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Descendants of John Clay


Generation No. 6


6. MITCHELL6 CLAY, SR. (WILLIAM MITCHELL5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born March 20, 1734/35 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died March 20, 1811 in New River Farm, Pearisburg, Giles County, Virginia. He married PHOEBE BELCHER April 23, 1774 in Bedford County, Virginia, daughter of FRANCIS BELCHER and PHOEBE CABANIS.

Notes for M
ITCHELL CLAY, SR.:
Mitchell and Phoebe Clay became the first white settlers in what is now Mercer County, West Virginia. In 1775 they brought their family to their 800 acre tract of land at Clover Bottom on Bluestone Creek in Fincastle County, Virginia. Eight years later in August 1763 the family was attacked by an indian party. Two of the Clay children Bartley and Jahiathia were killed in the raid. Another son Ezekiel was captured and taken to Chilacathe, Ohio where he was later burned at the stake. A statue of Mitchell and Phoebe Clay is located on the lawn at the Mercer County Courthouse.

U.S. Census of Giles County, VA, 1810. He is reported as +45 (b. Pre. 1765 for his birth.)

His will recorded, Giles Co., VA, Will Book A. 1806-1829, pp. 71-76 (d. pre April 1811) His will was dated 26, July, 1810 recorded in 1811.

David E. Johnston. A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory, p. 89. Hesays Phoebe Belcher was of "Bedford", later Franklin County.

She is not mentioned in his will but is mentioned as having been alive at the time he planned his will. Giles Co., VA. Loose Court Papers, Peters vs Clay's Executors. 1813.

In 1774 there was granted by Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, to Mitchell Clay, assignee of Lieutenant John Draper, 800 acres of land on the Bluestone Creek, Clover Bottom, then Fincastle Conty, Virginia, now Mercer County, West Virginia. A copy of this grant is on file in the Clerk's Office in Mercer Co.

Johnston's History states further on page 397.
"Mitchell Clay and his wife had fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters. the sons were Mitchell, Henry, Charles, William, David, Bartley, and Ezekiel, the latter captured and Bartley killed by the indians on Bluestone, in 1783. The daughters were Rebecca, who married Col. George Pearis; Patience who married George Chapman; Sally, who married Capt. John Peters, a soldier of the War of 1812; Obedience, who married John French, a soldier of the American Revolution; Nannie, who married Joseph Hare, a soldier of the American Revolution; Mary, who married William Stewart; and Tabitha who was killed by the Indians on Bluestone in 1783."

Some exerpts from the Annals of Southwest Virginia, by Summers, fro Montgomery Co. (Giles Co. after 1806) are shown below:

page 83. Mitchell Clay appointed administrator of the estate for David Clay. (This David was his brother and was killed by the Indians on Tug River while on an expedition with some other men.)

page 833. June 6, 1792 Mitchell Clay recommended as Capt. of 2nd. Battalion, 86th Regt., Charles Clay Lt., William Clay Ensign.

page 802. Nov. 22, 1785, Ordered that a wagon road be opened from the road leading down Sinking Creek to begin at the lower crossing of Doe Creek and thence by Capt. Pearis; to the Greenbriar line and that Phillip Snidoe be appointed overseer of the same from said river to Capt. Pearis's and that Mitchell Clay be the same from thence to Greenbriar line and that John Chapman and Capt. Pearis lay off and divide the Tithables between said overseers to clear out and keep the same in repair.

CLAY TRAGEDY

It appears that the Indians became angered at Mitchell Clay and his family by reason of aid given by them to the scouts and militia during the Revolution.
In Aug. 1783, after Clay had harvested his crops, and while he was absent from the home on a hunting trip to secure game for the larder, a party of Indians crept in and attacked the family. At the time Bartleey and Ezekiel were building a fence around some stacks of grain. The older sons had not returned from the Revolution. Tabitha and some of the girls were on the river washing, while Mrs. Clay and the smaller children seem to have been at the house. The first they knew of the Indians was when on of them shot Bartley from ambush. This frightened the girls but Tabitha, seeing an Indian about to scalp her brother rushed to his assistance and engaged the Indian in Hand to hand battle, she being without a weapon. It seemed for a while that she might be victorious, but the Indian resorted to his hunting knife and literally cut her to pieces.
A party was soon made up to follow the Indians, consisting of Charles Clay, Mitchell Clay Jr., James Bailey, William Wiley, Edward Hale, Isaac Hare, John French, and Capt. James Moore. They first went to the cabin and buried the children. The Indians had divided, which fact was not discovered by the persuers till after they had come upon the party that had the horses. In the ensuing battle between the whites and the Indians, several Indians were killed. Charles Clay, only a mere boy, killing one of the Indians himself, in the encounter. Mitchell Clay Jr., shot at one of the Indians but missed him, the Indian being killed by another member of the party.
The party of Indians carrying Ezekiel Clay was not overtaken. They took him down the West Fork of the River and across the Ohio, to their town Chillacothe, where he was burned at the stake. The whites were so incensed at this conduct of the Indians that Edward Hale and William Wiley stripped the skins from the backs of two of the Indians and took their hides home for razor straps.
After the destruction, in part, of the family of Mitchell Clay, on Bluestone, he moved to New River, purchased a farm which is now owned in part by J. Raleigh Johnston, opposite Pearisburg Station on the H. & W. Railway Co.'s railway line.
     
Children of M
ITCHELL CLAY and PHOEBE BELCHER are:
10. i.   WILLIAM7 CLAY, b. November 07, 1777, Mercer County, Virginia; d. January 12, 1842, East Fork, Boyd County, Kentuckey.
11. ii.   DAVID PEYTON CLAY, b. April 21, 1769, Franklin County, Virginia; d. August 25, 1818, Wilkerson County, Virginia.
  iii.   BARTLEY CLAY, b. 1766, Bedford County, Virginia; d. August 1783, Clover Bottom on Bluestone Creek, Giles Co., VA..
  Notes for BARTLEY CLAY:
Killed by Indians, Clover Bottom, Mercer County, Virginia

  iv.   EZEKIEL CLAY, b. 1767, Franklin County, Virginia; d. 1783, Indian Village, Chillicothe, Ohio.
  Notes for EZEKIEL CLAY:
August 1783, Burned at the stake by Indians, Chillicothe, Ohio

12. v.   OBEDIENCE CLAY, b. 1769, Bedford County, Virginia; d. 1830, Giles County, Virginia.
13. vi.   MARY POLLY CLAY, b. 1772, Henrico or Franklin County, Virginia; d. April 25, 1851, Wyoming County, Virginia or Logan County, Kentucky.
14. vii.   REBECCA CLAY, b. 1764, Bedford County, Virginia; d. April 15, 1844, Giles County County, Virginia.
15. viii.   MITCHELL CLAY, JR., b. January 05, 1772, Blackwater River, Bedford County, Virginia; d. June 04, 1850, Raliegh County, Virginia.
  ix.   NAOMI CLAY, b. 1773, Bedford or Franklin County, Virginia; d. 1855; m. JOSEPH HARE, May 08, 1793, Montgomery County, Virginia.
16. x.   CHARLES CLAY, b. December 24, 1775, Bedford County, Virginia; d. February 08, 1820, Bedford County, Virginia.
17. xi.   PATIENCE CLAY, b. 1760, Bedford County, Virginia; d. 1866, Floyd County, Kentuckey.
  xii.   TABITHA CLAY, b. 1775, Franklin County, Virginia; d. August 1783, Clover Bottom on Bluestone.
  Notes for TABITHA CLAY:
Killed by Indians, Clover Bottom, Mercer County, Virginia

18. xiii.   HENRY J. CLAY, b. 1781, Bedford County, Virginia; d. January 12, 1866, Matheny, Wyoming County, West Virginia.
19. xiv.   SARAH CLAY, b. 1782, Rockingham County, Virginia.


7. WILLIAM6 CLAY, JR. (WILLIAM MITCHELL5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1733 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died 1810. He married (1) ANN OLD May 10, 1756 in Amelia County, Virginia, daughter of JOHN OLD and MARY GILL. He married (2) MILLY TUCKER 1780 in Probably in Lunenburg Co., VA..
     
Children of W
ILLIAM CLAY and ANN OLD are:
  i.   PATSY7 CLAY, b. Amelia County, Virginia; m. DAVID WOODALL.
  ii.   BETTY CLAY, m. ROBERT HODGES.
  iii.   HANNAH CLAY, m. JOHN CLAIBORN TYREE.
  iv.   WILLIAM CLAYIII, m. LUCY REED, December 08, 1798.
     
Children of WILLIAM CLAY and MILLY TUCKER are:
  v.   MILLY7 CLAY, m. JOSEPH COWDER.
  vi.   JOHN CLAYIII, m. ELIZABETH M. DICKINSON, March 27, 1801.
  vii.   EZEKIAL CLAY, m. JINCEY BRIZENDINI, January 02, 1811.
  viii.   MEREDITH CLAY, b. 1806; m. AGNES EVENS.
20. ix.   JUDAH CLAY, b. 1771, Amelia County, Virginia.


8. JUDITH6 CLAY (WILLIAM MITCHELL5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1736 in Henrico County, Virginia, and died 1809 in Montgomery County, Virginia. She married THOMAS FARLEY September 07, 1759 in Chesterfield County, Virginia, son of FRANCIS FARLEY and NANCY WHITLOW.
     
Children of J
UDITH CLAY and THOMAS FARLEY are:
  i.   HENRY7 FARLEY, b. 1760, Montgomery County, Virginia; d. 1832, Louisville, Kentuckey.
  ii.   THOMAS FARLEY, b. 1762, Virginia, now West Virginia; d. June 12, 1839, Giles County, Virginia.
  iii.   FORREST FARLEY, b. 1762, Montgomery County, Virginia; d. 1854, Letcher County, Kentuckey; m. MARGARET MUNCY, March 07, 1786.
  iv.   REBECCA FARLEY, b. 1763, Montgomery County, Virginia.
  v.   CHLOE FARLEY, b. 1765, Greenbrier County, Virginia, now West Virginia; d. May 1853, Franklin County, Virginia.
  vi.   WILLIAM FARLEY, b. 1768, Montgomery County, Virginia; d. Lee County, Virginia.
  vii.   CLAY FARLEY, b. 1770, Montgomery County, Virginia; m. LETTICE CARTER, May 26, 1789, Montgomery County, Virginia.
  viii.   JUDITH FARLEY, b. 1776, Montgomery County, Virginia; m. (1) PATTEN THOMPSON, February 08, 1798, Montgomery County, Virginia; m. (2) DAVID NICEWANDER, September 24, 1800.
  ix.   JOHN FARLEY, b. 1776, Montgomery County, Virginia; d. 1836, Galena, Illinois.
  x.   JESSE FARLEY, b. 1777, Giles County, Virginia; m. ELIZABETH DAVIDSON.


9. OBEDIAH6 CLAY (WILLIAM MITCHELL5, HENRY4, CHARLES3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1737, and died November 09, 1815.

Notes for O
BEDIAH CLAY:
Will probated Nov. Lunenburg County, Virginia. His will was dated March 31, 1814 and probated in Lunenburg County, Virginia November 9, 1815 (Recorded in Will Book 7, page 206) mentions his own five children and his grandson, Mitchell Clay, son of Levi Clay. Rev. Clay and Charles Byrdie were named executors.
     
Children of O
BEDIAH CLAY are:
  i.   LEVI7 CLAY.
  ii.   OLIN CLAY.
  iii.   THAMAS CLAY.
  iv.   BETSY CLAY.
  v.   POLLY CLAY, m. BLANKS RUTLEDGE.


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