LAYTON

It's interesting to consider that, while we know almost nothing about Samuel, the decisions he made drastically altered our family history. Most likely the child of John Leighton (we do not know why or when the spelling was changed) and Elizabeth Nottingham, Samuel was born in Bedfordshire, England. By 1812, he had married Isabella Wheeler, and had a daughter, Bathsheba - a woman who would change the course of our history entirely. Over the next 9 years, Samuel and Isabella would have several more children, but only 4, including Bathsheba, would survive infancy. 

In the early 1840s, Mormon missionaries visited England, and Samuel's son Christopher became an instant convert. Samuel and Isabella were doubtful at first, but by April of 1842, both had been baptized. One by one, the members of the Layton family who had converted to Mormonism removed to the United States, part of the great Mormon migration. Samuel held out until Isabella passed away in 1849; by 1850, he was on a ship to America. After an arduous journey, during which at least one of his children died, the family, along with numerous other migrant families, settled in Kaysville, Utah. Samuel passed away there in March of 1859.

Samuel and Isabella's children:

Bathsheba Layton, 1812 - 1863

John Layton, 1815 - 1886

Priscilla Layton, 1816 - 1852

Christopher Layton, 1821 - 1898

When Bathsheba was born on the 26th of July, 1812 in Bedfordshire, England, no one could have predicted that she would unwittingly become a revolutionary, albeit a very quiet one. The eldest child of Samuel and Isabella, Bathsheba seemed to have lived a fairly ordinary life until, at 19, she gave birth to a son, Charles. Charles Layton. When Bathsheba was in her late teens, she was apparently engaged to William Martin. When he found out she was pregnant, he responded by calmly and coolly...running away. Rather than follow the norm of the time and give the child up for adoption, Bathsheba chose to raise Charles as a single mother, and give him her own surname. 

Five years after Charles was born, Bathsheba married Nathaniel Denton, and they went on to have 7 children. As Bathsheba's father, siblings, and eldest son Charles converted to Mormonism and moved to the United States, she and her husband remained steadfast in their commitment to the Christian church and to their home in England. Bathsheba lived her entire life in the same town, and passed away there in 1863, at the age of 51.

While Bathsheba's life was both simple and short, the impact her decisions made were immeasurable. To not only raise a child as a single mother, but give that child her own surname was unheard of, and meant that her descendants would be called Layton, rather than Martin. To withstand the pressure of her parents, son, and all 3 siblings calling on her to convert to Mormonism, and subsequently losing all of them to the United States is awe-inspiring. While we know very little about who Bathsheba was as a human being, we can, at the very least, infer that she was a strong, resilient woman who would not allow anyone else to dictate how she would live her life. 

Bathsheba and William's children:

Charles Layton, 1832 - 1901

Bathsheba and Nathaniel's children: 

Christopher Denton, 1838 -

Samuel Denton, 1841 -

Isabella Denton, 1843 -

Priscilla Denton, 1846 -

Amos Denton, 1848 -

George Denton, 1851 - 

Charles Denton, 1854 -

Charles is an interesting character, largely because we know both so much, and so little about him. Born on the 6th of April, 1832 in Bedfordshire, England, Charles was raised by a single mother for the first 5 years of his life. His mother went on to marry and have several children, and Charles seemingly grew closer to his uncle Christopher. In his late teens or early 20s, Charles converted to Mormonism and joined his uncle in Utah. There, he worked as a farmer and landlord, and served as a Sergeant in the Blackhawk War. Most of his life, however, seems to have been largely devoted to the Mormon church. 

Like many Mormons of the time, Charles practiced plural marriage. In the early 1850s, he coupled with Elizabeth Bowler, a woman 7 years his senior. The two had eight children, and it is from this line that I descend. In the early 1860s, he took a second wife, Sarah Crockett, and five children were born to them. Interestingly, Charles and Sarah's marriage certificate states they were married in 1896, the same year Elizabeth died. While Charles had been "married" to both Elizabeth and Sarah, he could not legally marry Sarah until Elizabeth had passed away. Much later in life, he took a third wife, Mary Jarman, but it does not appear, nor seem likely, that any children were born to them. Charles died in 1901 and is buried in Utah.

Charles and Elizabeth's children:

Samuel John Layton, 1855 - 1944

Eliza Ann Layton, 1857 - 1882

Charles Amos Layton, 1858 - 1948

William Isaac Layton, 1861 - 1934

Orson Layton, 1863 - 1929

Phoebe Elizabeth Layton, 1865 - 1927

Timothy James Layton, 1867 - 1945

George Thomas Layton, 1869 - 1949

Charles and Sarah's children:

Edith Layton, 1865 - 1934

Christopher Edward Layton, 1867 - 1958

Nettie Isabella Layton, 1869 - 1884

Ermine Layton, 1870 - 1959

Frank Layton, 1875 - 1965

Samuel was born in Kaysville, Utah, the first child of Charles and Elizabeth. A hard worker all his life, Samuel is listed as a labourer in the 1870 census, at just 15 years old. Over the course of his life, he would own the first general store in Mountain View, Alberta, become the local sexton and undertaker, work as a blacksmith, and serve as justice of the peace. 

In 1874, Samuel married Mary Naylor, and they had one daughter. It isn't known whether they divorced or if Samuel practiced plural marriage; less than two years after the birth of their daughter, Samuel was married to Sarah Trappett. Samuel and Sarah went on to have twelve children, seven of whom were born in Utah, and five in Alberta. 

Samuel was apparently highly respected and much loved in Alberta - in 1838, an 83rd birthday celebration was held in his honour, and the local newspaper deemed it "one of the largest family gatherings Taber has ever seen", its numbers boosted by the fact that far more than just his family showed up; most of the town apparently wanted to celebrate with him. Samuel would pass away six years later, and several articles would be written about him in the following years. 

Samuel and Mary's children:

Mary Lavinnia Layton, 1876 - 1965

Samuel and Sarah's children:

​Sarah Maria Layton, 1878 - 1929

Annie Elizabeth Layton, 1880 - 1979

Clarence Samuel Layton, 1882 - 1954

Maggie Estella Layton, 1884 - 1955

William Ezra Layton, 1886 - 1943

Pheebee Layton, 1887 - 1915

Charlotte Eliza Layton, 1892 - 1985

Thursa Layton, 1893 - 1975

Horton George Layton, 1896 - 1961

Sterling Oliver Layton, 1898 - 1902

Mable Irene Layton, 1900 - 1972

Golden Montagne Layton, 1904 - 1991

Clarence was born on the 21st of April, 1882 in Kaysville, Utah. His family moved to Alberta when he was 7, and he was raised near Cardston. When he was 19, he married Minnie West, and they had eight children, all born and raised in Alberta. Minnie passed away in 1929 and the next year, he married Elva Pickett, with whom he had two more children. 

Clarence was a jack of all trades, but he was best known as a janitor and handyman for the Taber school system. Affectionately known as "Pop" Layton, students and staff alike seemed to view him fondly. A newspaper article announcing his death in 1954 states that the school flew the Union Jack at half-mast for over a week upon hearing of his passing, and a plaque was set to be erected in his honour. Students and staff mourned his death openly, and many stories of his kindness to cadets, military personnel, students, and teachers quickly flooded the newspapers and school newsletters. 

Clarence and Minnie's children:

Dorothy Ann Layton, 1903 - 1996

William Ralph Layton, 1906 - 

Hazel Layton, 1907 - 

Cecil Clarence Layton, 1909 - 1996

Viola Layton, 1911 - 1993

Irene Opal Layton, 1914 - 1991

Harold West Layton, 1917 - 2012

Orlin Ross Layton, 1921 - 1994

Dorothy was born on the 23rd of June, 1903, the first child of Clarence and Minnie. She attended sewing classes from an early age, and at 22, married George Stalker. They raised seven children on a farm near Taber, Alberta. 

Photographs of her as a young woman are plentiful, and show her as fun-loving, with a group of close friends who spent a lot of time together over the years.

I did know my great-grandmother Dorothy, but my recollections of her are vague. I knew her as a very quiet woman with shocking white hair and a strong face. She and George were devoted grand and great-grandparents, attending our many birthday parties and Christmas celebrations. Relatives who knew her when she was a bit younger also say she was quiet, but that she would occasionally crack a joke out of nowhere, surprising everyone in the room. They also remember her as an excellent baker, claiming that she made the best bread they had ever tasted. 

Dorothy passed away in 1996.

For information on Dorothy and George's children, please see the Stalker page.