Record Summary
Evidence Category:
Published Source
Record Type:
Newsletter
Individuals Mentioned:
Semira (Kavanaugh) Abrams-Wright, Mary Akers, Phyllis Alexander, Jack Algeo, Susan B. Anthony, Lindsey Apple, Almira Bainbridge, Clay G. Barrickman, William Bayly, Charlotte Biggs, Derek Boag, Zackery Boag, Amanda A. Boynton, Bethany W. Boynton, Charles W. Boynton, Daniel W. Boynton, Deborah E. Boynton, Nancy D. Boynton, Ruth O. Boynton, Vanessa Boynton, Clarence Brant, Louis Brant, Ruby Nichols Brant, Julia Brock, G. W. Buckner, Michael Carney, Ann Clay, Barbara G. Clay, Bob Clay, Carol Clay, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Charles Clay, Charles Edward Clay, Christine Clay, David Clay, Elizabeth Clay, Emlin Clay, Francis Clay, George Clay, General Green Clay, H. L. Clay III, Harry Clay, Harry L. Clay Jr., Henry Clay, Henry Clay Jr., Dr. Henry Clay III, Horace Biggs Clay, John Clay, John A. Clay, John Clay II, Joseph Clay, Joseph A. Clay, Judith Clay, Kim Clay, Laura Clay, Linda Hilty Clay, Captain Littleberry Bedford Clay, Lynn Clay, Mary Clay, Mary Barr Clay, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, Mary Rogers Clay, Mary Smith Clay, O. C. Clay, Oliver Carroll Clay, Phyllis Margaret Clay, Rachel Povall Clay, Rochelle Bates Clay, Samuel Clay, Tabbitha Clay, Thomas Clay, Tiffany Clay, William Clay, S. Douglas Cline, William Coleman, Connie Collins, Perry Como, Pansy B. Condit, Capt. William Corker, Sir Thomas Dale, Barbara Davidson, Jefferson Davis, John Didball, Ella Diemer, Samuel Doe, Pat Dunford, John Frame, Martha Green, Colonel Kenneth Grundborg, Mary Ann Tate Grundborg, Charles Herrick, Shirley Herrick, Capt. Francis Hooke, Marcia Hovenden, Mary Clay Hulser, Bruce King, Charles Knighton, Charles Knott, Robert J. Lange, Sallie Clay Lanham, Joan Lesueur, Hugh-Blair Grigsby Long, Philip C. Long, Phillip Long, Ruth Longo, Marie Clay Matlock, Ernest Maxwell, Rita Maxwell, Colin B. Meunier, Gary D. Meunier, Patricia B. Meunier, Mary Mitchell, Julia Mortenson, Robert Munford, William Nicholls, Grayson Offord, Billy Payne, Carrie Pittano, Christian Thomas Pittano, Jack Pittano, Jeff Pittano, Linda Pittano, Nathanael Pittano, Mabel Posegate, William Powers, Kay Riley, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Kenney Shropshire Roseberry, Abby Schwartz, Amanda Shanks, Grace Shannon, Emmitt Smith Jr., Bernard Smith, Blanche V. Smith, Bruce Smith, Emmitt T. Smith, Jeremy Smith, Rosemary Spain, Michelle Steele, Don Von Steen, Elsie Stein, James Stein, John R. Stephenson, Henry [Threawt], James Tate, Katherine Tate, Mary Emma Tate, Bruce Terrell, Noel Terrell, James F. Turturice III, Terry B. Turturice, Thomas J. Turturice, William Urban, Bernice Walker, John Wall, Scarlett White, Skip White, Skylar White, Tanner White, Tiffany White, Shirley Wilcox, Rev. Arthur B. Williams Jr., Bernard J. Williams, Chloe B. Williams, Hannah Wilson, John Wilson, John Wilson Jr., Susan Wingler, Ann (Nancy) Winn, Betty Witt
Repository:
Clay Family Society Digital Archives
Archive Reference:
Folder: 01_Pieces_of_Clay/2007-2025
Summary
Focused on More Questions Than Answers, Some Notes on the Clay Family, Another Kind of “History,” Kentucky History Award Winners – Charles Herrick President
Clay Line: Board
Asset
Source Citation
Pieces of Clay, Clay Family Society, (Winter 2011): 6 pages; CFS Archive ID POC-2011-01.
Historical Context
Key genealogical findings about the Clay family center on their early Virginia origins and subsequent generations:
1. Founding Ancestor: John Clay, known as “the English Grenadier,” immigrated to Virginia in 1613. He received a 1,200-acre land grant in Charles City County in 1635, indicating his status as an early settler and landowner.
2. Descendants and Lineage:
John Clay had at least two sons: William Clay and John Clay II. William Clay is documented as selling land inherited from his father, while John Clay II is recognized as the ancestor of later generations.
Charles Clay (born 1638, died 1686), son of John Clay II, married Hannah Wilson. Their descendants are well-documented, including Henry Clay (1672–1760), who is buried near Richmond, Virginia.
The lineage continues through Charles Clay (1716–1789) and General Green Clay (1757–1823), establishing a clear multi-generational line.
3. Corrections to Earlier Records: Previous genealogical errors were clarified, notably that Francis Clay and Thomas Clay of Northumberland and Surry Counties were not descended from John Clay the immigrant, correcting earlier assumptions.
4. Other Clay Families: Separate Clay families existed in Isle of Wight and Surry Counties, with wills and land records distinguishing them from the main line descending from John Clay of Charles City County.
5. Modern Connections: The Clay Family Society continues to document and connect descendants, with members tracing their ancestry to notable figures such as Henry Clay II and Lucy Green Clay, and maintaining traditions of family storytelling and cemetery visits.
These findings provide a well-documented, multi-generational genealogy for the Clay family, rooted in early colonial Virginia and extending to the present.
