My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM LAYTON was born in England in 1840. He is one of six children born to John and Ann (Helemsley) Layton, both natives also of England. His father was born in 1815 and died in 1887, and his mother was born in 1813. They were married in 1835, and have had the following children — Thomas, William, Ann, Margaret, John and Hannah.

The subject of this notice was reared in his native place, receiving an ordinary common school training. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to the blacksmith’s trade and brought up to that trade in accordance with the English idea of bringing children up to callings of usefulness. He worked at his trade in his native place till 1872 when, having married some years previous and seeing a family of children coming up around him, for whom he was desirous of providing, he decided to try his fortunes in America, and accordingly came to this country at that date. He made his first stop at Copper Harbor, Mich., residing there and across the line in Canada till 1874, when he came to Nebraska and settled in Kearney county, near the southwest corner of the county, taking a homestead in section 28, township 5, range 16 west. He began in a humble way at that date to make a home on the prairie, having but $150 in money and but little property with which to begin the unequal contest. He underwent the hardships and privations common to the lot of the pioneer, passing through the grasshopper season, the dry years, the hail and all the hard times which these brought, and though his courage was often sorely tried he never weakened in his determination to remain by the home of his choice and build out of the rude and inhospitable elements of the West a place where he might ultimately enjoy peace and plenty, and leave to his little ones something with which to begin the race of life more advantageously than he did. He continues to reside on his old home place, and from the raw prairie covered, when he first saw it, with waving grass and tenanted by howling wolves and roaming bands of antelope, have come well tilled fields that produce an abundance of the fruit of civilization, while his rude and somber sod-house has given way to a handsome frame dwelling, surrounded by all needful out-buildings. He has a pleasant home and has growing up around him a family of children who engage much of his thought and attention, loving his home and his family as only an Englishman cradled in that isle and trained in the domestic virtues of the fireside can love these. Mr. Layton married in his native place in 1865, the lady whom he selected to share his life’s fortunes being Miss Eleanor Henderson, who was born in Durham county, England, in 1841. This union has been blessed with eight children, only three of whom are now living — Florence, Mary and Carrie.

In politics Mr. Layton is independent, as he is in all other things, reserving the right to pass on all questions according to their merits.