John Branchford Clayborn
Fourth Child of James T. Clayborn
3 November 1849 - 23 May 1932

John Branchford Clayborn was born on 3 November 1849 and lived in Alexandria, Tennessee. During the 1870 census, at the age of 21, he was still living at home with his parents and siblings [1870 U.S. Census. Census Place: District 2, Dekalb, Tennessee; National Archives and Records Administration, Roll: M593_1524; Page: 122; Image: 245.]. But just a couple years later, on 4 January 1872, he married (1st) Mary A. Sandlin (born c. 1846) in DeKalb County. Together they had five children - Mary, Charlie, Henry, Sallie and James - listed in greater detail below.

On 25 December 1879 John Branchford Clayborn married (2nd) Roxanna Bailiff. She was born on 2 December 1850 in Alexandria, Tennessee to Thomas Isaac Bailiff (1808 - 1852) and Nancy Bates (1812 - 1888) [1850 U.S. Census. Census Place: South Division, Smith, Tennessee; National Archives and Records Administration, Roll: M432_896; Page: 354; Image: 292. See also 1860 U.S. Census. Census Place: District 16, De Kalb, Tennessee; National Archives and Records Administration, Roll: M653_1247; Page: 191; Image: 385.]. Together John and Roxanna had five children - Ella Frances, John Isaac, William Thomas, Ida Mable and Maggie Lee - listed in greater detail below.

Prior to her marriage to John B. Clayborn, Roxanna was married to John Chapman (1841 - 1876) and together Roxanna and John Chapman had four children [The four children are Columbus H. Chapman (1869 - 1938), Nancy Mattie Chapman (1871 - 1941), Mary Tabitha Chapman (1873 - 1948) and Minnie Tubb Chapman (born in 1875).]. One of these children, Nancy Mattie Chapman, had a son named Claud but by 1910 Nancy and Claud were living with John and Roxanna and would continue to do so for much of Nancy's life [See, for instance, the 1910 U.S. Census. Census Place: Civil District 1, Dekalb, Tennessee; Roll: T624_1497; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 52; Image: 456.]. Roxanna died on 14 August 1919 and John appears to have lived his remaining years under the same roof as his step-daughter Nancy and step-grandson Claud. The relationship must have been a close one because later on Nancy and Claud would use the surname "Clayborn". It is possible that John B. Clayborn adopted Nancy as his daughter, and therefore Claud became his adopted grandson [Claud Lafayette Clayborn (24 April 1897 - 31 Oct 1988) married Elvira Rich King Jones Clayborn (August 4, 1908 - 15 Sept 1995) on 17 March 1973. Elvira was the fifth of seven children born to the family of John Reece King (1875-1954) and Nancy Melissa Rich (1871-1942). Both of Elvira's parents have a deep rooted family history that stretches back to the 1700s and includes several thousand people. Elvira had seven children through a prior marriage to William Henry Jones, but Claud and Elvira appear to have had no children.].

John G. Claybourn and his wife Elsie visited the farm on which Ephraim Claybourn (their grandfather) lived in about 1925. There in Alexandria, Tennessee they also met John B. Clayborn, the oldest son of James T. Clayborn, then 76 years of age. He said that Ephraim's father was named Joshua, which further reinforces what deeds and DNA research have also proven.

John Branchford Clayborn died on 23 May 1932 in Alexandria, Tennessee, presumably at the home of his step-daughter Nancy. He is buried in Alexandria Eastview Cemetery.

Pedigree Chart

						Joshua Clyburn c. 1758 - c. 1799
				Ephraim Claybourn 1788 - 1850
						Sarah
		James T. Clayborn 1822 - 1900
				Mary "Polly" Browning 1792 - 1874
						Sally Browning
John B. Clayborn 1849 - 1932
		Melinda K. Scott b. 1827

Descendants

1. Mary A. Clayborn was born on an unknown date, but died on 16 June 1879.

2. Charlie Clayborn was born on an unknown date, and was a twin to Henry. He died on 7 August 1879.

3. Henry Clayborn was born on an unknown date, but died on 18 August 1879. Note that he was the third child to die within three months, suggesting some sort of illness was afflicting the family.

4. Sallie Clayborn was born in about 1873 as a twin to James Monroe. She married John Wesley Talley of the Upper Helton area in Wilson County, Tennessee. On the Coons Branch Road John and Sallie owned a house. Eventually, though, they sold the house and moved to Jennings, Louisiana. When John died in 1949 Sallie moved back to Alexandria and died not long after in 1949. Both are buried in the Talley graveyard on Coons Branch Road, not far from their original house. Together they had three children:
   1. Willie Lee Talley
   2. Erby Talley
   3. Herman Talley

5. James Monroe Clayborn was born in about 1873 as a twin to his sister Sallie. He married Laura Carter (born in 1882). James died in 1929 and is buried in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Liberty, Tennessee.

6. Ella Frances Clayborn was born on 8 November 1880. Ella married Jessie Eaton (8 January 1880 - 1973) and together they had one child:
   1. Johnnie W. Eaton was born in 1912 and married Lorene Haley (born in 1916). Johnnie died in 1960 and is buried at Hearn Hill Cemetery in Wilson County, Tennessee. Lorene followed in death on 24 February 2008. Johnnie and Lorene had four children together, including John Ray Eaton and Margaret Ann Eaton.

7. John Isaac Clayborn was born on 13 January 1883. He married Willie Frances Eaton (born on 3 January 1883). John died in 1952 and Willie followed in death in 1963. Both are buried in Hearn Hill Cemetery in Wilson County, Tennessee. Together they had seven children:
   1. Pauline Clayborn was born in about 1903 and married Joe Cooksey on 4 October 1920.
   2. Ollie Clayborn was born in about 1905 and married Ruth Carrol on 25 December 1931.
   3. Edward Clayborn was born in about 1908.
   4. Lorene Clayborn married J. T. Hendrixson.
   5. Mary Frances Clayborn
   6. Jesse Clayborn
   7. Marshall Wilson Clayborn was born in 1923 and died in 1941 and is buried at Hearn Hill Cemetery in Wilson County, Tennessee.

8. William Thomas Clayborn was born on 13 August 1885 and died on 18 March 1887.

9. Ida Mable Clayborn was born on 18 March 1889. In 1907 she married James Callie Roberts (born in March of 1879). James died of lung cancer on 14 August 1943, and sometime thereafter Ida married Barry Johnson. Ida died in 1969 and is buried at Prosperity Cemetery in Wilson County, Tennessee. She and James and seven children together:
   1. Robbie Hudson Roberts was born on 8 January 1910 and married Gertie Everett (born in about 1913). Robbie died on June 1996 and Gertie followed on 30 January 2004. Together they had four children.
   2. Jim Turner Roberts was born on 20 June 1912 and married Betty Jane Curtis Roberts (born on 14 June 1920). During his life Jim worked for the Lebanon Garment Company and also worked as a farmer. He was a member of the People's Baptist Church in Liberty, Tennessee. Betty died on 15 August 1999 and Jim followed in death on 10 November 2003. Both are buried in the Talley Cemetery in Liberty, Tennessee. Together they had one son, James S. Roberts.
   3. Frank Roy Roberts married Altie Ray Curtis (20 September 1914 - 11 May 1998). Together they had at least one child.
   4. Bessie Lee Roberts was born on 14 October 1918 and married Virgil A. Russell (born 4 September 1915). Virgil died on 19 May 1994 and Bessie followed on 25 June 2004 in Watertown, Tennessee. Together they had three children, including Gary Wayne Russell (c. 1947 - 27 April 2002).
   5. Mable Ray Roberts married a man named Bratten.
   6. John Calvin Roberts was born on 16 June 1924 and married Frances Ricketts (born 27 February 1924). Frances died on 10 October 1998 and John followed on 22 July 2002. He is buried at Wilson County Memorial Park in Lebanon, Tennessee. John and Frances had three children together.
   7. Robert Gaston Roberts was born on 30 July 1927 and married Mildred Gammons (born on 15 June 1930 to Cordell Hull Gammons and Daisy Patton Gammons). Robert died on 18 January 1998 and Mildred followed on 7 June 2002. Robert and Mildred had three children together:
      1. Elaine (Michael) Pulliam
      2. Susan Murray
      3. Lynn (Mike) Kent

10. Maggie Lee Clayborn was born on 23 September 1894. On 10 August 1912 Maggie married Arnold Grandstaff.