CLAYTON John -1852:: CLAYTON William -1852
Sons of William Clayton & Judith Thorpe. John was born 1812, William in 1825. They were killed in action, close to their farm, during the 8th Frontier War (1850-1853). Cape Frontier Times newspaper of 18 May 1852 reported: 'The sad intelligence reached town yesterday that Messrs John and William CLAYTON Junr, and a discharged soldier named John ELLIOTT, were murdered on Saturday morning last at the mouth of the Fish River by a band of rebel Hottentots and Kafirs. The rebels, after accomplishing this deed of blood, ransacked the house and drove off more than 100 head of cattle. Another of old Mr. CLAYTON’s sons who was in the house (containing a double story) sick, jumped out of one of the upper windows and made his escape. There were some female relatives of the family in the house at the time, who were driven away by the marauders, and it is reported that the Hottentots planned to kill the females, but that the Kafirs refused to permit the perpetration of this horrid crime. It is said that the rebels first drove away the cattle, and the three unfortunate men in pursuing them were intercepted by another party, who prevented their return to the house, and mercilessly butchered them. Mr. BRADSHAW, the active Field-cornet of Bathurst, is in pursuit of the murderers with a party of burghers. The whole colony will sympathise with old Mr. CLAYTON in this sudden and terrible bereavement. Col. PERCIVAL has started with a detachment of the 12th, upon a patrol in Lower Albany, in pursuit of this desperate gang of murderers.' "South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1801-2004", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D5P4-V2MM : 13 December 2020), John Clayton, 1852. "South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1801-2004", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D5P4-V23Z : 13 December 2020), William Clatyon, 1852.
contributed by: Christopher Fitchet
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