Treesearching with Doris       Boyd Co, Press Observer Jan 29, 1976

CHARLES CLAY (1638-1686) son of Capt. John Clay, married HANNAH WILSON, daughter of John Wilson, Sr., of Henrico County, where they also lived, near the site of present Petersburg. CHARLES distinguished himself by serving in Bacon’s Rebellion.

Times were hard in Virginia in the 1670s. Tobacco prices were low, taxes were high and Indians were attacking frontier settlements. Governor Berkeley did little toward protecting border settlers; colonists thought his inaction due either to fear of a war or his reluctance to disturb his profitable fur trade with the Indians. When Nathaniel Bacon assumed leadership in defense of the frontier against its attackers, Governor Berkeley proclaimed that Bacon and all fighting under him were rebels and mutineers. Men who had taken oath under Bacon soon found themselves fighting the very men they were trying to protect. Then Bacon died from swamp fever and the rebellion fell apart. A number of lesser leaders were hanged on Governor Berkeley’s orders.

The very fact that CHARLES CLAY fought under Bacon in this early uprising against English rule indicates that he was a man of courage and determination. He and HANNAH had seven children: Mary, Elizabeth, John, Thomas, Henry, Charles, and Judith.

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Clay Tentative Lineage by Ruth Clay Burrell, Peggy Carswell Peacock, and Shirley Langdon Wilcox September 22, 1983

Elizabeth _____ who survived him [John Clay] to marry (2) John Wall and (3) John Tate. … In the Virginia Records is a "Deed of Gift", dated 3 October 1660, whereby John Wall conveyed 2 ewes to his "son-in-law" (step-son) CHARLES CLAY; and at Westover Court, 1663, "Elizabeth Clay Wall", widow and Joseph Wall, son of John Wall, Dec’d., were authorized by Court to choose three or four persons from Martin’s Brandon to settle the estate of John Wall, according tot he provisions of his will. (Ref: Virginia County Records, Vol. II, pp 78 and 245, Congressional Library, Washington, D. C.).

CHARLES CLAY b 1645, Charles City Co., Va.; (In a Deposition dated 2 September, 1682, Henrico Co., Va., he stated that he was "about 37 years old".); d. ca May, 1686, Henrico Co., Va.; md. ca 1667, Henrico Co., Va. to HANNAH WILSON, daughter of John Wilson, Sr. of Henrico Co, Va.

In the Henrico Co., Va. "Deeds and Wills, 1677-1697, Part 1" pp359-360 can be found the inventory of John Wilson, Sr.’s estate, and the following is recorded:

"Upon agreement with John Wilson, the Administrator, and my wife’s brother, in paying and defraying debts & charges, I acknowledge in right of my wife to have received a full share & satisfaction, and therefore forever discharging him, his executors and administrators. Witness my hand the 18^th day of February 1685

Witnesses: Peter Field CHARLES CLAY

Henry Randolph

"Proved in Court by Testimony of ye witnesses & recorded as it is endorsed on ye back of ye inventory of ye sd estate of John Wilson, Senr., dec’d.

Teste: Henry Randolph, Clerk of Court

1 April 1686"

Then on page 378 is the inventory of CHARLES CLAY, dated 15 June, 1686.

And on p 463 is the "Deed of Gift" from HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY to some of her children: I give to John Clay, Thomas Clay, Henry Clay and Charles Clay, my sons, each of them one cow of four years old with calf, or calf by her side, to be paid in attainment of age, and for John, Thomas, Henry, each of them, one well fixed gunn at the same time. And to my daughter Judith, six new 3 lb. Puter dishes, at her marriage or attainment of age. Witness my hand this first day of October, 1687.

HANNAH (H) CLAY

Recorded Henrico Co, VA., 1 October, 1687

Then in the "Orphan’s Court", Henrico Co., Va., 1705 can be found the release from Court to Edward Stanley as the guardian of "The Orphans of CHARLES CLAY."

[Did HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY md. (2) ca 1687 to Edward Stanley? Edward Stanley had a daughter named "Hannah" who later married Henry Thweat of Prince George Co., Va., probably the same "Henry Thweat" who purchased John Clay’s land in 1723, Prince George Co, Va.]

Children of CHARLES & HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY: John, Thomas, Henry, Mary, Elizabeth, Judith, Charles.

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Colonial Wills of Henrico Co, Va Pt 1 1654-1737 Weisiger 975.5453

Page 15 p.368 CHARLES CLAY died intestate and his wife HANNAH CLAY is appointed, Adm’x 1 June 1686

Page 23 Book #3 Henrico County Wills & Deeds 1688-1697

p8 Accounts of estate of CHARLES CLAY, dec’d paid by HANNAH CLAY, his widow and Adm’x. Value 6335 lbs tobacco

Recorded Oct. 12, 1688

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Henrico Co, Va. Deeds 1677-1705 Weisiger 975.5453W

Page 44 p.463 I give to John Clay, Thomas Clay, Henry Clay, and Charles Clay, my sons, each, 1 cow 4 years old with calf by her side, at attaining age, also I well-fixed gun. To my daughter Judith Clay, 6 new pewter plates at her marriage or when of age. 1 Oct 1687

HANNAH (H) CLAY Recorded 1 Oct. 1687

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[Dianne’s note: some of the following may be in error. It appears there were 2 John Clay’s & CHARLES was the son of John & Elizabeth & grandson of John & Ann.]

Adverturers of Purse & Person by Jester

CLAY

Page 193-4

John Clay married (1), about 1624, Ann ______ and (2), before 1645, Elizabeth _____, who married (2) John Wall of Charles City. Wall conveyed two ewes, 3 Oct 1660, to his "sonne in Law" [step-son] CHARLES CLAY. 6

CHARLES 2 CLAY (John1) deposed 2 Oct. 1682 that he was about 37 years old. 15 In 1657 he apprenticed himself to Stephen Tickner, "Chyrugion," of Suddy County, who was to "Employ him about the way of Chyrurgery or Phissake, for & duringe the terms of Seaven yeares…" 16

CHARLES 2 CLAYE married HANNAH WILSON, daughter of John Wilson, Sr., and sister of John Wilson, Jr., to whom he gave a receipt for his wife’s full share of her father’s estate, 18 Feb. 1685/6. 17 Shortly thereafter CHARLES 2 died intestate for on 1 June 1686 his widow HANNAH was granted letters of administration on his estate. An inventory was returned 2 Aug. 1686. 18

On 1 Oct. 1787 HANNAH CLAY made a deed of gift of cattle and personality to "John Clay, Thomas Clay, Henry Clay and Charles Clay, my sonnes" and to "my daughter Judith." 19 She married (2) before 10 April 1696, 20 Edward Stanley. She probably died before 20 Aug. 1706 when Edward Stanley was ordered "to bring the remaining orphans of CHARLES CLAY to the next Court to discharge the securities of their estates." 21

Issue: Mary 3, named in the inventory of her father’s estate; Elizabeth 3 named in the inventory of her father’s estate; John 3, Thomas 3, Henry 3, Charles 3; Judith 3.

Charles City Co. Order Bk 1655-65, p. 245. By a previous wife John Wall was the father of the wife of John Price.

Henrico Co. Wills & Deeds 1766-92, p. 240.

Surry Co. Orders, Deeds, Wills 1645-72, transcript, p. 109. The date is blurred. One of the witnesses to this document, which was recorded 10 Oct. 1657, was John Wall.

Henrico Co. wills & Deeds 1677-92, pp. 360.

Ibid., pp. 368, 378.

Ibid., p. 462

Henrico Co. Order Bk. 1694-1701, p. 106. On that date "HANNAH the wife of Edward Standly" took up a servant girl of Mr. Richard Bland.

Henrico Co. Orphans Court Bk. 1677-1739, p. 47. Edward Stanley was born about 1650, being 35 on 14 May 1685 (Henrico Co. Wills & Deeds 1677-92 p. 317) and later married Martha Blankenship (Henrico Co. Orphans Court Bk. 1677-1739, p. 53). His will, 21 May 1726 - 4 July 1726 (Henrico Co. Wills & Deeds 1725-37, p. 30) named among other legatees a daughter Hannah Thweat, probably his child by HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY. One of the witnesses to his will was his step-son Henry Clay.

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[Dianne’s note: The following may be in error. Mrs. Clay misunderstood Rev. Southall’s information. John & Ann had a son John who m. Elizabeth & had CHARLES CLAY.]

The Clay Family. Mrs. Mary Rogers Clay 929.2C

The Genealogy of the Clays pp. 63-68

The children of Captain John and Ann Clay, so far as known, were:

Francis Clay

William Clay

Thomas Clay

CHARLES CLAY, born 1638, died 1686 (intestate). He married HANNAH WILSON, daughter of John Wilson, senior, of Henrico Co, Virginia, and states in Court, April 1686, that he has received his wife’s part of her father’s estate. (1688-1697, page 360.)

CHARLES CLAY was a soldier in the "Great Rebellion of 1676;" one of those "good housekeepers, well-armed" that followed the gallant Bacon in his effort to free Virginia. Of this service the family traditions are fully verified by the records of the Henrico Court. Depositions are there regarding the confiscation and killing of cattle by General Bacon’s soldiers. In this list is the name of CHARLES CLAY. (Bk 1677-92.) We know he was a gallant soldier, for his worthy descendants have been such wherever they have fought, whether at Ninety-Six, New Orleans, Buena Vista, Chickamaunga, or Santiago; yet we wonder (is it disloyal to wonder?) if he were one of the rebels at work on the breastworks in front of the palisades that bright September night when Madam Bray, Madam Page, Madam Ballard, the "white-apron" guard, sat in the forefront?

HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY was granted administration on the estate of CHARLES CLAY by order of Court, June 1, 1686. (Bk 1677-1692, page 368.)

CHARLES CLAY’s estate was settled and debts paid by HANNAH CLAY, October 12, 1688 (Bk 1688-1697, page 8.)

Extracts from the inventory and appraisement of the estate of CHARLES CLAY, deceased, presented June 15, 1686, by HANNAH CLAY, administratrix:

Cows &c belonging to Elizabeth Clay, one of ye orphans, which were given her by her grandfather.

Horses &c set apart by CHARLES CLAY for ye children in lieu of two mares with increase, given them by their grandfather, John Wilson Sen. Dec’d

The two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, were probably the only children of age.

The Marke appointed to John Clay, by his Mother is "a flower de luce, on ye left ear of his hogs or cattle, and a crop and a hole on ye right ear." And liberty is, by his said Mother requested that ye same may be entered on record. (Henrico County, Xbr I. 1687, page 472.)

CHARLES and HANNAH (WILSON) CLAY had issue:

Mary Clay

Elizabeth Clay

John Clay, lived on lower side of Deep Creek, Amelia County

Thomas Clay, Test. 1726, of Prince George county (now Amelia, cut off 1734).

Henry Clay, Test. 1764, in Cumberland county, Virginia

Charles Clay, Test. 1754, Chesterfield County, Virginia

Judith Clay

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Genealogy of VA Families VII 1981

Some Notes on the Clay Family p 77-80

Contributed by the late Reverend Stephen O. Southall

…Gen Green Clay (born 1757, died 1828) says the father of CHARLES CLAY (born 1638, died 1686) 1 was John Clay II, and grandson of the immigrant John Clay. All the records which go back to John Clay agree with General Green Clay’s account…

General Green Clay’s account says that this second John Clay had several sons, but only two of them are known, viz:

William Clay, "the younger", who sold land to William Bayly, as we have seen above, we know nothing more of him. 2

CHARLES CLAY, born 1638, 3 who married HANNAH WILSON, 4, and whose descendants are well accounted for by Mrs. Mary Rogers Clay in her book, The Clay family.

This CHARLES CLAY (born 1638; died 1686) married HANNAH WILSON and had a son, Henry Clay (born 1672, died 1760) married Mary Mitchell, and had a son Charles Clay (born 1716, died 1789) married Martha Green, and were the parents of General Green Clay (born 1757, died 1823)

In December 1655 William Clay of Westover Parish, sold to John Didball, minister, 550 acres being part of 1000 acres "bought by my father John Clay, dec’d, of Capt. Edd Hooke… com’only called and known by the name of Clay’s Closett." Of the balance of 450 acres 400 acres was sold to William Bayly, and "fiftie given by me to Cornelius Clemence." This land being on Crosse Creek. In February 1659 William Clay was sworne constable of Weyanoke Parish. In October 1663 probate of the will of William Clay, dec’d. was granted to Emlin Clay, widow and executrix (Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. 10, Charles City County Court Orders 1655-58, page 19; vol. 11, same 1658-61, page 65; vol. 12, same, 1661-4, page 72) The William Clay of Charles City county, who appears in the above references, was certainly this William Clay.

On October 3, 1660 a deed of gift for 2 ewes was made by John Wall "unto his son-in-law CHARLES CLAY" in Charles City County (Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. 11, Charles City County Court Orders, 1658-61, page 78) The term "son-in-law", at that date, usually was used for stepson. It seems probable (from this reference) that the widow of John Clay, and mother of CHARLES CLAY, had married secondly John Wall.

Wilson Family. On June 6, 1666, John Wilson patented land in Henrico County on north side Appomattox River on the second falls of Swift Creek. In 1677 John Wilson appears as 30 years old. In 1686 John Wilson, Jr. Had administration granted him on the estate of his father, John Wilson, deceased. In April 1686 CHARLES CLAY gave receipt to John Wilson, Jr. For his wife [HANNAH’s] part of the estate of her father John Wilson, deceased. John Wilson, of Henrico County, who died in 1686, was the father of: (1) John Wilson, Jr., whose will was recorded in Henrico County in 1716. (2) HANNAH WILSON, who married CHARLES CLAY.

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Warrens & Related Families of North Carolina & Virginia Holland D. Warren, PHD., 1990

page 346 At the October 1660 session of the court at Merchants Hope, John Wall recorded a "Deed of gift" of two ewes "unto his sonne in Law Charles Clay." 24

page 349 Joseph Wall has at least two sisters: One married Charles Clay;…

[Note by Dianne: this is apparently an assumption based on the above deed of gift & is incorrect. Elizabeth ___ m. 1. John Clay & had son Charles Clay. She married 2. John Wall & had Joseph Wall. Sonne in Law is also used in old documents to mean step son.]

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Surry County, Virginia Court Records, 1652-1663, Book I

page ? [107]-108 This Indenture made the ffourt_ (torn) years of or. Lord god 1657, Betweene ____CLAY of (torn) one ptie. & Stephen Tickner Chyrugion of the other ptie. Witnesseth that the said CHARLES CLAY doth hereby Covenant, grant & promise to & wth. The sd. Stephen Tickner to serve him or assignees in shall such Imploymt. As the sd Tickner shall imploy him aboute in the way of Chyrurgerye or Phisick ffor & duringe the terme & time of seaven yeares, a& the sd. Tickner is to use his best skill & Judgmt. To learne him his Art & what Cloathes the sd. CHARLES doth bring, the sd Tickner is to returne to him at the Expiration of the time afforsd. Signed CHARLES CLAY. Wittnesse John Wall, The Mke. Of Dan. Veal (DA) Record 10^th 8ber. 1657.