Public

POC-2011-03 – POC, 2011 Qtr 3, Vol. IX Issue 3

Record Summary

Evidence Category:

Published Source

Record Type:

Newsletter

Individuals Mentioned:

Phyllis Alexander, M.W. Anderson, Mary Webster Erwin Anderson, Almira Bainbridge, Julie Brock, Kent Masterson Brown, David H. Burr, Abram Clay, C F Clay, Charles Clay, Dr. Faithful [Clay?], Henry Clay III, Greenberry (Green) Clay, Henry Clay Jr., Henry Hart Clay, James Clay, James W. Clay, Jeremiah Clay, John Clay, John G. Clay, John Nicholas Clay, Josephine Russell Erwin Clay, Lucinda [Clay?], Martha [Clay?], Mary A. Clay, Mary Ann [Clay?], Mgt (Muse) Clay, Nancy Gardner Clay, Polly A. [Clay?], Sarah (Hancock) Clay, Solomon Clay, Solomon B. Clay, Thomas Clay, Wade H. Clay, William Clay, Rebecca Collett, Sarah Collett, S. Douglas Cline, Connie Collins, Mary Curnett, Mary Dumville/Dummiese, Pat Dunford, Anne Clay Erwin, Colonel Andrew Eugene Erwin, Eugenia Erwin, Lucretia (Lula) Erwin, Nettie Erwin, Nathaniel Greene, Pat Grimes, Sarah Hancock, Charles (Charlie) Herrick, Marcia Hovenden, Frances Johnson, Bill LaBach, Barclay Martin, Matthew Martin, Rachel Clay Martin, Sarah (Sallie) Clay Martin, Mgt Miller, Sarah Murphy [Clay?], Malva Ann Musick, Mrs. Nancy Ott, Linda Pittano, Rachel Povall, David Rumsey [OCR: Rumsay], Josephine Russell, William H. Russell, Susan Clay Sawitzky, James Townsend Thompson, Henry Watkins, Nancy Winn, Shirley Langdon Wilcox, Catherine Wegerlin,

Repository:

Clay Family Society Digital Archives

Archive Reference:

Folder: 01_Pieces_of_Clay/2007-2025

Summary

Focused on Eugene and Josephine Erwin, Annotated Early Clay Families in Missouri, Westward Ho! and How, When, Where, etc., Clays in the Revolution via DAR site, Missouri… where Clays lived in 1840 and 1850… Where were they from?… How did they travel?… Where did they go?– Charles Herrick President

Clay Line: Board

Asset

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Source Citation

Pieces of Clay, Clay Family Society, (Summer 2011): 4 pages; CFS Archive ID POC-2011-03.

Historical Context

Key genealogical findings center on the Clay family’s migration, notable individuals, and their roles in American history:

1. Migration and Settlement:
The Clay family spread from Virginia and Kentucky into Missouri by the early 1800s, with heads of households recorded in multiple Missouri counties by 1830 and 1840.

By 1850, forty-one Clay families or single adults lived in Missouri, with most having migrated from Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and other states, reflecting westward expansion trends.

2. Notable Individuals and Lineages:
Andrew Eugene Erwin, grandson of Henry Clay, married Josephine Russell and settled in Independence, Missouri. Their family story is marked by tragedy and heroism during the Civil War, with Eugene serving as a Confederate officer and dying at Vicksburg.

Josephine Erwin later became a pioneering horsewoman and author in Kentucky, marrying John Morrison Clay, Henry Clay’s youngest son.

Other prominent Clays include Sarah (Sallie) Clay Martin and Rachel Clay Martin, who contributed to the Revolutionary War effort, and Elizabeth Hudson Clay Watkins, recognized for her Patriot Service.

3. Military and Patriotic Service:
At least 25 Clays from Virginia are documented in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) records for military or patriotic service during the Revolution, including both men and women.

4. Family Connections and Legacy:
The Clay family’s history is intertwined with major events such as the westward migration, the Civil War, and the development of Kentucky’s thoroughbred industry.

Their stories reflect resilience, public service, and adaptation to changing circumstances across generations.