Harriet Middleton Clayton

1798 - Yes, date unknown

• Name	Harriet Middleton Clayton
  Born	6 May 1798	Dagsboro, Sussex, Delaware, United States
  Gender	Female
  Interesting	story
  Name	Harriet Middleton Douglas
  Name	Harriet Middleton Peterson
  Residence	1834	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-69635
  Died	Yes, date unknown
  Person ID	I69635	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family 1	Walter Douglas,   b. 1779,   d. 20 Apr 1826, , Kent Co., Delaware  (Age 47 years)
  Married	16 Dec 1814	, Delaware, USA   [1]
  Children	1. Margaret Ann Douglas   2. James Clayton Douglas,   b. Bef 1831, , Delaware, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F48111	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Rev. Heinrich Wilhelm "Henry William" Peterson,   b. 27 May 1793, Quakenbrück, , Niedersachsen, Germany ,   d. 12 Jun 1859, Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)
  Married	12 Feb 1831	Dover, Kent, Delaware, United States
  Children	1. Henry William Peterson,   b. 13 Dec 1831, Markham Twp., York Co., Ontario ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Harriet Clayton Peterson,   b. 28 Apr 1834, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1 Oct 1834, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F8000	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Harriet Middleton image from Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1943

  
  

• Notes

  On Feb. 12th, 1831, Mr. Peterson married at Dover, Delaware, Mrs. Harriett Middleton Clayton Douglas. She was the widow of Walter Douglas, and was born May 6th, 1798 at Dagsboro, Sussex County, Delaware. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. James Clayton, leading residents of that community. Her father was descended from one of the most noted families of colonial days. His great grandfather was Joshua Clayton who was said to have come to Pennsylvania with William Penn and his sons and located in Kent County, Delaware as early as 1895. Mrs. Douglas was a woman of rare ability, and made Mr. Peterson a devoted wife. By her first husband she had three children one, Harriett, dying in youth. The others were Margaret Ann and James Clayton Douglas. Margaret married Joseph P. Comegys, a son of C. P. Comegya, Governor of Delaware. He became one of the leading jurists of America, and Chief Justice of his State. One child of this union who survived until 1928 was Harriett Comegys of Dover, Delaware. In her declining years she was cared for by Margaret Peterson, of Guelph, Ontario, her niece, the grand-daughter of Henry William Peterson. Mrs. Peterson was a sister of John M. Clayton, one of the most beloved men of America, one of its great orators and statesmen. He was for many years a United States Senator, serving with Webster, Clay, Calhoun and Benton with whom he ranked as an equal. He was Secretary of State of the United States under President Taylor, and was joint author of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, between the United States and Great Britain. His life was greatly saddened by the early death of his wife, and both his sons died as promising young men, leaving the father alone. Thus he took a kindly interest in relatives, and was ever a close friend and adviser of his brother-in-law, Henry William Peterson. and his son, Henry William, Jr. After the marriage of Henry William Peterson to Mrs. Douglas, they came to Canada, going to his father's home in Markham township, York County. It was there that Henry William, their son was born, Dec. 13th, 1831.

  
  

• Sources

  [S2140] News - Delaware - American Watchman, 22 Dec 1814. On Sunday the 16th instant by the Rev. Soloman Sharp, Mr. Walter Douglass of Mordington Mills, Kent Co., DEL to the truly amiable Miss Harriett M. Clayton daughter of Mr James Clayton of Milford, DEL.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 6 May 1798 - Dagsboro, Sussex, Delaware, United States Married - 16 Dec 1814 - , Delaware, USA Married - 12 Feb 1831 - Dover, Kent, Delaware, United States Residence - 1834 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth