From Wayne Osborne, a Claypool Family historian (email 05Feb04):

Kentucky: A History of the State, W. H. Perin, J. H. Battle, and G. C. Kniffen, 3rd ed., 1886. Warren County.

W. M. CLAYPOOL, M. D., is a representative of one of the old families of Warren County. His father, Hon. Elijah Claypool, was born in this county in 1808, on Big Barren River, and is the son of Stephen Claypool, who was a Virginian, and who came to Kentucky in the pioneer days of the State, and was a great Indian fighter. The Claypool family is traced to three brothers, David, George and John, who came to America from Scotland prior to the Revolutionary war. The father of Dr. Claypool married, in 1840, Jane Burnett. He was colonel for many years of the State militia, and represented Warren County in the Kentucky General Assembly in 1849-50. Dr. Claypool received a good common education at the schools of this county. For a number of years he taught school. In 1859 he began the study of medicine under the direction of Dr. B. P. Claypool, of this county. In 1862 he enlisted in the Federal Army, in Company A, of the Thirty-Second Kentucky Infantry. At the organization of the company he was elected first lieutenant and held that position until 1864, when he was discharged. For three years after the war he engaged in the planing-mill business. During the winter of 1873-74 he attended medical lectures at Bellevue Hospital, in New York City. He graduated from the medical department of the university at Nashville, Tenn., in 1875. Since that time he was continued the practice of his profession in this city. He married, in 1864, Hettie Barclay, daughter of Samuel Barclay. They have six children: Samuel B., Elijah, William D., Bettie V., Sarah P. and Woodford P. The Doctor is a Democrat and a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.