The Clifton family of Cumberland County, Tennessee begins with Bailey Clifton. Bailey Clifton was born in North Carolina in 1785 to John Clifton. He married Rincey Alford, who was related to George Washington through a Pope family marriage. Bailey and Rincey moved to East Tennessee along with one son, Peter. Their other children answered the call of Stephen Austin and went to settle in Texas. Bailey Clifton first moved his family to the Old Washington area in East Tennessee. Later they moved to White's Creek which bordered Cumberland, Rhea and Roane Counties. Bailey ran a grain mill and was a master of turning the grain into fine whiskey. Bailey was living with his son Peter in 1860 according to the census. He was 86 years old and died soon after. He is most likely buried in the Cifton Family Cemetery in Ozone, Cumberland County, Tennessee.

Peter Aldridge Clifton was born in 1820 in North Carolina to Bailey and Rincey (Alford) Clifton. He was the only one of the children to move to Tennessee with his parents. He married Alice Moore Long and they had eight children. He was living in the Prestonville District on the 1860 census. Peter and Alice are both buried in the Clifton Cemetery in Ozone, Cumberland County, Tennessee.

Thomas Bailey Clifton was born about 1849 in Tennessee to Peter Aldridge and Alice Moore (Long) Clifton. He married Mary Salina Glass on January 21, 1871/72. She was from a prominent family in Tennessee and North Carolina. Her mother was a Henby from Wales.

Aldridge Clifton was born October 13, 1872 in Cumberland County, Tennessee to Thomas Bailey and Mary Salina (Glass) Clifton. Aldridge married Mary Martha Williams, who was born February 1874 in Cumberland County, Tennnessee. Mary is believed to have died during childbirth in 1902. Aldridge had a sister who lived to be very old that told the family he died in Colorado in a mining accident.

Leonard Aldridge Clifton was born November 11, 1900 in Ozone, Cumberland County, Tennessee to Aldridge and Mary Martha (Williams) Clifton. He enlisted in the Army in 1919 and served the remainder of his life in the military. He married Marie Alice Trimble in 1930 in Texas. Marie was born October 13, 1909 in Stonington, Illinois. He was promoted to Captain before his death on December 9, 1944 in France. Leonard and Marie are both buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Two other sons of Aldrige and Mary Martha (Williams) Clifton served in WWI. Neal Garland Clifton was born 1895. He enlisted and was assigned to the 26th regiment 1st Infantry, also called the Big Red. He died October 10, 1918 from infection of wounds received. He is buried in Romange, France at the Muese Argonne American Cemetery. His brother, George Dewy Clifton also enlisted and served in the 1st Infantry. He died at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas, on November 21, 1924 of pneumonia.

Updates to the Clifton family 6/9/2008

George D. Clifton served with the Artillery not the infantry in WWI. His son William who I just recently located still lives in Tennessee and gave me the updates.

Neal Garland in buried in Romanges France which I did know.

After the death of RIncey Alford Clifton, Bailey remarried a woman named Elizabeth Burton in 1845.

Thomas Bailey Clifton and Mary Salina Glass divorced (had married 1870-71) He remarried Malinda Brannon on November 16, 1879. I am looking for the divorce information to see what the cause was. Most scandalous stuff for the times!!!

His son Aldridge Clifton was murdered allegedly by a man named Bill Davis. My great grandfathers sister either had the facts wrong or was trying to keep the family name in good stead. Apparently Aldridge liked to gamble and not farm. Ever so often he would hop a train and go to Colorado where he did work the mines for money. His last trip he got in an argument with Davis during a card game and was killed. I have been trying to find a news article in Colorado papers about the incident but am not sure if it was Denver or Colorado Springs.  His wife Mary Martha Williams died of a fever about 1904 not in childbirth which we had been told.

my grandfather Leonard Aldridge Clifton was killed in France December 1944. He died while trying to help save the crew of a bomber that had crash landed at a base in Clastres France. Grandpa was an MP at this time. He and over 20 others were killed when the fuel tanks caught fire and caused the bombs to explode. He was awarded the Soldiers Medal. This medal is given to a soldier who exhibits bravery in the face of danger in a non-combatant situation, He was also awarded the purple heart.

My great grandmother Mary Martha Williams was given a home by the railroad to live in for her lifetime because she warned an approaching train that the bridge had caught fire & was not safe. She had grabbed a lantern as the story goes and ran down the tracks to warn the train of the danger. In gratitude the company gave her a nicer home to live in as a way to say thank you.

These are a few updates to the family history.