Record Summary
Evidence Category:
Published Source
Record Type:
Newsletter
Date:
2nd Quarter 2016
Individuals Mentioned:
Diane Adams, Mary Akers, Mary Ashmead, Rogers (Roseberry) Bardé, Margaret Boyle, Isaac Brackett III, Alfred G. Clay, Ann (Curtis) Clay, Cecil Clay, Charles Clay, Christine [Clay], Cornelia [Clay], Curtis Clay, David Clay, Edward C. Clay, Fletcher Clay, Dr. Henry Clay, Henry Clay, Jane (Walker) Clay, Jerry Clay, Jesse Clay, John Cecil [Clay], Joseph Ashmead Clay, Lucy (Green) Clay, Martha (Green) Clay, Martha [Lewis] Clay, Mary [Clay], Miriam (Royall?) Clay, Mitchell Clay, Peter Clay, Phoebe (Belcher) Clay, Pleasant G. Clay, Rachel (Povall) Clay, Reverend Charles Clay, Robert Clay, Robert Young Clay, Sallie (Lewis) Clay, Slater (Curtis) Clay, William Clay, William V. Clay, Elizabeth [Clay(e)], John Clay(e), Doug S. D. Cline, Connie Collins, Edward Cook, Nancy Cook, Douglas [Coombs], Kathleen (Crane) Coombs, Louise Copenhaver, Pat Dietrich, Ann Dougherty, Pat Dunford, Roberta Estes, John G. Fee, Cornelia Fletcher, Anne Charlotte Glover, Louise (Root) Godfrey, Janis Hendrick, Carla (Haslam) Herkner, David W. Herkner, James Hill, Curtis L. Hovenden, Dave [Hovenden], David George Hovenden, John E. Hovenden, Marcia (Hasson) Hovenden, Naomi [Hovenden], Anna Wood Kester, Charles Knighton, Henry Ware Lawton, Joyce (Wheeler) Lesich, Philip Livingston, Pamela (Hinds) Mooneyham, Nancy Mosely, Hazel (Hovenden) Murray, Rembrandt Peale, Robert Pepper, Rick Pickwick, Linda Pittano, John Raken, Mabel Clarissa (Glover) Root, Susan (Wells) Ryan, Hannah Slater, Mary Eleanor Spencer, Harold Tallant, Joseph Terry, Sarah (Williams) Terry, Elsie (Clay) Townsend, William Vaux, Diane (Farmer) Walsh, Leonard [Walsh], Richard Wells, Harold Bonner Wilcox, Shirley (Langdon) Wilcox, Wayne Kent Wilcox
Repository:
Clay Family Society Digital Archives
Archive Reference:
Folder: 01_Pieces_of_Clay/2007-2025
Summary
Focused on DNA, 2016 Gathering, Cecil Clay, Civil War Captain, Hero, Part I – Doug Cline President
Clay Line: Board
Asset
Source Citation
Pieces of Clay, Clay Family Society, (Spring 2016): 4 pages; CFS Archive ID POC-2016-02.
Historical Context
Key genealogical findings from the Clay Family Society newsletter center on ongoing efforts to trace the ancestry and connections of the Clay family, particularly focusing on John Clay, an early immigrant to Jamestown from England. Despite extensive research, John Clay’s exact English origins remain unconfirmed due to missing or incomplete records. However, the Society has expanded its DNA project, now including tests from Clay descendants in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Seventeen DNA tests have been conducted, but no definitive match has yet been found linking American Clays to documented English ancestors. The project aims to identify whether all Clay lines share a common ancestor or if John Clay represents a distinct branch.
The newsletter also highlights the genealogical investigation into Civil War hero Captain Cecil Clay, tracing his lineage through census records and official documents. His ancestry is mapped back to Joseph Ashmead Clay and further to Curtis Clay, a Revolutionary War figure, and ultimately to Robert Clay of Chesterfield, England. This research demonstrates the Society’s methodical approach, combining traditional records with modern DNA analysis.
Additionally, the Society welcomes new members descended from various Clay branches and commemorates notable family members, emphasizing the broad and interconnected nature of the Clay family tree. The ongoing research and DNA initiatives reflect both the challenges and opportunities in uncovering deeper genealogical connections.
