Hi Gwyneth Your problem of name variation is quite usual with the name Layton. However Clayton is, in my experience, not very common though I have seen it when there is a middle name like Charles which is initialised and joined together when the entry is re-written. The name changes usually arise due to the clergy not being of the area and the locals not being to good in the art of writing and reading and, of course, the difference in accent is probably the main cause of the variation. In your area of research the most likely route of your ancestors would be from Shropshire. Thereis a well-known family of Leightons arising in the 1500/1600s due to a Thomas Leighton who was a favourite of good Queen Bess and received many honours and privileges. Over the years the name changed as the offspring moved over the County borders becoming Layton in Staffordshire, Worcestershire and, of course, Cheshire. Another source for your ancestry, though I would think more unlikely, would be descended from Yorkshire. This family started as Laton but as its various offshoots moved south into Lincolnshire and west into Lancashire became Layton, and there are various towns/villages named after them both in Yorkshire and Lancshire and further south. My own research is in Anglia where South of the Waveney the accent is soft and the spelling is nearly always Layton but North of the Waveney it changes almost from village to village and the "t" is often substituted witha "d" and the "o" is often written with an "I" or "e" which certainly makes life interesting, if not always amusing. If you become really stuck you can always see if there are army/militia units in the area, as 1809 was a period when much movement throughout the country was undertaken by the militia. Best of luck with your research; ED.