Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-25
A FAMILY OF GIANTS
Alabama's Distinguished Branch of
Old Virginia Stock.
Montgomery Journal.

Montgomery Journal. .r.
In Alabama history the name of Clan
ton holds a distinguished and honored
place, and therefore, the following ac-
court of the early ancestors of men who
came to this state nearly century ago,
is Of sons interest.
This account recently appeared in a
Texas weekly paper:
I'VE have occasionally heard and read
of families OF people of unusual sizs and
of extraordinary strength, but the writer
believes that his grandfather, Holt Can
ton, and his brothers, Joseph. William,
ami cousin Ned Clanton. are fairly en-
titled to the champions belt. Holt Clan
ton, Of Virginia, and his wife, Catherine,
raised fourteen children, eight daughters
and six sons, sixteen in all, including the
parents. The average of the father and
sons was six and ore-quarter feet in
height and that of his wife and daug hters
an inch or two under six feet. The ag-
tie weight of the family was nearly
four thousand pounds Holt Cartons
brothers and their sons and daughters
were of similar stature and strength.
1.-The Clanton brothers were esteemed
as the strongest men in Washingtons
army, and the sons of these brothsrs
were fully up to their ia Tiers in physi-
cal courage and manhood. The tallest
of all the collateral branches of the
Clanton family was Ned Clanton of
North Carolina. Tradition says that
he was seven feet in height and could
crush the jaw bone of a grown hog be-
between his teeth. The writer has seen
several of his descendants and they
were tremendous big fellows. Our fa-
Their, Nathaniel Holt clanton, who was
the youngest of Holt Clanton's sons, was
of enormous breadth and weight and was
so powerful that when angry and excited
he could pick up an average large man
and throw him over a high picket fence
and he was by no means the stoutest
member Of his fathers family. Not
wthstanding their great size they were
not stoeSy nor clumsy people, but were
quick and agile in their motions yet
pesc able and jovial in temperament, but
when aroused they were transformed
irto veritable earthquakes.
"Their features were regular, their
foreheads were broad aud high and some
of them were esteemed as extremely
comely. These people were the product
of a,past age and no longer survive save
fsignedA "a r. CANTON"
The writer, DR.. A. r., Clan.on. IS the
eldest brother of The late Gen. James H.
Clanton. He has now reached the age of
three score-'lnd ten. bui is. still very ac-
tive, and for the pas, six months has been
visiting his Clarion kirsfolk in various
. states.
DR.. Clantcn is "a store-house of inform
alton and "Reminiscences, and the family
have called upon him TO prepare a sketch
of the ClaItons from the zine when three
brothers and a cousin of the name came
over to America from England in the
early part of the eEgh. eenth century and
settled for n while in Virginia 1t may
be publish one of these days.
DIR. Chanton's father was Nathaniel
! Holt Clanton. of Macon county, who in
the SOS and 40's served several terms in
the state sena.e OF Alabama. And speak
ing of the extraordinary size of the alder
Clant"ns, This old gentleman was feet
inches. ard weighed nearly 400 pounds.
He was so aarge That a special chair had
to be built FOR him in rhe senate chamber.
Gen, Cla nton and his bro hers---the sons
/ of Nathaniel Holt Clan t9n--were only
| average sized men. and there are several
/ grandsons in Mont gfpmsry who hardly
! represent the physical strength of their
! rrrogericrs. yet 4rhey feel proud of the
! fact thar ''there were others Of the blood
thu ranked "a s gia nts.