Joseph Clayton, SV/PROG

Baptism - see copy under Sources

Marriage

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Extract from a South Africa newspaper regarding my (Jan Hewett, 2012) great-great-grandfather Joseph Clayton who died at Smithfield (no year mentioned, but as the press interview was done in 1879 he must have been well over 88 years old). On the 18th July there passed away the Old Man named Clayton, the story of whose life as gathered from him in 1879 with some difficulty owing to his deafness was as follows:- He was born at Riby, about 3 miles from Grimsby in Lincolnshire on 14th January 1791. He enlisted as a Private at Brigg in Lincolnshire on 31st March 1813 in the 6th Regiment of Foot (1st Warwickshire) under Colonel Campbell and served in the Peninsular War, and was before BADAJOS, SALAMANCA & C. From the Peninsular he went with his regiment to Quebec, and from there he went up the ST. LAWRENCE to Fort Arey. From there he returned to Spithead and was at once dispatched to Ostend, from whence he went to BRUSSELS and VALENCIENNE where the Headquarters of his Regiment (the right wing of the 6th) fought at WATERLOO. Joseph Clayton heard the firing of that battle but did not enter into action. When the battle was fought he was with his Regiment at Tilliers or St Omer. He remained on the Continent for three years and during that time he marched to sundry places including Paris. From France he went to Dover and from thence he went to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Hull. In 1820 he was moved to Capetown and from there to Port Elizabeth, and to Grahamstown. At the latter place he purchased and obtained his discharge on 1st April 1824. He married in 1829 and crossed the Orange River in 1830 and became a Trader amongst the Basutos and other Native tribes. He claimed to have been the first Trader who visited Moshesh.