July 14, 1955

 

Transcribed by Mary Knight

 

* CAL’S COLUMN *

 

The Clay Family

By Robt. Young Clay

 

        The Clay family is said to have originated in Nottingham, England.  The name is supposedly derived from the fact that the owner lived on clay land.

 

        The name appears in "The Hundred Roll" of 1273 as: Clay Del Clay, de la Cley, and le Clay.  The Saxon equivalent of the name was Claeg.  In 1327 it appears as Cleygh, but by 1397 it was established as Clay or del Clay.

 

        The Oldest known member of the family was Sir John Clay, who was knighted by Edward IV.  He had a son, John Clay, John had John Clay, of Gloucester.  He had one son, Sir John Clay of Wales, who was knighted by Elizabeth I.

 

        Sir John clay, of Wales, had three sons, Richard, John and William.  John and William settled in Virginia; and two sons of Richard (Francis and Edward) also settled there.

 

        John Clay (Claye), son of Sir John, of Wales, was born in 1578, died in 1650.  He settled in Charles City County, Virginia, arriving on the "Treasurer," in Feb., 1613.  He soon sent for his wife, Anne _____, and she arrived in Virginia on the "Ann," Aug., 1623.  He was granted 1,200 acres of land on the James River.

 

        John Clay had issue: Francis, William, Thomas and Charles.

 

        Charles Clay, b. 1636, d. 1685 was one of the eleven men who met in a small church in Jamestown and planned what became the Bacon Rebelion.  He married Hannah Wilson, daughter of John Wilson, Sr.

 

        Henry Clay I, son of Charles Clay was born 1673, died 1760.  He married Mary Mitchell, daughter of William and Elizabeth Mitchell.  He was the great-grandfather of Senator Henry Clay, of Kentucky; and Cassius Marcellus Clay, and the grandfather of Revolutionary General Green Clay.

 

        Henry Clay II, son of Henry I, and Mary Mitchall, was born 1711 and died in 1764.  He married Lucy Green.

 

        Lucy Green, b. 1717, was the daughter of Thomas Green III and Elizabeth Marston, the daughter of Thomas Marston and Elizabeth Marvell.  Thomas Green III, was the son of Thomas Green II (called the "Sea Gull" because he was born at sea en route to America from Holland), and Martha Filmer.  Thomas Green II was the son of Thomas Green I  and Elizabeth _____.

 

        Martha Filmer was the daughter of Maj. Henry Filmer and Elizabeth _____.  Maj. Henry Filmer was an English officer of the occupation of Virginia.  He later settled there at Flower de Hundred, James City Co.  He was the son of Sir Robert Filmer, Knt., of East Sutton, Kent, England; and his wife, Anne Eaton, the daughter of Martha Heton, Bishop of Ely.   Thomas Clay, born in 1745, was the son of Henry Clay II and Lucy Green.  He married Susanna Watkins, 1770.  

 

        Marston Clay, son of Thomas Clay, married Sally Dearing.

 

        The oldest son of Marston Clay, came to Smith County Tenn.  He was Paul Carrington Clay, born April 28, 1815 or April 22, 1816.  He came from Lynchburg, Campbell Co., Virginia, and settled on Defeated Creek.  There he married Martha Ann West, born July 20, 1828 and died March 20 1872.  She was the daugher of Jesse West and Elizabeth Harper.  Dr. Paul Carrington Clay was surgeon of the 28th Regiment of Tennessee Confederate Volunteers.

 

        The children of Dr. Paul Carrington Clay and Martha A. West were:  Ridley Clay, Marston Clay, Sally Frances Clay, Bettie Buford Clay, Tinker West Clay, William Young Clay, Robert Lee Clay, Hattie B.Clay and Jettie Susan Clay.

       

        Ridley Clay, born Dec. 20, 1846, married Mary McMurty. Issue: Bessie Clay married Charles Handley, Lucretia Clay married Albert Parkhurst.

       

        Marston Clay, born Au. 8, 1850, married Minevra ( Minerva?) Kemp. Issue: Burford Clay, Nora Clay, Edward Clay, Genie Clay, Jesse Clay, O. L. Clay, John Clay, Henry Clay, Ray Clay, Claude Clay and Erskin Clay.  

 

        Sally Frances Clay Born. July 20, 1853, died Aug. 17. 1903 married Lee Cornwell.  Issue:  Jim Cornwell, Marie Cornwell, Estelle Cornwell, George Cornwell, Thompson R. Cornwell, Dearing Cornwell, Mallie Cornwell, and Alice Cornwell.

 

        Bettie Burford Clay, born Sept. 3, 1856, died June 1, 1886, married Dr. George W. Herod.  Issue: Peter Clay Herod, married 1. Clara Jones, 2. Avo Marr. Lillie Dale Herod,  married Andrew M. Donoho; Bella Herod, married Dr. Lon W. Dotson.

 

        Tinker West Clay, born Jan. 30, 1859, died Oct. 9, 1867.

 

        William Young (Buck) Clay, born Feb. 15, 1862, died March 25, 1932, married Annie Kittrell. Issue: Mamie Clay, married R. P. Gann, Hugh Carrington Clay, married Ladye Ellen Kirkpatrick, Robert Lee Clay, married Mary Bell Thomas. Issue: Carrington Clay, Lon Clay, Pearl Clay, married Gene Canter, Julius Clay, Carr Clay, married Ruby Lee Russell.

 

        Hattie B. Clay, born April 13, 1867-8, died July 18, 1896, married Dr. George W. Herod (after her sister Bettie's death). Issue:  Virginia Herod, married Edward Organ; Judith Leslie Herod, George Franklin Herod, married Daisy Kirby.

 

        Jetti Susan Clay, born June 6, 1870, died Oc.t 16, 1903. Married Jasper D. Sircy.  Issue: Bernice Sircy, Ernest Sircy, Vera Sircy, Viola Sircy, Ottis Lee Sircy.

___________________________

 

This Article Appeared In The Times

But Was Not Actually Titled Cal’s Column

 

July 14, 1955

 

HOME - COMING

 

        On the coming Saturday beginning about ten o'clock in the forenoon and lasting till mid-afternoon, the Shoulders home-coming is to take place near the home of the late Dick Campbell, about a mile south of Cato, Trousdale County.  This gathering specially of the descendants of Ben Sholders and his wife, Lucinda Gregory Shoulders, who lived on Dixon's Creek in the years long gone by and reared a large family.

 

        Ben Shoulders was the son of Thomas Shoulders and his wife, Elvira Bransford Shoulders.  He had a brother, Joseph Peyton Shoulders, commonly known as "Doctor" Shoulders, another brother, Timothy Shoulders; and another, Robert Shoulders, who died in Texas. Tom was son of Malachi Shoulders, who was the first of the family to come to Middle Tennessee.  He married Polly, daughter of Bry Gregory, about 150 years ago. Drs. H. B. Shoulders and H. C. Shoulders are prominent physicians of Nashville.  They are the sons of Lon Shoulders, son of Levi Shoulders, son of Malachi.  The editor of the Times once lived in a large log house built by Malachi Shoulders and located on Nickojack Branch of Peyton's Creek, about two and a half miles southwest of Pleasant Shade, in Smith County.

 

Note:  Surgeon and President of American Medical Assoc. in 1945.

 

Dr. Harrison H. Shoulders was born February 27, 1886, son of Leonard H. Shoulders and Belle M. Clark Shoulders.  He died at 77.  Practiced in Nashville, TN.

 

Dr. Heddy S. Shoulders was born in Jackson County, Tennessee on February 9, 1889. Son of Leon H. Shoulders. Physician and Radiologist of Nashville, Tennessee.

 

L(eon) or Leonard H. Shoulders was born in Jackson County June 8, 1851.  He died March 15, 1929 at the home of a son, J. H. Shoulders of Castalian Springs.  He married Belle M. Clark on January 11, 1880.  He was survived by his wife and 5 children as follows.  J. H. Shoulders of Castalian Springs, Dr. Harrison H. Shoulders and Dr. Heddy S. Shoulders both of Nashville, Tennessee; Professor W. B. Shoulders of Gordensville, Tennessee; and Mrs. Ben Franklin of Chillicothe, Ohio.  Burial was in the Gallatin Cemetery, Gallatin, Tennessee.