Public

POC-2023-01 – POC, 2023 Qtr 1, Winter

Document

Record Summary

Evidence Category:

Published Source

Record Type:

Newsletter

Date:

Feb 2023

Individuals Mentioned:

David Blake, Ned Boyajian, Eric Brooks, Beatrice (Jones) Clay, Christopher Clay, Corey Clay, David J. Clay, Dora Clay, Elizabeth Hudson Clay, Ellis Eli Clay, Rev. Frederick M. Clay, Gail B. Clay, Gail Clay Jr., Harry Clay, Henry Clay, Dr. Henry Clay, Henry Harold (Harry) Clay, Senator Henry Clay, John Clay, John Clay [or Claye], John S. Clay, Mary Elizabeth (Rucker) Clay, Mitchell Clay, Mitchell Clay Sr., Phoebe (Belcher) Clay, Randy Clay, Richard Clay, Robert "Bob" Thomas Clay, Robert L. Clay, Stella (Geiser) Clay, Sue Attie Clay, Capt. Thomas C. Clay, William Clay, William Henry Clay, Susan Clay-Benson, Nancy Cook, Barbara Nell Clay Crist, David Crist, Gen. George B. Crist, William Crist, Rachel Findlay, Dr. Dolores Mercedes Franklin, Jaqueline Gray, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, George David "Dave" Hovenden, Marcia Hovenden, Bruce King, Sandra L. Neder, Val Paget, Joe Parker, Leontyne Clay Peck, Mary Richardson, Bill G. Sorrells

Repository:

Clay Family Society Digital Archives

Archive Reference:

Folder: 01_PieFces_of_Clay/2007-2025

Summary

Focused on New Business Meeting Format, Field Trips, A Timeline of Early Clays of Barbados, Database of Enslaved People, Clay 1613, Zoom Mini-Meet-Up – Ned Boyajian President*

Clay Line: Board

Asset

View Public Asset

Source Citation

Pieces of Clay, Clay Family Society, (Winter 2023): 13 pages; CFS Archive ID POC-2023-01.

Historical Context

Henry Clay’s African American Descendants: The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) verified that Dr. Dolores Mercedes Franklin is a direct descendant of patriot Elizabeth Hudson Clay and John Clay through their son, Statesman Henry Clay. The lineage was verified through her maternal grandmother, Dora Clay, who was the granddaughter of Henry Clay’s mulatto son.

Early Clays of Barbados: Historical records from 1626 to 1715 trace early settlers. Notably, the 1643 marriage of Richard Clay and Jane Lewis in Christ Church is recorded on the first page of the Barbados Parish Registers. Additionally, a historical “Barbados Clay Plantation” has been identified via archival mapping.

Enslaved People Database: The research of historian Gwendolyn Midlo Hall rescued the identities of over 100,000 enslaved people in colonial Louisiana. This searchable online database contains the names of many individuals enslaved by the Clay family, providing a valuable tool for researchers.

Rachel Findlay Freedom Suits: Records highlight Rachel Findlay, a Native American girl who was illegally enslaved by Mitchell Clay (grandson of Henry Clay, 1672–1760) long after her freedom had legally been granted. Her story is preserved through 18th and 19th-century Virginia “Freedom Suits”.

Rev. Frederick M. Clay: Family history shows his father was born in England and settled on Prince Edward Island, Canada, while Frederick was born in Nova Scotia in 1865 before becoming a sailor and a U.S. Baptist minister.