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The "1764 Barrier": A Breakthrough in the Clinton Lineage

  • Writer: Janet England
    Janet England
  • Jan 29
  • 4 min read

Updated: Feb 1

For over 100 years, descendants of Captain James Clinton have searched for his true parentage. According to his 1833 Revolutionary War Pension application, James was born on August 11, 1761, in New London Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He noted that he moved to the York District of South Carolina with his father around 1769, when he was eight years old.


The Archibald Clinton Connection

Records show only one Clinton family in Chester County during that era: Archibald and Sarah Clinton. Archibald’s September 1746 will documents three sons, William (the eldest), James, and John, and four daughters, Elizabeth, Hannah, Mary, and Sarah. While researchers traditionally default to the second son, James, as the father of the Captain, the evidence now points elsewhere.



The "Two Williams" Disambiguation

For fifty years, the truth was obscured by a single, stubborn date in the 1974 book, The Clinton Lineage and Related Families. The author conflated Archibald’s son, William, with a contemporary blacksmith named William Clinton who died in Philadelphia on September 11, 1764.


Because researchers believed Archibald’s son died in 1764, they logically concluded he could not be the father who moved his family to South Carolina in 1769. However, primary records reveal the distinction:

  • The Blacksmith: Died in 1764; buried at historic Christ Church Philadelphia.

  • William (Son of Archibald): Alive and appearing on Chester County tax rolls until 1768; aligning perfectly with Captain James’s relocation timeline.


Why Brother James Falls Short

While James Clinton (son of Archibald) is often cited in family trees, the records don't support him:

  • The Timeline Gap: James disappears from Chester County tax records in 1765. Had he been the father, Captain James would have moved at age four, contradicting his own sworn testimony of moving at age eight (1769).

  • The Tax Trail: William Clinton remains on the rolls until 1768, providing a seamless transition to the family’s arrival in South Carolina.


The "Highet-Steel" Hypothesis

If the tax records provided the map, the names of Captain James and Ann (Armstrong) Clinton’s children provided the key. The couple utilized naming patterns that point directly to William Clinton and Margaret Highet as the parents:


  • Margaret Clinton: Named for her paternal grandmother, Margaret Highet.

  • John Clinton: Likely named for William's brother, John.

  • Frances Clinton: Named for her paternal great-grandmother, Frances (Steel) Highet.

  • Mary Clinton: A common family name; both William and Margaret had sisters named Mary.

  • James Clinton: Named for his father.

  • Peter Clinton: Named for his paternal great-grandfather, Peter Highet. Notably, the only other "Clinton" recorded serving in the New Acquisition District Militia with Captain James Clinton was also a Peter Clinton, suggesting a familial bond.


Research Summary


By successfully distinguishing between the "Two Williams," the remaining pieces of this genealogical puzzle have finally begun to align. While the parentage of Captain James Clinton cannot be definitively proven yet, the evidence is increasingly compelling.


Current records suggest that William is a more probable father than his brothers:


  • James: While a possibility, the timeline and naming clues favor William.

  • John: Extremely difficult to verify due to a significant lack of surviving records.


Overall, the preponderance of evidence now points toward William as the most likely candidate for James’s father.


Roots to Branches

Learn More


“Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files.” Digital images. National Archives. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54246327 : 2023. Path: James Clinton (S.C.), application S2437; citing Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800–ca. 1912; Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773–2007; National Archives Microform Publication M804, roll 580; National Archives, Washington, D.C. You can view the original digitized image of Captain James Clinton's pension application at this link.


Clinton, Howard C. The Clinton Lineage and Related Families. Orlando, Florida: H.C. Clinton, 1974. This book is not digitized, but if you can find a physical copy you can explore more about the Clinton's in America. There are many errors in this book and few citations.


Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Wills 1713-1720 and 1736-1755 vol 1-3, A-C," image 310, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G99B-J9MC-F : accessed 08 January 2026); citing county courthouses, Pennsylvania, will of Archibald Clinton, 1746.


Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Wills 1713-1720 and 1736-1755 vol 1-3, A-C," image 446, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899B-J9MH-7 : accessed 08 January 2026); citing county courthouses, Pennsylvania, will of Peter Highet, 1750.


Chester County, Pennsylvania, "1765–1799 Chester County Tax Index A-C," database, Chester County Pennsylvania (https://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/46797/1765-1799-Chester-County-Tax-Index-C-D : accessed 13 January 2026), entry for James Clinton, 1765, London Britain, image 235 of 900.


"Chester, Pennsylvania, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-V382-W95V-3 : accessed 31 January 2026), entry for James Clinton, 1765, London Britain, inmate (non landholder), image 236 of 706; Image Group Number: 008704432.


Chester County, Pennsylvania, "1765–1799 Chester County Tax Index A-C," database, Chester County Pennsylvania (https://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/46797/1765-1799-Chester-County-Tax-Index-C-D : accessed 13 January 2026), entry for William Clinton, 1765, 1766, 1768, London Grove, image 235 of 900.


"Chester, Pennsylvania, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-J382-W91K-2 : accessed 31 January 2026), entry for Wm Clinton, 1768, London Grove, image 250 of 716; Image Group Number: 008704433.


“FamilyTreeDNA Discover,” database with images, FamilyTreeDNA (https://discover.familytreedna.com/y-dna/R-FTB87552/story : accessed 20 January 2026), haplogroup R-FTB87552, most recent common ancestor (MRCA) estimate is 1600 CE; citing Big Y-700 test results for kit no. IN110256 . These results identify the paternal lineage ancestral to William Barnett Clinton (FamilySearch ID# L5DH-H7W), representing the genetic signature of the Clinton line prior to the emergence of subclade R-FTD78213 and is a marker shared with the McClintock family of Ulster.


"Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "Philadelphia. Probate Records 1764," database, image 82, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9Q2-69S1-M: 29 January 2026), citing Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Register of Wills Image Group Number: 005871739.

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