Our story of the Layton Family will begin with the birth of WilliamLayton Jr. in 1726 in Yorkshire, England.
William married Ann Harland and on May 5, 1746 their sixth child andthird son, Francis Layton Sr. was born in the small village of Acklam, Yorkshire.Francis trained as a blacksmith.
Francis married Elizabeth West of Birdsall, Yorkshire on April 20, 1772.
Francis Layton Jr. was born April 17, 1773.
In March of 1774 , the young family, Francis Sr.(age 29 years), Elizabeth, age 26 years), and Francis Layton Jr., (age 1 year), set sail from Hull, Yorkshire, England, aboard the "Two Friends" bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The "Two Friends" was a medium sized sailing vessel used to transport British troops to garrisons through out the British Empire, and also carriedimmigrants to their new homes .
**(In 1805 the "Two Friends" sank off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in aviolent North Atlantic storm.Of the soldiers, crew and immigrants aboard, threelives where lost and the rest made it to shore. All the soldiers provisions andimmigrants supplies where lost.)
The Layton"s arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in early May, 1774, and travelled to the Falmouth area of Colchester County to settle among otherswho had migrated from New England in the 1760"s, many where "United EmpireLoyalists", who wished to remain loyal to the British Crown.
Francis Layton Jr. trained as a blacksmith and moved to Great Village.On March 5, 1801 he married Abigail Stevens, in the Presbyterian Church in nearby Truro, Nova Scotia.From 1801 to 1828, Francis and Abigail had ten sonsand three daughters.
On Nov 9, 1838, in Great Village, Francis Layton Sr.died.He had survived four wives and had fathered" seven sons and one daughter.He was buried in the Great Village Cemetery, as were many of hisdescendents.
Charles Ryan Layton, third child and second son of Francis Jr.andAbigail was born June 17, 1806 in Great Village.Charles also trained to be a blacksmith.
Charles married Mary (Polly) Flemming on March 28, 1831 in Folly Village.From 1832 to 1854, they had seven sons and three daughters, all born in FollyVillage.
David Flemming Layton, third child of Charles and Mary, was born Jan 13, 1836.David followed the family tradition and trained to be a blacksmith.
On Sept 16 , 1867, David married Isabelle Morrison in Folly Village. From 1868 to 1887, David and Isabelle had six sons and five daughters, all born in Folly Village.
David Fred Layton Sr., was the ninth child and fifth son of David and Isabelle.He was born Feb 2, 1883.In 1900 at the age of seventeen, Dave Sr. left Nova Scotia and his large family to become a Constable in the NorthWest Mounted Police.After some training in Regina, Dave was stationed atthe Old Post, Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, where he served as a Constable anblacksmith, until 1903, when he received permission from Ottawa to purchasehis release. The 1901 Saskatchewan census shows Dave Layton at the barracksat Wood Mountain.
The 1906 Saskatchewan census shows Dave residing in the Wood Mountainarea.He worked for a while as a ranch hand and blacksmith.
In 1907 he met a young lady from Pennsylvania who was visiting with two Aunts who lived in the Assiniboia region. Agnes Gillan Catherine Cruikshank had been born May 25, 1891 in Banff, Banffshire, Scotland, thedaughter of James William and Margaret Chapman Dey Cruikshank.The family hademigrated to Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania when Agnes was a young girl.
They wanted to marry and had to wait for a letter of permission to arrive from her parents.Dave and Agnes where married at the Anglican Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on Nov.16, 1907.
The 1911 Saskatchewan census shows Dave, Agnes, Margaret Isabel, age 3years and Dave, age 2(he was born in 1910, so was only 1 year old in 1911), living in Willow Bunch and Dave Sr."s occupation listed as a blacksmith.
In 1908, Dave filed an"Application for a Homestead Entry"for theNorth West Quarter- Section of Section Number 16 of the4th Township in the 1st Range West of the 3rdMeridian.Improvements where made and the "Application"was approved" in June, 1912.
The Layton family moved to the Homestead and the family continued to grow. "
David Fred Layton Sr. and Agnes had seven children.
"Margaret "Isabel" Layton , Born: Sept. 25, 1908, Willow Bunch""""" Died: May 4, 1992" Vancouver, B.C.
" DavidFred Layton Jr.""""""" ""Born: Oct 19, 1910, Willow Bunch""""""""" Died: March 8, 1974" Rockglen, Sk.
"Gertrude(Toots) Irene Layton"Born:June 10, 1913, Haymeadow"""Died:Jan 5, 1997" Saskatoon, Sk."
""Helen Layton""""""""""""""""""""""Born:March 22, 1916, Haymeadow"""""""Died:March 22, 1916"
""Edna "Rae" Layton""""""""""""""Born: Oct 28, 1918, Haymeadow
""Lorne James Layton"""""""""""Born:March 25, 1923, Haymeadow
""Ronald "Almo" Laurie Layton" Born:March 15, 1934, Lisieux""""""""""" Died:Sept 23, 1952" Regina, Sk.
In 1940, Dave Sr. and Agnes sold the homestead and moved toMoose Jaw, where "Almo"went to school.
Agnes died on Aug. 16, 1947 at the age of 56.She is buriedin Rosedale Cemetery, Moose Jaw.
Dave and Almo returned to Rockglen to live, where Dave workedas a janitor at the Rockglen School and Almo finished High School.Almo moved to Regina to work for SaskPower and was killed in atraffic accident just outside Regina on Sept 23, 1952.He is buriedin the Rockglen Cemetery.
Dave Sr. lived in Rockglen until his death on April 12, 1961. He is buried in the Rockglen Cemetery.
Dave Jr. farmed southwest of Quantock until 1973 and diedon March 8, 1974.He is buried in the Rockglen, Cemetery.
