CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches
			Family  Sketches - Clay
				----¤¤¤----

                   CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES

              Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA
                                  1782-1926
                                By R. H. EARLY
                              With Illustrations
                              J. P. BELL COMPANY
                           LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927


Clay

  Sir John Clay is said to have been the ancestor of three Clay brothers who
came to America.

  Rev. Charles Clay, son of Charles and Martha Green-Clay, was ordained in 1769
by the Bishop of London, as rector of St. Anne's parish in Albemarle county;
married, Editha, dau. of Henry Landon and Anne Clayton-Davies of Bedford, to
which county he then moved and there died in 1819. He bequeathed to Odin Green,
his second son, 1,70O acres of land in Campbell and a lot in Lynchburg. Rev.
Chas. Clay was an ardent patriot during the Revolution, and a friend and
neighbor of Thos. Jefferson in his Bedford home-Gen. Odin Green Clay, b. 18OO
near the present Forest depot, married in 1822 his cousin, Anne Clayton, dau. of
Samuel Boyle and Elizabeth McCulloch-Davies and moved to his estate Roseland in
Campbell. From 1827, the date when he entered the Virginia House of Delegates
from Campbell, his busy, useful and honored life was constantly in the public
eye; he remained a delegate for 2O years. He was active in securing the charter
for the Virginia and Tennessee (now Norfolk and Western) railroad, and in the
construction of this railway, he was the first president of the road continuing
in that office for six years, and gave the company right-of-way through his land
in consideration of their allowing a station at Clay's Crossing. At Gen. Clay's
death his property became divided among his children, the dispersion of whom,
finally caused the sale of the land, and the home place, embracing the mill
site, is now owned by W. E. Graves of Lynchburg, who makes it his summer home,
the property having been purchased in former years by Graves' father. In 1835
Gen. Clay was one of the county justices; was appointed in 1854 member of the
Board of Public Works and held this position several years. His wife long
preceded him to the grave, after her death he spent the winter months at the
Norvell House in Lynchburg, and died there in 1882. He had a family of 6 sons
and one daughter. His son, Calhoun, married Bertie Lee, granddau. of Nathaniel
and Sally A. Manson, and settled at Leewoad near Lynchburg. Capt. Calhoun Clay
was an officer in the Confederate army and was killed in action; four brothers
served in the 2nd Va. Cav. A. N. Va.; his son, Odin, moved with his sisters to
St. Paul, Minnesota.

  The old Clay homestead Leewood, still standing, has passed out of the
possession of the family, several members of which moved to the northwest
section of the country; other descendants of Gen. Clay yet reside in Campbell;
his son, Cyrus, married Mary Meriwether, the dau, of Addison and Elizabeth
Davies-Meriwether, and left several children.

General Clay's, brother, Paul, lived near him, but within Bedford lines; had a
large family who moved to other sections.

  Mrs. Odin Clay was a great lover of trees and flowers, and beautified her lawn
with fine specimens brought from other localities; fir, holly, arbor vitse,
cedar, Virginia magnolia, sugar maple, still stand and testify to her good taste
and care.

  The old brick house is about 10O years old -and built on plan of the time, has
large square rooms: an old frame house of smaller dimensions, which stands in
the yard, was one which Clay first occupied, and the mill he constructed remains
as he used it only changed with modern machinery, the old grinding stones,
though set aside, are carefully preserved. A tradition of Indians camping in the
fields seems justified by the presence of hollowed-out stones upon which it is
said they pounded corn to procure meal.


___________________________________________________________________

	Copyright.  All rights reserved.
	http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

	This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives 
	by:  Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com
___________________________________________________________________