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Family of John Clay

(This person can be viewed within the Melton/Sharp Ancestry Chart by clicking here)

1. JOHN² CLAY (JOHN¹ CLAYE?, ESQ.)^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7} was born 1587 in Kent, England or Wales, and died 1656 in Petersburg, Virginia. He married (1) ANNE NICHOLS? Abt. 1624. She was born Abt. 1600 in England, and died in Charles County, Virginia. He married (2) ELIZABETH (FRAME?) Bef. 1645.

Notes for JOHN CLAY:

(the following note was written by Ned Boyajian, Ned@Rmedia.com)

Clay Cousins,

Almost 2 years ago, I synopsized the paper Robert Clay of Richmond presented on his research into a number of the genealogical traditions of the Clay family and distributed the synopsis via the Clay Family Listserve -- CLAY-L@rootsweb.com. It occurs to me that many cousin-researchers who use Genforum might not receive information via the email list, so I’m posting the synopsis here. It is not my intent to take a stand or express a personal opinion about Robert Clay’s research or the traditions he probes, but to present his findings in the hope that Clay-researchers find them interesting.

But, first, my disclaimers: I'm reporting on research that is not mine. The researcher was Robert Clay of Richmond, who several years ago presented his findings at a meeting of the Jamestowne Society. I have to assume that readers of this post are already familiar with the traditions surrounding the Immigrant -- it simply would take me too long to delve into them in detail. I apologize if my approach is confusing or unclear. I have not done the due diligence of noting where I'm quoting directly, and I apologize for that, too; but I don't have a lot of time to spend on this.

The researcher has examined a number of the traditions that have gathered around John Clay the Immigrant and casts doubt on the accuracy of several of them. I'm noting some highlights in the following format: the Tradition; the Source of the tradition, according to the researcher; the Assertion of the researcher on the accuracy of the tradition & the source; and the Researcher's Source, where our researcher got his information (when germane).

***

Tradition: The Immigrant's name was Captain John Clay, an English Grenadier

Sources:

John was first called a Captain in Mary Rogers Clay's "The Clay Family" which was not published until 1899 John was first called a Grenadier in the "Green Clay Manuscript" which probably was not written until after 1844

Assertion: The researcher does not further comment on these data.

Inference: The "captain/grenadier" tradition is late and may be suspect.

Tradition: The Immigrant descended from a John Clay, knighted by King Edward IV; and the Immigrant's father was Sir John Clay, Coal Baron of Wales, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Two other Johns came between the two knights.

sources: the above is "based on research" said to have been conducted by Miss Margaret Clay of Washington at the Museum of London and the College of Arms. [note, the research did not mention where he encountered the reference to Miss Clay]

Assertion: There is no documentation of either knighthood. The intervening John Clays cannot be identified. There is no known title of "Coal Baron of Wales" and at that time the word "baron" was not yet used in the sense of "robber baron." Margaret Clay of Washington cannot be identified. There is no Museum of London and the British Museum (if that is what was meant) has no such records. The College of Arms has no record of the claimed pedigree.

Researcher's Source: His avenue of research was not specified.

Tradition: The Immigrant's middle name was Thomas

Source: A twentieth century researcher (unidentified by "our" researcher)

Assertion: The twentieth century researcher was mistaken on several counts: 1. he was looking at the signature of a different, unrelated man, John Clay of Wight County, VA. 2. What the researcher thought was the middle initial "T" in the signature actually was an "I" which was an old form of the letter "J" -- merely John's mark for "John" 3. The researcher after misreading the signature decided on his own that the "T" stood for "Thomas"

Reseacher's Source: not specified

Tradition: Ann was the mother of Charles Clay, John's son. John and Ann married in England, before John went to James town

Source: Of Ann as mother -- not specified. Of the marriage in England --

Mary Rogers Clay.

Assertion: The English marriage is not documented and seems improbable (due to the 10 year wait before Ann came to VA). John took a second wife, Elizabeth, who survived him and twice remarried, first to Captain John Wall. "That Elizabeth was the mother of Charles Clay is proven by a deed of gift of two ewe lambs from Captain Wall to his 'sonne in Law Charles Clay' 3 October 1660."

[Ned's note: Someone help me out here -- I understand the words 'sonne in law' to mean a man married to one's daughter. In the 17th century was the term used to mean 'step son'?]

Researcher's Sources: Elizabeth Clay Wall is mentioned in several depositions in 1662.

Tradition: John and Ann Clay had four sons: Francis, William, Thomas, and Charles [source: Mary Rogers Clay]. And John Bennet Boddie added a fifth son to the list -- John Clay of Isle of Wight County, VA.

Assertion: Mary Clay Rogers mistook a list of Virginia Clays for a list of John & Ann's sons. Boddie's placement of John Clay of Isle of Wight County on the list simply was inaccurate.

Researcher's Sources: The man who supplied Mary Rogers Clay with the list of Virginia Clays was the Rev. Phillip Southall of Amelia. After publication of "The Clay Family" Mr. Southall published a disclaimer in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography [note: researcher didn't include date/volume]. As for Mr. Boddie, the researcher reports that his claim "was challenged by Minnie Gathright Cook... In a letter to James Branch Cabell in 1951, Mrs. Cook said that Mr. Boddie 'now accepts my version.'"

***

Some cousin-researchers familiar with Robert Clay’s assertions are seeking documentation to prove some of our family’s old traditions. I’m eagerly awaiting the results.

Ned Boyajian (Ned@Rmedia.com)

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Genealogy of the Clay's, Author Mary Rogers Clay, Louisville, Kentucky:

[John Thomas Clay, son of Sir John Clay landed at Jamestown, VA in 1613 and settled in Charles City County, Virginia. He paid for the importation of 32 people on the good ship 'West' which arrived July 13, 1635.]

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Clay Family Quarterly, Vol. 4 No. 1 January 1969 Pages 11-12:

[John Thomas Clay, the Grenadier (hired soldier in the King's army) arrived in the new world in February 1613 according to the muster on the 'Treasurer'. The Treasurer was commanded and partially owned by Captain Samuel Argall, who was a brother of Elizabeth Argall Filmer, ancestress of Martha & Lucy Green Clay (wife of Henry Clay 1713-1764). It is stated in his muster that he (John Clay) was a planter before the government of Sir Thomas Dale. Sir Thomas Dale was deputy governor of the Virginia Colony from __ until August 1, 1611, however he also served the colony from March 1614 until May 1616. This last term is surely the reference in the muster since John Clay arrived in the new world in February 1613.]

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Seventeenth Century Isle of Wright, John B. Boddie, Author Page 212:

[John Clay was the first of this family in Virginia. He was living at Jordan's Journey, Charles City, County, Virginia in 1625 when he made a muster of this family in the census of that year as follows: John Claye in the 'Treasurer', February 1613; Ann Claye, his wife in the 'Ann' August 1623; William Nichols, servant, aged 26 in the 'Dutie' May 1619.]

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Abstracts of Virgina Land Patents, Vol. 3, Page 186:

[John Clay, 1200 acres in the County of Charles City, due 100 acres to him as an old planter before the government of Sir Thomas Dale, and the other 1100 for transportation of 22 persons. By West-July 13, 1635. Note: John Clay came to Virginia in 1613, his wife in 1623. In 1655 William Bayly patented 400 acres purchased from William Clay, son of John Clay. These persons may have been ancestors of Henry Clay, Senator from Kentucky, whose first recorded ancestor Henry Clay, was living in that part of Henrico County, VA. which is now Chesterfield County, Va. when extant records began in 1677. There is also a family of Clays in Surry County, Va. from an early date.]

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Clay Family Quarterly, Vol. 2 No, 4, page 64:

[August 23, 1643, John Wall patented 1790 acres on Chippoakes Creek, between John Hooke and William Pilkington, adjacent John Clay and John Freme.]

[One William Bailey patented 400 acres of land in Charles City, May 1, 1655, "part of a dividend of 200 acres granted Captain Francis Hooke, 26, October 1637 and assigned to John Clay and John Freme and by inheritance descended unto William Clay son of said John and by William Bailey purchased of said William Clay, the younger.]

[On the 18th of February, 1663 Anthony Spilltimber of Surry and wife Mary daughter of Robert Harris, formerly of Isle of Wright, sold 250 acres on Lawne's Creek to John Clay of Surry. In 1688 this land was the subject of a suit between Anthony Spilltimber and John Jennings who married his wife's sister. Spilltimber said that he had sold his rights to John Clay, Sr., "upon which he now liveth." (see deed).]

[John Clay made his will in 1675 as "John Clay the elder", and gave his son William the land he had bought of Anthony Spilltimber. Thomas Clay his eldest son was given the other land and John was given stock and cattle. Thomas was then living in Surry for he was a tithable in Lawne's Creek Parish in 1668.]

[In 1673 Thomas was accused of unlawful assembly and of declaring he could not pay his public taxes. He made his will in Surry in 1679 and gave all of property to his wife Elizabeth, no children mentioned. However he had a son Thomas who was mentioned in the will of his brother William in 1676, but Thomas may have died before his father's will was made.] If not he and any brothers may be the ancestors of the Clay family of Kentucky, otherwise the first mentioned William Clay was their probable ancestor.]

[William, son of John the elder, married Judith daughter of Captain William Corker, Burgess of James City in 1655-66. William Corker was the son of John Corker, Burgess for James City in 1633 and 1645. He was Clerk of the House of Burgesses, 1645-1653 and Married Dorcas born in 1601.]

[William Corker, Burgess for James City 1655-56 and Captain of militia, married Lucy, sister of Captain John White, and made his will in Surry, September 4, 1677 naming children, Susanna, wife of George Branch of Surry, Judith wife of William Clay, and Lucy, wife of Thomas Jordan.]

[Captain John White was a Burgess in 1641 and had a lot in Jamestown in 1644. He was probably son of William White, haberdasher of London. His will was proven in Surry in 1679 an he left his property to his two sisters Lucy Corker and Mary White.]

William Clay died in 1675 (see will) an left two daughters, Elizabeth who married John Brantly and Sarah who married George Barlow. John Brantly died in 1730 leaving a son Clay Brantly and grandsons John and Thomas Brantly sons of Clay (see will).]

[George Barlow was the son of Thomas Barlow who died in 1679. George made his will in which he mentions sons, George and Thomas, and three daughters. (see will).]

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Other reference material-

Hottentot's "Original Immigrants from England", pp 1600-1700.

"History of the Clay Family" by Mary Roger Clay.

Captain Thomas Finch records of 1880.

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More About JOHN CLAY:

Emigration: February 1612/13, Came from England on the "Treasurer"

Residence: 1625, Jordans Journey, Charles City Co., VA

Notes for ANNE NICHOLS?:

Came to America on the "Ann" in 1623

More About JOHN CLAY and ANNE NICHOLS?:

Marriage: Abt. 1624

More About JOHN CLAY and ELIZABETH (FRAME?):

Marriage: Bef. 1645

Children of JOHN CLAY and ANNE NICHOLS? are:

i. WILLIAM³ CLAY, d. 1675; m. JUDITH CORKER.

ii. FRANCIS CLAY, b. Abt. 1626; d. Abt. 1667.

iii. THOMAS CLAY, b. Abt. 1634; m. ELIZABETH UNKNOWN.

iv. DR. CHARLES CLAY ^8,9,10,11,12, b. 1638, Charles City County, Virginia; d. May 1686, Henrico County, Virginia; m. HANNAH WILSON¹³, 1667, Henrico County, Virginia; b. 1642, Henrico County, Virginia; d. 1706, Henrico County, Virginia.