Henry Clay (1672 - 1760)

Born 3 Aug 1672 in Chesterfield, Dale Parish, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Hannah (Mitchell) Clay — married 1707 in Henrico County, Province of Virginia

Descendants

Died 3 Aug 1760 at age 88 in The Raells, Chesterfield, Dale Parish, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Descendant of John Clay, a Jamestowne Society Qualifying Ancestor.

Henry Clay was born August 3, 1672 in Dale Parish, Chesterfield, Virginia, son of Charles Clay and Hannah Wilson.^[1]

Henry married Mary Mitchell Clay (1693-1777).^[2]

Will of Henry Clay. Chesterfield County, Virginia. March 28, 1749; probate at the September term of Chesterfield court, 1760 ^[3]

1. son William Clay'...my land and plantation on Deep Creek, in Henrico County, whereon Richard Belcher now lives...
2. son Henry Clay land and plantation he now lives on, and two hundred acres of land at "Let Alone", in Goochland County, it being the Lower Survey belonging to me...
3. son Charles Clay
4. son John Clay
5. daughter Amey Williamson (m.William Marston Green,later Williamson,
6. daughter Mary Watkins
7. grandson Henry Clay ("Dr. Henry Clay of Ky")
8. granddaughter Mary Clay, daughter of Charles Clay' Mary Mitchell Clay (1693-1777), (afterwards Mrs. Stephen Lockett)
9. wife Mary

Children

1. Amey Clay Green (1708 - 1774)
2. William Mitchell Clay (1708 - 1774)
3. Mary Clay Watkins Belcher (1710 - 1770)
4. Henry Clay (1711 - 1764)
5. Martha Clay Bass (1713 - 1744) (died before father wrote will)
6. Charles Clay (1716 - 1789)
7. John Clay (1718 - 1761)

His four sons, named executors of the will, were "granted letters of administration on the oaths of George Farrar and Allyson Clarke, witnesses. B. Watkins was clerk of Chesterfield County at that time."

Slaves named in will:

1. Phoebe (willed to granddaughter Mary Clay):
2. Lewis, Jo, Sue, Nann, Jenny, and Sarah (willed to wife Mary:

• other slaves mentioned, but not by name.

Henry Charles Clay, Sr. died 3 Aug 1760 (aged 87–88) at The Raells, Chesterfield, Dale Parish, Province of Virginia. ^[4]

Burial: Henry Clay Memorial. Midlothian, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA:

His Tombstones reads: "In Memory of Henry Clay Who died at dinner with his children and grandchildren at an annual festival given them on August 3, 1760".

The Memorial Marker reads: "Henry Clay, The Elder, born 1672 Chesterfield County, was the Gr. Grandfather of the Stateman (sic). His tomb one-fourth mile east bears the inscription In Memory of Henry Clay Who died at dinner with his children and grandchildren at an annual festival given them on August 3, 1760". Presented by Richmond Chapter, Colonial Dames of The 17th Century .1957.

In 1726 Henry witnessed Ralph Blankenship's will.

Will Henry Clay's will was signed March 28, 1749, and probated at the September term of Chesterfield Court, 1760. The following extracts from it may be interesting:

I, Henry Clay, of Henrico County, being of perfect health, mind, and memory, thanks be to God....

• Primis. I give and bequeath unto my son, William Clay, the land and plantation whereon he now lives, and my land and plantation on Deep Creek, in Henrico County, whereon Richard Belcher now lives, to him, his heirs, and assigns forever.

• I give and bequeath to my son, Henry Clay, the land and plantation he now lives on, and two hundred acres of land at Letalone, in Goochland County, it being the Lower Survey belonging to me at the said Letalone, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.

• Item. I give and bequeath unto my son, Charles Clay, the plantation whereon he now lives and all of the land on the north side of Swift Creek and the lower side of Nuttree Run to me belonging, and also four hundred acres at Letalone, it being my Upper Survey at Letalone, to him and his heirs forever.

• Item. I give and bequeath unto my son, John Clay, the plantation whereon he now lives and all my land on the north side of Swift Creek and upper side of Nuttree Run, to him and his heirs forever.

• Item. I likewise give and bequeath my Grist Mill on Nuttree Run to be equally divided between my son Charles and my son John Clay, to be held in joint tenancy, to them and their heirs forever.

• Item. I give to my daughter, Amey Williamson, five pounds, current money.

• Item. I give to my daughter, Mary Watkins, five pounds, current money.

• Item. I give to my grandson, Henry Clay [Dr. Henry Clay, of Ky.], 240 acres adjoining the lands of James Hill &c.

• Item. I give and bequeath to my granddaughter, Mary Clay, daughter of Charles Clay [afterwards Mrs. Stephen Lockett], one negro girl, named Phoebe.

• Item. I give unto Mary, my well-beloved wife, the plantation whereon I now live, during her natural life, and my negroes, Lewis, Jo, Sue, Nann, Jenny and Sarah, during her natural life, and what stock and household goods she pleases to have or make use of, of mine.

• Item. I devise that the rest of my slaves not heretofore given, and my stock and household goods, be given and equally divided among my four sons aforementioned, at their discretion, and also the negroes above written, and gave my wife, may be equally divided after my wife's decease.

• Item. I give to my four sons, above written, and to my wife, to be equally divided, all the ready money and money out at use, that I shall be possessed with at my death.

• Item. After my wife's decease I give my plantation, whereon I now live, to my son John Clay and his heirs forever, together with the adjacent lands thereunto belonging,

and I do hereby make, constitute and ordain my four sons, above written, to be my only and sole executors of this, my last Will and Testament.

Research Notes

Location Notes: Dale Parish was formed in 1735 and served Henrico County (to 1749) and Chesterfield County, which was formed in 1749 (to after 1785).^[5] Location: Next to the new Manchester High School, on Bailey Bridge Road, in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Direct from FindaGrave

(Not sure why but since the following is included it needed quotation marks and a proper citation. Please feel free to delete if the copied material is removed from this page)- Becky Elizabeth

"His tombstones reads: In Memory of Henry Clay "Who died at dinner with his children and grandchildren at an annual festival given them on August 3, 1760".

Also placed at this site is a Memorial Marker it reads:

Henry Clay

Henry Clay, The Elder, born 1672 Chesterfield County, was the Gr. Grandfather of the Stateman. His tomb one-fourth mile east bears the inscription In Memory of Henry Clay

"Who died at dinner with his children and grandchildren at an annual festival given them on August 3, 1760".

Presented by Richmond Chapter, Colonial Dames of The 17th Century .1957.

Henry Clay, the grandson of, Capt. John Thomas Clay"^[6]

NOTE: I believe this Henry Clay is also the father of William Mitchell Clay who was born abt 1710 in Henrico (Chesterfield) County, Virginia and died 10 Sep 1774. Source: Donna Sue Homes 1/7/2011. NOTE: Mary Obedience married Richard BELCHER. Her daughter, married Richard Bailey (Elizabeth, and her sister Phoebe Belcher married Mitchell Clay.) Source: aye ain't, 6/5/2012.

Sources

1. ↑ Dorman, "Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5", 4th ed., 2004, v1, pp. 643-4, 646,
2. ↑ Wulfeck, "Marriages of Some Virginia Residents, 1607-1800", GPO, 1986, vI, p96
3. ↑ Virginia Will Book 2, pp244-7; Order Book 3, p78
4. ↑ Find-Grave Memorial ID ##7711025.
5. ↑ Spradlin, Freddie. Parishes of Virginia (accessed 19 September 2020).
6. ↑ [1]

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7711025/henry-clay: accessed March 23, 2024), memorial page for Henry “The Elder” Clay (1672–3 Aug 1760), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7711025, citing Henry Clay Memorial, Midlothian, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by JanisCJ (contributor 47095198).

Memorial Page Here: [2]

See also:

• Ancestry Profile

• "The Clay family;" Filson Club Publications n14: Online version Here [3]

• "Corrections of the lineage of Rev. Charles Green Clay" : [4] (Note the bottom of page states:

"Copyright © 2001 by The Clay Family Place Newsletter. All rights reserved.

Do not reuse any material without written permission .)

• Not found: Clay Cemetery Geneology

• Family Genealogy done by RJ Sadlon

Acknowledgments