Documentation for the Wives of William Clayton
Updated June 16, 2014
By Curtis D. Clayton
William Clayton
Born: July 17, 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Died: December 4, 1879, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ruth Moon
Born: June 13, 1817, Lancashire, England
Married: October 9, 1836, St Mary, Penwortham Parish, Lancashire, England [Ref. 1]
Sealed: July 22, 1843 by Joseph Smith, at their home in Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 2 and 3]
Sealed in Nauvoo Temple: January 26, 1846, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 4 and 5]
Died: January 15, 1894, Salt Lake City, Utah
Margaret Moon
Born: January 14, 1820, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Married and Sealed: April 27, 1843 by Joseph Smith, at H. C. Kimball’s home in Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 6-8]
Sealed in Nauvoo Temple: January 26, 1846, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 4 and 5]
Died: August 25, 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah
Alice Hardman
Born: April 9, 1816, Salwick, Lancashire, England
Sealed: September 13, 1844 by Heber C. Kimball, at her home in Nauvoo, Illinois [Note 2, Ref. 9 and 10]
Married to Austin Sturgess: November 3, 1844, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 11]
Widowed: Prior to 1850 census [Ref. 12]
Married: about 1851, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 13]
Divorced: December 13, 1858, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 14]
Married to William Sauze: Prior to 1880, lived in Manti, Utah [Ref. 15 and 16]
Died: November 11, 1894, Glenwood, Sevier, Utah
Sealed by proxy: 1955 SLC [Ref. 17]
Jane Hardman (sealing-only relationship) [Note 1]
Born: September 1, 1816, Manchester, Lancashire, England
Married to William Whitehead: February 8, 1844, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 18]
Sealed: November 20, 1844 by Brigham Young, at home, Nauvoo, Illinois [Note 3, Ref. 19]
Died: July 23, 1847, Oquawka, Henderson, Illinois
Diantha Farr
Born: October 12, 1828, Charleston, Orleans, Vermont
Married and sealed: January 9, 1845 by Heber C. Kimball, at her home, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 20]
Sealed in Nauvoo Temple: January 26, 1846, Nauvoo, Illinois [Ref. 4 and 5]
Died: September 11, 1850, Salt Lake City, Utah
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 2 of 8
Augusta Braddock
Born: November 24, 1833, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Married and Sealed: October 5, 1850 by Brigham Young, at home of Willard Richards, Salt Lake City,
Utah [Ref. 21]
Died: March 3, 1923, Oakland, Alameda, California
Sarah Ann Walters
Born: November 16, 1838, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Married and Sealed: November 30, 1856, in President’s Office, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 22]
Sealed in Endowment House: December 30, 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 23]
Died: March 1, 1915, Salt Lake City, Utah
Maria Louisa Lyman
Born: May 8, 1849, Little Cottonwood, Salt Lake City, Utah
Married and Sealed in Endowment House: October 3, 1866, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 24]
Divorced: October 1871 [Ref. 25]
Married to John Smith Stredder: June 6, 1873, Beaver, Utah [Ref. 26]
Died: July 5, 1877, Beaver, Utah
Elizabeth Mort
Born: July 13, 1818, Bolton, Lancashire, England
Married to William Ainsworth: September 4, 1848, Bury, Lancashire, England [Ref. 27]
Widowed: January 16, 1867 [Ref. 28]
Married and Sealed in Endowment House: December 19, 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah [Note 4, Ref. 29]
Died: September 9, 1877, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ellen Melling (sealing-only relationship) [Note 1]
Born: June 22, 1816, Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Died: 1843, Preston, Lancashire, England
Proxy Sealing in Endowment House: December 19, 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah [Note 5, Ref. 30]
Anna Elizabeth Higgs
Born: December 28, 1853, Utica, Oneida, New York
Married and Sealed in Endowment House: December 30, 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah [Ref. 23]
Estranged: January 1873 [Ref. 31]
Sealing Canceled: April 11, 1873 [Ref. 32]
Sealed again: June 2, 1873 [Ref. 32]
Widowed: December 4, 1879 due to death of William Clayton
Married Michael Jensen: May 1, 1881, Manti, Sanpete, Utah [Ref. 33]
Died: January 24, 1947, Mayfield, Sanpete, Utah
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 3 of 8
OBSERVATIONS
William had 9 wives and was sealed to two other women. Numbering the wives seems inappropriate as
they were all of equal value with distinct personalities and individual goals and desires for their lives.
There were constant changes in the makeup of the family. Three of his wives died (Diantha, Margaret
and Elizabeth), two marriages ended in divorce (Alice Hardman and Maria Lyman) and four were left
widowed at his death (Ruth, Augusta, Sarah and Anna Higgs). At the core of his family were four
women: Ruth and Margaret Moon, Augusta Braddock and Sarah Walters. They lived with him the
longest (43, 27, 29 and 23 years, respectively). Anna Higgs joined the family seven years before
William’s death. The marriage to Alice Hardman lasted seven years and Maria Lyman left after five.
Elizabeth Mort Ainsworth was 52 when she came to Utah and married William; she died seven years
later at the age of 59. Diantha Farr died in Salt Lake City at the age of 22.
The 1870 census shows that Ruth and Margaret shared a home and that there were two homes next
door for Augusta and Sarah. (Maria Lyman lived with Ruth and Margaret.) Prior to that, the family was
spread amongst one or two adjacent houses.
Ruth and Margaret lived their whole lives together with no reported discords. Even before her marriage
in Nauvoo, Margaret lived with Ruth and William.
NOTES
1. Sealing-only relationships for Jane Hardman and Ellen Melling do not need to be recorded in
FamilyTree. [“Sealing-Only Relationships” (1028075) posted: 31 May 2013, Using the FamilySearch
Family Tree: A Reference Guide (29 May 2013)]
“Because the purpose of Family Tree is to record actual family relationships, the
relationships recorded in Family Tree should be genealogically accurate.
“Sometimes, sealings have been performed for people who had no family
relationship during their lifetimes. For example, at one time during Church
history, people were sealed to Church leaders rather than their own parents.
“You do not need to record these sealing-only relationships in Family Tree. If
you delete a sealing-only relationship from Family Tree, the sealing information
is preserved in these ways:
• The sealing appears in the LDS Ordinances section of the person’s details
page.
• The record of that sealing is still preserved in the temple records.”
2. Alice Hardman, Sealing-only Relationship. This appears to have been a priesthood ordinance; not the
establishment of a husband and wife relationship. Clayton uses the words “was united in the
everlasting covenant.” Alice was a single sister who was sick. It is possible that there was some concern
that she might die without benefit of the sacred covenants which included sealing. In any case, she
recovered from her illness and married Austin Sturgess two months later. She did not attend the temple
sealing with William and his other wives in January of 1846. Based on this, it appears that she did not
consider herself married to William Clayton at that time.
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 4 of 8
3. Jane Hardman, Sealing-only Relationship. It is believed that this refers to Jane Hardman Whitehead
who was married to William Whitehead on February 8, 1844 in Nauvoo. This is the only person with
that name known to be living in Nauvoo at that time. Jane and Alice Hardman were first cousins.
Clayton taught her the gospel in Manchester. This prior friendship and William’s frequent use of
shorthand notation may have been the reasons for calling her Jane Hardman rather than using her
married name. As was the case with Alice, this appears to have been a priesthood ordinance; not the
establishment of a husband and wife relationship. At the time of blessing, Jane was 5 months pregnant
with her first child. Jane died in Oquawka, Illinois (40 miles north of Nauvoo) on July 23, 1847. This was
the same month she gave birth to her second child. Jane was sealed by proxy to William Whitehead in
the Endowment House on May 29, 1860. Jane Hardman and William Clayton never lived together as
husband and wife. Jane did not attend the temple sealing with William and his other wives in January of
1846. Thus, the only record of this sealing was the entry in Clayton’s journal. (See Ref. 19.)
4. Elizabeth Mort was a first cousin of Ruth and Margaret Moon. She was married to William
Ainsworth. After his death on January 16, 1867 she immigrated to Utah and was sealed to William
Clayton. She was 52 and William was 56; they had no children together.
5. Ellen Melling. Ellen might have been a mutual friend of William and Ruth. According to FamilyTree
she died in 1843 in England without the blessings of the temple ordinances. Her proxy sealing to
William Clayton occurred the same day that he was sealed to Elizabeth Mort. Ruth was the proxy for
Ellen.
REFERENCES
Birth and death dates are from the FamilySearch details page for the individuals. If available, sources for
that information are listed there and are not repeated here.
1. The Register for Marriages at St Mary 1827 – 1837, Bishop's Transcripts, Page 230, Entry 689. LDS
Film 1502458.
“Marriage: 9 Oct 1836 St Mary, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. William Clayton - of this Parish. Ruth
Moon – [signed with] (X), of this Parish. Witness: Wm. Wignall; Margaret Moon, [signed with] (X).
Married by Banns by: W. Harrison Curate.”
2. William Clayton Diary for 27 April 1843 through 24 September 1844. Entry for Tuesday, July 22, 1843.
“Saturday 22 ... Prest. Joseph came to see me & pronounced a sealing blessing upon Ruth and me. And
we mutually entered into an everlasting covenant with each other.”
3. A statement made by Clayton and sworn to before a notary on February 16, 1874 in Salt Lake City,
Utah. Published in Andrew Jenson, The Historical Record, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1888, pp. 224-226.
Printed as Appendix C in Smith, An Intimate Chronicle, pp. 555-559. p. 225.
“... on the 22nd of July, 1843, he married to me, according to the order of the Church, my first wife
Ruth.”
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 5 of 8
4. William Clayton Diary for April 1845 through 30 January 1846. Entry for Monday, January 26, 1846.
“Monday 26th... at 1 went to the Temple with Ruth, Margaret and Diantha. We waited till about 8
o’clock before we could be waited on.- We then dressed and went into room No 1 and were sealed to
each other on the alter by Prest. B. Young. Afterwards in No 2 we received our anointing by H.C. Kimball
and a number of others. And afterwards Heber blessed us. I then took Ruth and Diantha home but
Margaret tarried till morning.”
5. Nauvoo Sealings and Adoptions 1846-1857, Book A. FHL film 0,183,373 Special Collections. p. 211.
“Clayton, William [born] July 17, 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Ruth Moon [born] June 13,
1817, Eccleston, Lancashire, England. Margaret Moon [born] Jan 14, 1820, Penwortham, Lancashire,
England. Diantha Farr [born] Oct 12, 1828, Charleston, Orleans, Vermont. Sealed by B. Young, Nauvoo,
Jan 26, 7.50 pm, 1846. Witnesses: B. Young, F.D. Richards.”
6. William Clayton Diary for 27 November 1842 through 28 April 1843 and 25 September 1844 through
31 March 1845. Entry for Thursday, April 27, 1843.
“Thursday 27. At the Temple A.M. went to prests. who rode with me to bro. H.C, Kimballs where sister
Margt. Moon was sealed up by the priesthood, by the president--and M[married] to me. ... evening told
Mother in law concerning the priesthood.
7. William Clayton Diary for 27 April 1843 through 24 September 1844. Entry for Thursday, April 27,
1843.
“27. At the Temple A.M. at 10 at bro Kimballs was M to M.M. [shorthand: married to Margaret Moon] ...
evening told Mother in law about the priesthood.”
8. A statement made by Clayton and sworn to before a notary on February 16, 1874 in Salt Lake City,
Utah. Published in Andrew Jenson, The Historical Record, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1888, pp. 224-226.
Printed as Appendix C in Smith, An Intimate Chronicle, pp. 555-559. p. 225.
“On the 27th of April, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith married to me Margaret Moon, for time and
eternity, at the residence of Elder Heber C. Kimball.”
9. William Clayton Diary for 27 April 1843 through 24 September 1844. Entry for Friday, September 13,
1844.
“Friday 13. ... At 3 went to see Alice Hardman who is sick and was united in the E.C. [Everlasting
Covenant]”
10. James B. Allen, "One Man's Nauvoo: William Clayton's Experience in Mormon Illinois,” Journal of
Mormon History, Volume 6, 1979. p. 53.
“... on 13 September 1844 the two [William Clayton and Alice Hardman] were married by Heber C.
Kimball.”
11. Marriage Records 1842-1845, p. 26. LDS Film 581,219, Church records, 1836-1846.
“Austin Sturgess and Alice Hardman were married Nov 3rd 1844 by Elder Levi Richards, Recorded Nov
11, 1844.”
12. Utah 1850 Census: Alice Sturgess, widow, age 35, born in England, living with Claytons.
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 6 of 8
13. A definitive reference for a second marriage between Alice Hardman and William Clayton has not
been found. However, they had children together in August 5, 1852, December 15, 1854 and twins on
January 15, 1857. It seems unlikely that they would have started this new family without the benefit of
a marriage ceremony more current that what occurred in 1844. (See Note 2.) Comparison of the birth
date of Diantha’s youngest daughter (August 18, 1850) with her age on the 1850 enumeration (7/12)
indicates that the census taker visited the Clayton home during March of 1851. At that time Alice is
listed as a widow. Based on this and the birth date of Alice’s first child, the second marriage would have
occurred sometime during 1851. Further evidence of their marriage status is that the name on her
tombstone is Alice Hardman Clayton.
14. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.207.
“… there still exist an original divorce document signed on December 13, 1858, by both William and
Alice.” And, p.219, fn. 37. “A copy of the document is found in Brigham Young Papers. Church records
in the Genealogical Society of the Church show that on the same day, 13 Dec. 1858, Alice Hardman’s
‘sealing’ to William Clayton was officially canceled ….”
15. Utah 1880 census: Alice Sauze (age 64), wife of William Sauze (age 69), living in Manti, Utah.
16. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.219, fn. 37.
“The family group sheet for William Clayton and Alice Hardman in the Genealogical Society simply lists a
‘Mr. Suzzey’ as her second husband.”
17. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.219, fn. 37.
“… one of the Clayton family group sheets in the Genealogical Society Library indicates that in 1955 Alice
Hardman was sealed by proxy to William Clayton.”
18. Marriage Record 1842-1845. p. 21. FHL Film 581,219, Church records, 1836-1846.
“William Whitehead and Jane Hardman were married February 8th 1844 by Elder Hyrun Smith,
Recorded Feb 18, 1844.”
19. William Clayton Diary for 27 November 1842 through 28 April 1843 and 25 September 1844 through
31 March 1845. Entry for Wednesday, November 20, 1844.
“Wednesday 20th. ... P.M. went with Prest. Young to see sister Jane Hardman. Prest. Young blessed her
with the blessings of the ever lasting covenant and she was sealed up to eternal life and to W[illiam]
C[layton] for time and for all eternity.”
20. William Clayton Diary for April 1845 through 30 January 1846. Entry for Thursday, January 9, 1845.
“Thursday 9th. ... He [Heber C. Kimball] about 7:30 came at that time & we went over to brother Farrs
to spend a little season together. Winslow Farr was married to Olive H. Freeman for time & all eternity.
After which the seal of the covenant was put upon Diantha. The question was asked of each one
present, did they freely give her up, and they all signified their willingness by saying they had no
objections. There was present Winslow Farr her father & his wife. Also Loren Farr & Nancy his wife and
William Walker & Olive his wife.”
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 7 of 8
21. Nauvoo Sealings and Adoptions 1846-1857, Book A. FHL film 0,183,373 Special Collections. p. 709.
“Clayton, William [born] July 17, 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Augusta Braddock [born] Nov
24, 1833, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Sealed by Prest. B. Young, at Wd. Richd’s house [Salt Lake
City, Utah], Oct 5, 6 pm, 1850. Witness: Willard Richards.”
22. Nauvoo Sealings and Adoptions 1846-1857, Book A. FHL film 0,183,373 Special Collections. p. 709.
“Clayton, William [born] July 17, 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England.
Sarah Ann Walters [born] Nov 16, 1838, Yorkshire, England.
Sealed by B. Young, at Upper Room Prest. Office [Salt Lake City, Utah], Nov 30, 1½ pm, 1856. Witnesses:
B. Young, D. Mackintosh.”
23. Salt Lake Temple and Endowment House Records, Sealings Records – Living. 3 Oct 1870 – 30 Oct
1871, Vol G. FHL film 1,149,516 Special Collections. p. 183.
“Entry No. 20112. Clayton, William [born] 17 July 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Sarah Ann
Walters [born] 16 Nov 1838, Istaken[?], Yorkshire, England. Anna Elizabeth Higgs [born] 28 Dec 1853,
Utica, Oneida, New York. Sealed 30 Dec 1870 by Pres. D. H. Wells, Endowment House [Salt Lake City,
Utah]. Witnesses: J.D.F Macallister, Elizabeth S. Higgs.”
24. Salt Lake Temple and Endowment House Records, Sealings Records – Living. 22 Nov 1861 – 22 Dec
1866, Vol D. FHL film 1,149,516 Special Collections. p. 637.
“Entry No. 8855. Clayton, William [born] 17 July 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Lyman, Maria
Louisa [born] 8 May 1849 Little Cottonwood, Utah. Sealed 3 Oct 1866 by Pres. H. C. Kimball,
Endowment House [Salt Lake City, Utah]. Witnesses: S. L. Sprague, W. W. Phelps.”
25. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.208, fn. 41.
“See Melvin A. Lyman, Amasa Lyman Family History (Delta, Utah, 1969), 124-26. On 30 Oct, 1871 the
Deseret News carried an account of a preliminary hearing in a divorce proceeding against William
Clayton, but curiously the wife is listed as having the Emilie… That this is really the case of Maria Lyman
seems evident from the dates, as well as the fact that there was no other William Clayton so prominent
in Salt Lake City as to warrant this kind of comment….“
26. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.208.
“… she [Maria] married John Smith Tredder [Stredder] in southern Utah. By him she had two children,
and she died in Beaver, Utah, in 1877.“ fn. 44. “Clayton to Francis M. Lyman, 29 Apr. 1873; Lyman,
Amasa Lyman Family History, 124-26.
27. "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch, William Ainsworth and Elizabeth Mort, 04
Sep 1848; Saint Mary’s Church, Bury Parish, Lancashire, England; FHL microfilm 93684, 93687, 93688,
93689, 93690, 93691, 93692.
28. FamilySearch, FamilyTree details for William Henry Ainsworth: died on January 16, 1867.
William Clayton’s Wives
6/14/2014
Page 8 of 8
29. Salt Lake Temple and Endowment House Records, Sealings Records – Living. 3 Oct 1870 – 30 Oct
1871, Vol G. FHL film 1,149,516 Special Collections. p. 163.
“Entry No. 19874. William Clayton [born] 17 July 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Elizabeth
Mort [born] 13 June 1818, Arwick, Lancashire, England. Sealed 19 Dec 1870 by Pres. D. H. Wells,
Endowment House [Salt Lake City, Utah]. Witnesses: Joseph F. Smith, Thomas E. Jones.”
30. Salt Lake Temple and Endowment House Records, Sealings Records – Living. 3 Oct 1870 – 30 Oct
1871, Vol G. FHL film 1,149,516 Special Collections. p. 163.
“Entry No. 19875. William Clayton [born] 17 July 1814, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Ellen Melling
- Dead [born] Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Ruth Moon Clayton – Proxy [born] 13 June 1817,
Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Sealed 19 Dec 1870 by Pres. D. H. Wells, Endowment House [Salt
Lake City, Utah]. Witnesses: Joseph F. Smith, Joel A. Johnson.”
31. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.209.
“On January 3, 1873, his ninth wife, Anna E. Higgs, left home. She got as far as Payson, Utah … Within
twenty-four hours [of locating her] he had a long talk with his wife, which brought about ‘a complete
reconciliation and determination to bury the past in oblivion.’ The couple remained together and had
three more children… .” fn. 46. Clayton to Abraham O. Smoot, 24 Jan. 1873.
32. James B. Allen, Trials of Discipleship: The Story of William Clayton, a Mormon, p.219. fn. 46
“Church records in the Genealogical Society of the Church show that on 11 Apr, 1873 Anna Higgs’s
sealing to William Clayton was cancelled, but they were sealed again in the Endowment House on 2 June
1873. This implies that there may have been another temporary setback in their relationship, causing an
actual divorce, but that again the reconciliation was quick and this time complete.”
33. FamilySearch, FamilyTree details for Anna Elizabeth Higgs: married Michael Jensen, May 1, 1881,
Manti, Sanpete, Utah.