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Descendants of John Clay

(Ancestry of Henry Clay the Statesman)

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

1.  JOHN5 CLAY  (HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1 CLAYE?, ESQ.) was born Abt. 1718 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died Bet. 1761 - 1762 in Dale Parish, Chesterfield County, Virginia.  He married (1) SARAH WATKINS.    He married (2) MARY BASS. 

 

Notes for JOHN CLAY:

Mary Sharp's version shows "Mary Bass" as wife, rather than Sarah Watkins".

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Taken from L. W. Rigsby's "HISTORIC GEORGIA FAMILIES"

 

..."He was a baptist minister and is referred to in old records in Hanover County as Sir John Clay. This for a long time gave me no end of worry, that is trying to trace title from Sir John Clay of England to Sir John Clay of Hanover County, Virginia, until I established the fact to my satisfaction that the English title was only that of Gentleman, after which occurred to me that according to English custom, titles were frequently conferred by usage without legality upon professional men, much as J.P.'s receive the appellation of Judge, and attorneys of Colonel, in this day. This I have been informed, was frequently the case with ministers and others on whom were bestowed titles for taking literary degrees. I leave this question for future generations to puzzle over."

 

"John Clay died about 1762 and his Will is recorded in Chesterfield County. His wife was Mrs Mary Bass and they had children as follows:

A  John Clay.

B  Edward Clay, who went to North Carolina, served in the North Carolina >Legislature, where he was tried and expelled for crime. The      evidence in this case had been reviewed by me and I believe that he was "framed" on the charge brought against him. He has been      erroneously assigned to Alabama.

C  Fanny Clay"

 

The above can be found in Historic Georgia Families, pg 29, Author: L. W. Rigsby, Call Number: R929.2 qR57.

>Charles (CClay23668@aol.com)

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Hi, Charles:

Thanks for the post. I think Rigsby confused the two John Clays. The son John, who became the father of Statesman Henry Clay, was a Baptist minister and and was called "sir" for whatever reason.  It's possible that John who died @1762 also was a Baptist minister, but I've never seen that asserted before. At any rate, John Jr certainly was not the son of Mary Bass, but of Watkins.

Cheers,

Ned Boyajian, ned@rmedia.com

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Rigsbys reference to Sir John Clay was about John Clay who married Elizabeth Hudson. However, on the next page he refers to the issue of John Clay and Mary Bass as John, who went to New Orleans, Henry, who became the 'Statesmen', and Porter who became a minister and died in Arkansas. Yes, I would say there was some confusion on is part.

Charles (CClay23668@aol.com)

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Notes for MARY BASS:

Peggy Carswell Peacock published  this on the Bass/Clay family in The Virginia Genealogist. The article is called MARTHA (CLAY) BASS AND HER DAUGHTER MARY (BASS) CLAY OF HENRICO AND CHESTERFIELD COS., VA.

 

Peggy Peacock was a Bass descendant who became interested in the Clays. She was  well known for her adherence to primary documents. While her interpretation of the facts below could be wrong, I am inclined to believe her.

 

Bottomline: Mary Bass was not born a Watkins, but a Bass. She was the daughter of Martha Clay and William Bass. She had a son out of wedlock  by her uncle, John Clay, who later married her. This son was Jeremiah Bass.

John and Mary also had a daughter named Frances, called Fanny.

 

Here are the records Peggy cites:

 

1. William Bass married Martha, daughter of Henry and Mary Clay on 5/6/1731.  (Bass Family Bible 1682-1856, Chesterfield county, photocopy of title page and family entries, Virginia State Library, Archives Division, accession # 26372)

 

2. Martha was born on 8/10/1713 (Bass Family Prayer Book, typescript copy, DAR Library, Washington, DC)

 

3. Martha died 3/1/1745-46 (Bass Bible), three years before her father Henry's will was written.

 

4. Martha and William Bass had seven children, including Mary Bass (Bass Family Bible).

 

5. William's will, dated 8/17/1769 (Chesterfield Co, VA, Will Book, 2 p 221) names his daughter Mary CLAY as one of his heirs. She is bequeathed, "a negro wench Phillis and her increase that my daughter now have in her possession."

 

This was clearly the same Mary mentioned in her husband John's will "Mary Bass, being now my wife" who was the mother of Jeremiah Bass.

 

A 1773 lawsuit (Clay vs. Wooldridge) contains depositions confirming that Mary Bass, daughter of William Bass married John Clay, the father of the Rev. John Clay.

 

Note that Mary was still unmarried Mary Bass when John Clay gifted  her son Jeremiah Bass with two slaves and 200 acres of land (Chesterfield Co, VA, Deed Book 3 p 345.) "John was providing... for an illegitimate son who otherwise would be at risk of receiving nothing," as Peggy put it.

 

Later, of course, John DID marry Mary, as he noted in his will. As an adult, Jeremiah sometimes used Bass as his surname. Other times he used CLAY.

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Children of JOHN CLAY and SARAH WATKINS are:

2.           i.   REV. JOHN6 CLAY, b. 1742, Henrico County, Virginia; d. 1781, Hanover County, Virginia.

              ii.   EDWARD CLAY, b. 1746.

             iii.   FANNY CLAY, b. 1748.

 

     

Children of JOHN CLAY and MARY BASS are:

             iv.   JEREMIAH6 CLAY.

             v.   FANNY CLAY.

 

 

Generation No. 2

 

2.  REV. JOHN6 CLAY (JOHN5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1 CLAYE?, ESQ.) was born 1742 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died 1781 in Hanover County, Virginia.  He married ELIZABETH HUDSON in Virginia, daughter of GEORGE HUDSON.  She was born Abt. 1750 in Virginia, and died 1829 in Kentucky.

 

Notes for REV. JOHN CLAY:

Was said to be a dancing master, but forsook this endeavor for the Baptist ministry.

 

More About REV. JOHN CLAY:

Fact: Imprisoned for his preaching

Occupation: Baptist Minister

 

More About JOHN CLAY and ELIZABETH HUDSON:

Marriage: Virginia

     

Children of JOHN CLAY and ELIZABETH HUDSON are:

              i.   BETSY7 CLAY, b. 1767.

              ii.   GEORGE CLAY, b. 1768.

             iii.   JOHN CLAY, b. 1775; d. 1829.

             iv.   MOLLY CLAY, b. 1776.

             v.   SALLY CLAY, b. 1776.

3.          vi.   HENRY CLAY, STATESMAN, b. April 12, 1777, Hanover County, Virginia; d. June 29, 1852, National Hotel, Washington D. C..

            vii.   PORTER CLAY, b. 1779; m. (1) SOPHIA UNKNOWN; d. October 1829, Frankfort, Kentucky; m. (2) ELIZABETH UNKNOWN, April 1830, Franklin County, Kentucky.

 

More About PORTER CLAY and ELIZABETH UNKNOWN:

Marriage: April 1830, Franklin County, Kentucky

 

 

Generation No. 3

 

3.  HENRY7 CLAY, STATESMAN (JOHN6, JOHN5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1 CLAYE?, ESQ.)1,2 was born April 12, 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died June 29, 1852 in National Hotel, Washington D. C..  He married LUCRETIA HART April 11, 1799, daughter of THOMAS HART.  She was born Abt. 1780.

 

More About HENRY CLAY, STATESMAN:

Appointment 1: 1807, US Senate, John Adair's unexpired term

Appointment 2: 1810, US Senate, B. Thruston's unexpired term

Appointment 3: Bet. 1825 - 1829, Secretary of State

Cause of Death: Tuberculosis

Elected 1: Bet. 1803 - 1809, Successive terms in Kentucky Legislature

Elected 2: Bet. 1811 - 1821, US Congress & Speaker of the House

Elected 3: Bet. 1823 - 1825, US Congress & Speaker of the House

Elected 4: Bet. 1849 - 1852, United States Senator

Fact 1: 1809, Duel with Humphery Marshall

Fact 2: 1814, Mbr. US Peace Commission at Ghent

Fact 3: 1824, Presidential candidate - 1824,1832,1844

Fact 4: 1826, Duel with John Randolf of Roanoake

Medical Information: For that time frame, he was considered very tall, and he was also very thin (gaunt).

 

Notes for LUCRETIA HART:

At age 18, Lucretia was described as "slender, fair skinned, with delicate features, blue eyes, and auburn hair.

 

More About HENRY CLAY and LUCRETIA HART:

Marriage: April 11, 1799

     

Children of HENRY CLAY and LUCRETIA HART are:

              i.   HENRIETTA CLAY, b. June 24, 1800.

              ii.   THEODORE WYTHE CLAY, b. 1802.

 

More About THEODORE WYTHE CLAY:

Fact: 1831, Declared insane

Medical Information: Head injury in childhood caused him to be a very troublesome child, and induced his being declared insane by the age of 29.

 

             iii.   THOMAS HART CLAY, b. September 22, 1803, Lexington, Kentucky; d. March 18, 1871, Lexington, Kentucky; m. MARIA MENTELE, October 05, 1837.

 

More About THOMAS CLAY and MARIA MENTELE:

Marriage: October 05, 1837

 

             iv.   SUSAN HART CLAY, b. 1805; m. MARTIN DURALDE, April 22, 1822; b. New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

More About MARTIN DURALDE and SUSAN CLAY:

Marriage: April 22, 1822

 

             v.   ANNE BROWN CLAY, b. April 07, 1807; d. 1835; m. JAMES ERWIN, October 21, 1823; b. Tennessee.

 

More About ANNE BROWN CLAY:

Cause of Death: Childbirth

 

More About JAMES ERWIN and ANNE CLAY:

Marriage: October 21, 1823

 

             vi.   LUCRETIA HART CLAY, b. January 1809; d. July 04, 1823, Ashland, Kentucky.

            vii.   LT. COL. HENRY CLAY, JR., b. April 10, 1811; d. 1847, Buena Vista, Mexico.

 

More About LT. COL. HENRY CLAY, JR.:

Cause of Death: Killed in combat.

MILI: Military: Bet. 1846 - 1847, Kentucky Vol. Inf. - Mexican War

 

           viii.   ELIZA CLAY, b. July 05, 1813.

             ix.   LAURA CLAY, b. September 1816; d. Abt. December 1816.

 

More About LAURA CLAY:

Cause of Death: Whooping Cough

 

             x.   JOHN MORRISON CLAY, b. February 21, 1821.

 

 

 

Endnotes

 

1.  Turner, Frederick Jackson, The Frontier in American History,  (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, c1986), Many references are made that indicate the important role Henry played in the nations development.

2.  Brownlow, William Gannaway 1805-1877, A Political Register: Setting forth principles of the Whig & Locofoco parties in the U.S.,  (Spartanberg SC Reprint Co 1974; reprint of 1877).