Charles Cyril Clayton

Charles Cyril was the son of George and Sarah Jane Clayton (née Coote).

His father was born in 1857 at Fishtoft, Lincolnshire, and his mother was born in 1857 at Boston, Lincolnshire. George and Sarah were married in 1877 (reg. Boston) and had three children: Annie b. 1878 and Alfred b. 1882 who were born in Boston, and Charles Cyril, birth registered 1887 (JFM), who was born in Netherfield, Nottingham.

George, a railway porter, his wife and their two children, Annie and Alfred, were living at 30 Frampton Place, Boston, in 1881. They also had a lodger, William Coote (31), a railway labourer.

The family had moved to Nottingham by 1887 when Charles was born. His father died two years later in 1889 (OND), aged 33 and his widow and their two sons were living at 29 Garnett Street, Carlton, in 1891. The eldest child, Annie, has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census.

Sarah Jane Clayton married John Henry Martin in 1895 (reg. Basford) and they had a son, Maurice Arthur, in 1899 (reg. Southwell); another child died in infancy. They were recorded on the 1901 Census living on Main Street, Oxton; John was a butcher and grocer. Charles Cyril (14), a messenger boy (GNR), was a boarder, living at 37 Ragland Street, Nottingham. His two siblings have not yet been traced on the 1901 Census.

By 1911 John Martin was a farmer and living with his wife and son on Main Street, West Leake. Also in the household on the night of the census were two of Sarah's children, Annie (32) a 'sick trained nurse' (own account) and Charles, a railway clerk (GNR), together with Sarah's granddaughter, May Clayton (3 b. Charlton Kent). There was also a male boarder, a railway clerk (GNR).

Sarah Jane Martin died in 1914 (reg. OND Loughborough).

Charles Cyril married Emma Close (b. 16 May 1879) on 28 September 1913 at West Leake; there were no children of the marriage. They lived at 101 Wilford Road, Nottingham, and Emma was still living at the same address in 1921 when her occupation was given as shopkeeper (own account).

The later CWGC record gave Emma's address as 3 Cathcart Hill, Rookwood Road, Nottingham.

Emma completed a form for the Army listing her late husband's surviving blood relatives; both Charles' parents had died but he was survived by his siblings:
Brothers: Alfred Clayton (40) 25 Collerton Rd Greenwich London, and [half-brother] Maurice A Martin (21) West Leake Leicestershire.
Sister: Annie Clayton (42) Brookfield House, Millbrook, nr. Plymouth.