Green Clay Manuscript
I have located my copy of the so-called Green Clay manuscript I obtained from the Library of Virginia. Green Clay (1757-1828) was a wealthy surveyor of Madison County, Kentucky. The manuscript was found in his papers. Bob Clay says it is not in Green Clay's handwriting and was likely done by one of his sisters. There is a lot more in the manuscript about the Greens than about the Clays. Bob Clay says the manuscript reads as if the Green family was a lot more important than the Clay family. The following is my transcription of the first page:
John Clay the original stock from whom the present numerous families of of the Clays descended; was born in England and came over to America in the King's service, a British grenadier; in Bacon's Rebellion; we know very little of him except that he was pleased with the country; married & raised a family; we know not whether he was an officer or a private, in Blackbeard's Rebellion he had a son John and a daughter Hannah, we know not who Hannah married.
John Clay son of the British Grenadier our great grandfather was born in America, had four sons; one travelled southward, one northward, & two lived and died in Virginia, to wit, our Grand Father Henry Clay and Charles Clay of Amelia County; both of whom have a numerous progeny, his wife named Hannah.
Henry Clay our Grand Father was born in the year 1672 died 3rd Aug. 1760 married Mary Mitchell daughter of Wm and Elizabeth Mitchell, they lived and died in Chesterfield in Virginia; on the farm where the Thos Eliazer Clay lives & both homed at the old place on the West side of Swift Creek, they two only; Mary Mitchell was born in 1693 and died 20th Aug. 1777. They had four sons, to wit, William, Henry, Charles our Father, and John the Grand Father of Henry Clay late member of Congress & negotiator of the Treaty of Ghent &c, and several daughters.
Grand Father Henry Clay died suddenly at supper of nattles aged 92 years. Grand Mother Mary Clay died of the flux 20th Aug. 1777, aged 84 years 7 months.
Note: Someone else might possibly read some of the words differently. I have used Mitchell in this transcription although in the first instance it looks like Mitchael and in the second two appears to be Michael.
There is a lengthy "Register of Births and Deaths" on the second page. The first four entries are as follows:
Henry Clay eldest son of Chas & Hannah born 1672
Henry Clay our Grand Father of the [born] 1760 Aug. 3d
Mary Clay our Grand Mother Born 1693 July
Mary Clay died of the Flux in Chesterfield 1777 Aug. 7th
Note: This may be the earliest genealogy attempted of our Clays. That is not to say it is free of error. There is a chart on the last page of the manuscript consistent with the above information. I am not a handwriting expert but it appears to me that the Register of Births and Deaths is in a different handwriting from that on the first page. Also, I am wondering how many people use "to wit" in their writing if they are not lawyers or scholars. Bill LaBach.
More Replies:
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Re: Green Clay Manuscript
Tina Clay 3/10/11
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Re: Green Clay Manuscript
William LaBach 3/10/11
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Re: Green Clay Manuscript