Henry was the 2nd child of Thomas & Elizabeth Claydon. He was born about 1830 in Fringford, Oxfordshire, England, and baptized there on September 23, 1832, according to parish transcripts of Claydons in Oxfordshire [Robert Clayton: robclayton@comcast.net]. There is also a record in the FamilySearch.org IGI.

In the 1841 British Census, Fringford, Oxfordshire, enumerated on June 6 and 7, Henry and younger brother James are listed with their paternal grandparents, Laurence and Mary Claydon [Class: HO107; Civil Parish: Fringford; County: Oxfordshire; Enumeration District: 7; Page: 20; Line: 9; GSU Roll: 474574]. The boys' mother (Elizabeth Claydon, wife of Thomas) probably died recently, and at least some of the children were staying with relatives.

On September 26, 1850, at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Birmingham, Henry Claydon and Ann Manks were married. Their residence was on Coleshill Street, about 6 miles SE of Tamworth and and 10 miles north of Solihull. [IGI].

CERTIFICATES:

HENRY CLAYDON - ANN MANKS MARRIAGE [09/26/1850] 1850 Marriage solemnized at St. Bartholomew's Church in the Parish of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Columns--   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CERTIFICATE No. When Married Name and Surname Age Condition Rank or Profession Residence at Time of Marriage Father's Name and Surname Rank or Profession of Father 117 Second February 1850 Henry Claydon 20 Bachelor Labourer Coleshill Street Thomas Claydon Labourer Ann Manks 23 Spinster - Coleshill Street John Manks Tailor Married in the Church of St. Bartholomew according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church by Banns by me, This Marriage was solemnized between us, { Henry Claydon } in the Presence of us, { John Manks George Beddoin Ann Manks Mary Ann Howlett A. E. Davis, Registrar SOURCE: FreeBMD-Marriage Index: "Henry Claydon/Ann Manks, 3rd quarter 1850, Birmingham, Vol. 16 pg. 353."

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CENSUS:

1841 BRITISH CENSUS   Country: County: Class: Book: Folio: Page: E.D.: England Oxfordshire HO 107 885/14 4 20 7 City or Borough of: Parish or Township: Fringford   LINE# PLACE HOUSES   AGE and SEX   WHERE BORN     Uninhabited Inhabited NAME Males Females PROFESSION Born in Same County Born in Scot, Ire, or Foreign 09 Fringford Village     Laurence Claydon 69   Ag. Lab. Y   10       Mary   70   Y   11       Henry 8     Y   11       James 6     Y   Class: HO107; Civil Parish: Fringford; County: Oxfordshire; Enumeration District: 7; Page: 20; Line: 9; GSU Roll: 474574 [HO 107/885/14].

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1851 BRITISH CENSUS Country: County: Class: Piece: Book: Folio: Page: E.D.: England Warwickshire HO 107 2071 . . . . Parish or Township of: Ecclesiastical District of: City or& Borough of: Town of: Village of: Solihull . . Solihull .               Age of       Line # House visit # Street, Place Name or House # Name night of 3/30/1851 RELATION CONDITION MALES FEMALES Rank, Profession Occupation PLACE OF BIRTH Blind Deaf Dumb 14 128 1/2 . Henry Clayton Head Mar 23   Ag lab Oxford, Oxford   15     Ann Wife do   23   Tanworth, Warwick   Class: HO107; Piece: xxxx; Folio: xxx; Page: xx; GSU Roll: xxxxxx.

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1861 BRITISH CENSUS Country: County: Class: Piece: Book: Folio: Page: E.D.: England . RG 9 2188 . . . . Parish [or Township] of: City or& Municipal Borough of: Municipal Ward of: Parliamentary Borough of: Town of: Hamlet or Tything, &c. of: Ecclesiastical District of: . . . . . . .                   Age of       Line # House visit # Street, Place Name or House # Inhahbited Uninhabited NAME RELATION CONDITION MALES FEMALES Rank, Profession Occupation PLACE OF BIRTH Blind Deaf Dumb 13 . /   . Head W   64 . .   Class: RG9; Piece: xxxx; Folio: xx; Page: xx; GSU Roll: xxxxxx.

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1871 BRITISH CENSUS   Country: County: Class: Piece: Folio: Page: Enum. Dist.: England . RG 10 . . . . Civil Parish [or Township] of City or Municipal Borough of Municipal Ward of Parliamentary Borough of Town of Village or Hamlet &c., of Local Board or [Improvement Commisioners District] of Ecclesiastical District of . . . . . . . .       HOUSES       Age of       Line # House visit # Street, Place Name or House # Inhahbited Uninhabited NAME RELATION CONDITION MALES FEMALES Rank, Profession Occupation PLACE OF BIRTH Blind Deaf Dumb 01 . . /   ----------------- Head Mar 55   --profession-- --place of birth--   02         Mary Wife Mar   44   Derbyshire, (Edmonton)   Class: RG10; Piece: xxxx; Folio: xxx; Page: xx; GSU roll: xxxxxx

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1880 US FEDERAL CENSUS State: County: Inhabitants in Page No. Supervisor's Dist. No. Enumeration Dist. No. Enumerator: Date: . . . . . . ______ _____ June, 1880     In Cities       Personal Description     Civil Condition   Occupation Health Education Nativity Line # Street House # House Visit # Family # NAME on 6/1/1880 COLOR SEX AGE at Last Bday Born Mo. RELATIONSHIP S M W D Married in Census Yr OCCUPATION Mo. Unemp. No work sick, disabled Blind Deaf Dumb Idiotic Insane Disabled School No Read No Write PLACE OF BIRTH BIRTHPLACE FATHER BIRTHPLACE MOTHER   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

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Google Maps: Coleshill area of Birmingham, England.

In the 1851 British Census, Solihull, Warwickshire, enumerated on March 30 and 31, just six months after Henry and Ann were married, they had moved from Coleshill Street to 120½ Dog Lane [Class: HO107; Piece: 2071; Folio: 128; Page: 29; GSU roll: 87335]. A few months later, their first child, Mary Ann was born. In the FreeBMD Birth Index, there is a “Mary Ann Clayton, 3rd quarter 1851, Solihull, Vol. 16 pg. 540.” The next year, there is “William Claydon, 1st quarter 1852, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 415.” In 1853, there is “Walter Claydon, 4th quarter 1853, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 372.” The next year, there is “Eliza Claydon, 2nd quarter 1854, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 455.”

In the 1861 British Census, Sheldon, Warwickshire, enumerated on April 7 and 8, on Old Rectory, are Henry and Ann with children Mary A., Walter, William, Eliza, and Clara [Class: RG9; Piece: 2188; Folio: 103; Page: 3; GSU roll: 542932]. Sheldon is about two miles north of Solihull. The FreeBMD Birth Index entry for Clara has not been found.

In the FreeBMD Birth Index, there is “Herbert Claydon, 3rd quarter 1864, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 443.” There is a record of a “Charles Clayden, 1st quarter 1862, Meriden, Vol. 6D pg. 355"; “Norah Clayton, 3rd quarter 1866, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 447” (see certificate in Nora's section of this document), “Percival Claydon, 1st quarter 1871, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 519”, “Burlton 2nd quarter 1873, Solihull, Vol. 6D pg. 527”. The FreeBMD Birth Index entry for Rose has not been found.

In the 1871 British Census, Solihull, Warwickshire, enumerated on April 2 and 3, are Henry and Ann with children Walter, William, Eliza, Clara, Charles, Herbert, Norah, Rose, and Percival [RG10; Piece: 3189; Folio: 81; Page: 14; GSU roll: 839252].

On July 9, 1879, Henry Claydon and son Charles (age 18) arrived at Castle Garden port of New York on the steamship SS Wyoming. The ship departed from Liverpool with a stop at Queenstown, Ireland. The SS Wyoming was operated by the Guion Line from 1870 to 1893. They probably went to the USA first to get jobs and a place to stay before bringing the rest of the family. It is uncertain if they went directly to Greenfield. Henry wasn't mentioned in the will of James Claydon, so Henry may have heard about his Uncle James in Greenfield from his father, Thomas, who died about three years previously. The cost was about $26 and $2 commission fee in steerage per adult, not including railroad tickets to get to/from the port [http://www.balchinstitute.org/resources/destinationusa/html/body__guion.html ].

On November 26, 1879, Ann Claydon and children Clara, Herbert, Nora, Rose, Percival, and Bertie (Burlton) arrived at Castle Garden port of New York on the steamship SS Italy as steerage passengers. Although the passenger list says they are from Queenstown (Cobh “Cove”), Ireland, that was the last stop before arriving in New York. The point of departure was probably the port of Liverpool, England, which is about 85 miles NW of Solihull, so they probably boarded the ship there and then the ship made a stop at Queenstown before continuing on to New York (or they went to Liverpool, probably by train, and then took a ferry to Queenstown). A transatlantic voyage by steamship typically took about 10 to 12 days. The SS Italy was operated by the National Line from 1870 to 1894.

On April 17, 1880, son William Claydon (age 25) arrived at Castle Garden port of New York on the steamship RMS City of Chester, which was operated by the Inman Line from 1873 to 1893.

Steamship RMS City of Chester

Son Walter with wife Eliza and child would arrive on their own in New York on May 12, 1880 on the steamship SS Wisconsin.

Son William’s immigration information has not yet been found, but he likely traveled alone, probably in the early 1880s.

Although most of the family was in the USA in 1880, they are not found in the US federal census until 1900 (the 1890 census was lost to fire and water damage).

In the 1900 US Census, Greenfield, Saratoga Co., NY, enumerated on June 7 and 8, is Henry Claydon, head, white, male, born Sept. 1830, age 69,married for 50 years, born in England, parents born in England, immigration year 1880, 20 years in USA, naturalized, farmer, 0 months unemployed, reads writes and speaks English, rents farm #74; Ann, wife, white, female, born Sept. 1826, age 73, married 50 years, 11 children, 11 still living, born in England, parents born in England, immigration year 1880, 20 years in USA, read write and speak English; Burlton, son, white, male, born March 1873, age 27, single, born in England, parents born in England, immigration year 1880, 20 years in USA, day laborer, 0 months unemployed, read write and speak English [Year: 1900; Census Place: Greenfield, Saratoga, New York; Roll: T623 1158; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 114].

In the 1910 US Census, Greenfield, Saratoga Co., NY, enumerated on April 21 and 22, is Burton Claydon, head, male, white, age 37, single, born in England, parents born in England, immigration year 1880, naturalized, speaks English; Henry, father, male, white, age 79, married once for 60 years, born in England, parents born in England, immigration year 1880, naturalized, speaks English, not employed; Ann, mother, female, white, age 86, mother of 11 children, 10 still living, born in England, parents born in England, speaks English [Year: 1910; Census Place: Greenfield, Saratoga, New York; Roll: T624_1076; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 106; Image: 339].

Family sources indicate Henry Claydon died on 7/2/1910, but no obituary or death certificate has been located yet. Burial location not known.

In the 1920 US Census, Greenfield, Saratoga Co., NY, enumerated on January 29, is Burlton Claydon, head, owns farm, male, white, age 46, single, immigration year 1880, naturalized in 1885, able to read and write, born in England, parents born in England, speaks English, farm laborer, wage; and Ann, mother, female, white, age 96, widowed, immigration year 1880, naturalized in 1885, able to read and write, born in England, parents born in England, speaks English. Also on the census page: Albert & Anna S. Bentley (Albert is a son of Ann’s daughter Nora) [Year: 1920; Census Place: Greenfield, Saratoga, New York; Roll: T625_1261; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 110; Image: 337]. Family sources indicate Ann Manks Claydon died on 5/5/1925, but no obituary or death certificate has been located yet.

Claydon Group, probably at Greenfield Center, Saratoga Co., NY. Photo taken before 1923. Exact location unknown. Bottom right: Nora F. (Claydon) Bentley. Others are probably Nora's sisters and nieces. The sisters could be: Eliza Claydon Osborne, Clara Claydon Cole, and/or Rose Claydon Crandall. Sister Mary Ann stayed in England.