William Clayton was born July 17, 1814 in Charnock Moss, Penwortham, England to Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. He married Ruth Moon on October 9. 1836. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1837. William served a mission in England, where he grew a branch in Manchester of about 240 members. He led a group of British converts in September 1840 to the United States, and settled in Nauvoo, Illinois before 1842. He worked as a scribe to Joseph Smith from 1842 to 1844. He married nine other wives, including Jane Hardman on May 31, 1840, Margaret Moon on April 27, 1843, Diantha Farr on January 9, 1845, Augusta Braddock on October 5, 1850, Alice Hardman in 1851, Sarah Ann Walters on November 30, 1856, Maria Louisa Lyman on October 3, 1866, Elizabeth Mort on December 19, 1870, and Anne Elizabeth Higgs on December 30, 1870, who together bore him at least 42 children, ten of whom were Ruth's. William migrated to Salt Lake City, arriving in September 1848. He served a second mission in England between 1852 and 1853. He maintained church records once settled in Utah, and worked as an auditor for Utah Territory, treasurer for the Deseret Telegraph Company, and secretary for Zion's Co-operative Mercantile institution. William died on December 4, 1879 in Salt Lake City.