklin County, Alabama, 11 August 1851(?), District 5, page 153, Hse/Fam #726
  Clayton Davidson 23 M Planter $5000 Real Estate born Tennessee [b abt 1827]
  Almira Davidson 29 F b Tennessee [b abt 1830] Ephraim Davidson 3 months M born Alabama [b abt April 1850]
  Margaret Davidson 50 F b Tennessee [b abt 1800] [mother]
  Alexr Davidson 20 M b Tennessee [b abt 1830] [brother]
  Jackson Davidson 32 M b Tennessee [b abt 1818]
  Janetta Davidson 24 F b Tennessee [b abt 1826]
  Mathew Davidson 15 M b Tennessee [b abt 1835]
  Sarah Davidson 12 F b Tennessee [b abt 1838]
  
  The Davidsons moved to Arkansas in 1851, after Clayton bought land from a neighbor Benjamin Pearsall in January of that year.
  
  "Benjamin Pearsall applied for bounty land on 9 Jan 1851 in Franklin Co. AL, and received 160 acres in the Military District of Arkansas under BL Wt. 10089-160-50. He sold his warrant to his neighbor, Clayton Davidson, who moved to Arkansas and occupied the land. Neither Benjamin nor his widow received a pension.  Information from descendant Mary Tratumann, 2080 Cornell Road, Middleburg, FL 32068."
  --  War Of 1812 Soldiers In Franklin County, Alabama, http://www.rootsweb.com/~alfrankl/warof1812.html

Sources

• 1. RootsWeb Trees
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Franklin County, Alabama
  • 11 August 1851(?), District 5, page 153, Hse/Fam #726