Re: Jordan Clay 1777-1856or1858
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In reply to:
Re: Jordan Clay 1777-1856or1858
Joyce Wylie 9/09/11
Hello Joyce, I just read your reply to David Smiths posting about Jordan Clays father, (? Caleb or John). I have a letter to Clay Researchers that was written by the late Ruth Clay Burrell dated Aug. 1, 1981. Ruth was a long time Clay Researcher. The letter was an endeavor to trace the descendants of John and Thomas Clay, the two eldest sons of Charles Clay and Hannah Wilson. In the letter Ruth stated that Peggy Peacock of Houston, Texas had just returned from a research visit to the "Virginia State Library and Archives" in Richmond, Va. and had brought back a copy of the Tithables for Amelia Co., Va. that were almost complete from 1736. While there she also had lunch with Robert Young Clay, a librarian at the State Library and another long time Clay Researcher and discussed the descendants of Charles and Hannah Clay. Ruth stated "The TITHABLES show, for example, that CALEB CLAY was a tithable of THOMAS CLAY of Raliegh Parish, Amelia Co., Va. beginning in 1764. A person had to be over 21 to be counted on the tithables; so CALEB CLAY was probably a son of THOMAS CLAY of Raliegh Parish, Amelia co., Va. There's one thing for sure, if CALEB CLAY were a son of THOMAS CLAY, that certainly creates havoc with Clifford Charles Clay's Chart! He shows CALEB CLAY as a son of JOHN CLAY!" The Clifford Clay Chart Ruth referred to was a Clay Chart that Clifford Clay compiled in 1943 which was based on earlier research including Mary Rogers Clays "Geneology of the Clays", Gen. Green Clays Manuscript and other research. In it Clifford mistakenly stated that Caleb Clay (d. 1786) was the son of John Clay of Amelia County. Since the Tithables of Amelia Co., Va. clearly show that Caleb was a tithable of Thomas Clay and not John Clay, then its obvious that Caleb was a son of Thomas Clay (d. 1791). I was fascinated with what was contained in your Grandmothers handwritten pages that were based on the old family Bible which went all the way back to 1732. You stated that your Gr.Gr.Grandmother Martha Clay was a daughter of Peter and Patsy Clay. I have been trying for many years to chart all the descendants of Caleb Clay (d.1786) and for Peter and Patsy Clay I only have a list of their children. Mrs. Ella Galliher of Russell, Ky. had helped me a great deal with the descendants of Caleb Clay (d. 1786) and Ella had Peter and Patsy with nine children; Nancy (b.1833), Alafair (b.1835), Martha (b.1837), Jordan (b.1839), William H. (b.1842), George H. (b. 1843), Elizabeth J. (b.1844), Thomas (b.1846) and a ninth child unnamed. Interestingly Ella had three children (Martha, William J. and Elizabeth J.)listed as being blind. I would be very grateful for any info on Peter and Patsys descendants that you could give me. I would also be more than happy to send you any info which you may not have on the descendants of Caleb Clay (d.1786) as I have been working on this since 1976. One last thing I'd like to mention is that in a "Clay Lineage Chart" prepared in 1983 by Ruth Clay Burrell, Peggy Peacock and Shirley Wilcox they had the following children for Thomas Clay (ca 1719-1791), they are from the Amelia Tithables. (1) Solomon (b.ca 1746), (2) Caleb (b.ca 1748),(3)Elijah (b. ca 1750),(4) Shadrack (b.ca 1752), (5 & 6) Unnamed (b.ca 1754 & 1756), (7)Thomas (b.ca 1760), (8) David (b. ca 1766), also Ruth had her ancestor Nathan (b.ca 1758) as a tentative child also although I don't know if she was able to confirm Nathan as a child before her death. Well I hope this info helps in your research and I look forward to any help you could give me on the descendants of our ancestor Caleb Clay.