Greenbrier County, West Virginia Biography of THOMAS CLAY, M.D. This biography was submitted by Sandy Spradling, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm History of Greenbrier County J. R. Cole Lewisburg, WV 1917 p. 303-308 THOMAS CLAY, M.D. Dr. Thomas Green Clay was born June 19, 1817, on a plantation twelve miles from Lynchburg, Campbell county, Virginia. He received his early education from tutors, later attending college in Richmond, Va., taking a medical course, finishing at Jefferson Medical College, Pennsylvania. He then crossed the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains, about i85o, settling near Cross Roads, Monroe county, where he taught school a short time. He married Nancy Johnson, daughter of Jacob and Jennie (Morris) Johnson. His wife lived only about a year. They bad one child, Virginia, who died in infancy. In 1853 he married Margaret Morse Jarrett, daughter of James and Ruth (Gwinn) Jarrett. The Jarretts were among the early pioneers of Greenbrier county, coming here from Pennsylvania. They emigrated to America from Marsailles, France, during the Reign of Terror, being Huguenots, were in search of peace and liberty. James Jarrett the first built one of the first stone house on Muddy Creek, which still stands well preserved, and is still occupied. He married Elizabeth Griffy, a devout Presbyterian. Although the Indians were ever lurking among the hills and woodland, and neighbors were long distances apart, Mrs. Jarrett would arise early on the Sabbath and walk twelve miles to Lewisburg to worship, there being no church nearer. She would not ride horseback, because the horses worked all week, and should rest one day out of seven. Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett by economy and good maangement be-came quite extensive land owners. James and Ruth (Gwinn) Jarrett were even more prosperous; the country was becoming more developed and prosperous, and at the beginning of the Civil War they owned over a thousand acres of land in Greenbrier and Monroe counties. They also owned over forty slaves. Most of them remaining loyal during the Re-bellion, they were not cast off, but cared for until they became accustomed to the new order of things. Some were deeded fine land, and most of them always journeyed hack to see "Ole Massey and Misses" so long as they both lived. Doctor Clay took his bride to visit his father, Marston Clay, who was ill at the time, remaining till his father died in 1856. He then returned to Monroe county, settling in what is now called South Alderson, there being only one other family living there at this time. Here he began the practice of his profession, that of a physician. He had all he could well attend to, as he covered an area of one to fifty miles; was very humane, treated poor and rich alike with the same gentle, courteous consideration, not know-ing any creed, sect or color. He owned and operated a ferry boat above where the bridge now stands, his colored servant named "Bill" running it back and forth, conveying teams, eques-trians and pedestrians, collecting toll, etc. When General Crook and his army crossed over during the Civil War to attack General Heath at Lewisburg, he confiscated the "craft," used it to transport his men. Doctor Clay was a loyal, true, Southern gentleman, yet he regretted secession and more deeply the assassination of President Lincoln. Shortly after this cruel war was over, Doctor Clay and his brave wife, Margaret, together with their family, moved to Muddy crook on a 341-acre farm given Mrs. Clay by her father, James Jarrett. There they lived and brought up their children until 1885or 1886, returning to what is part of North Alderson on a sixty-acre tract of land owned by Doctor Clay The Alderson Academy was being erected, and to this he was a contributor. He wanted to be near the new school that his chil-dren then at home might have advantages of which they had been heretofore deprived. It is with pardonable pride that we refer to the lineage of Dr. Thomas G. Clay, which we trace back to-"The Muster of Inhabitants of Jordan's Journey, Charles Ciltie, taken the 2Ith of January, 1624." Of these: The Muster of John Claye, John Clay arrived on the Treasurer, February, 1613. Anne, his wife, in the Ann, August, 1623. Servant- William Nicholls, aged 26 years, in Dutie, in May, 1619. This is the first mention of the Clay name in Colonial records -"Hotten's List of Emigrants to America, 1600-1700"-Captain John Clay, "the English Grenadier," of whom we have many traditions-lived in Charles City, 1624. "Patent (210) grants John Clay twelve hundred acres in Charles City county, Virginia." Captain Clay had married before leaving England, leaving his wife behind. Why he delayed so long in sending for her, those familiar with the history of the Jamestown colony best un-derstand. Hunger, despair. and death followed the one so fast in the wake of the other that twice within a few years that colony was reduced from five hundred persons to less than sixty souls. The children were Francis, William, Thomas and Charles. Charles Clay was a soldier in the "Great Rebellion of 1676," "one of those good housekeepers, well armed," that followed the gallant Bacon in his effort to free Virginia. He married Hannah Wilson, of Henrico county, Virginia. Had issue-Mary Elizabeth, John, Thomas, Henry and Charles. Henry Clay was born about 1672, and died at "The Raells," August 3, 1760, aged eighty-eight years. He married Mary Mitchell, had issue, William Mitchell, Henry, of Southam Parish, Cumberland (Dest., 1764)., Charles John, Amey, Mary. Henry Clay, of Southam Parish, Cumberland county, son of Henry and Mary (Mitchell) Clay, of Chesterfield, signed his 'viii March 8, i764, which was probated October 22, 1764. He married in 1735, Lucy Green, born 1717, daughter of Thomas Gieen and Elizabeth Marston (born November 25, 1672; died August II, 1759), daughter of Thomas Marston, Justice of Henrico in 1682, and his wife, Elizabeth Murvell. Thomas Green was born about i665, and died in 1730; wa~ the son of Thomas Green, "The Sea Gull" (so called from having been born upon the sea enroute to America), and his wife, Martha Filmer, daughter of Major Henry Filmer, officer of tile British Army of Occupation. (See General Green Clay's Man uscript, written about 1820.) Thomas Green, "the Sea Gull," was the son of Thomas and Martha Green, immigrants from Holland, who settled near Petersburg, Va. Major Henry Tilmer and his wife, Elizabeth, married in England. They settled in Jan'es City countY, which he represented in the House of Burgesse.~ in 1642. (Henning's Statutes.) Henry Clay mentions as the legatees of his will, his wifc, Lucy, and their children. Henry Clay, born 1736, moved to Kentucky in 1787. Charles Clay, an early emigrant to Kentucky. Samuel Clay, member of the North Carolina Legislature, 1789-90. Thomas Clay, of Cumberland county; Abia Clay, lieutenant in the Revolutionary army; Marston Clay (Doctor Thomas Green Clay's father, the subject of this sketch) ; Rebecca Clay, John Clay, a captain in the Revolutionary army in 1777. Elijah Clay is mentioned in deeds, July 13, 1783, and August 2, 1792, when he sells lands in Cumberland county. Lucy Clay-Marston Clay married Elizabeth Williams, of Halifax county, Virginia, March 29, 1771, though he signed his name Maston. Issue-Diana Coleman. His wife died. He then married Sarah Daren. Issue -Sallie E., Susan, Paul, Thomas Green, James, Margaret, Virginia. Marston and Sarah (Daren) Clay are the parents of Dr. Thomas Green Clay, subject of this sketch. Doctor Clay is second cousin of Henry Clay, the "Sage of Ashland." Genealogy is now the fashion and the Clay family affords a fine theme in this line. The Clays have had an enviable history in. our country for more than two centuries, and although none other bearing the name has risen to the eminence attained by the "Sage of Ashland," a goodly number of them have filled positions of honor and trust which would shine more brightly but for the eclipsing rays of the "Great Commoner." However, all the Clays are interesting to us because of the good deeds of some of them and the bad deeds of none of them. We are indebted to the "Filson Club Publication," of Louisville, Ky., for the genealogy and history of "The Clay Family." compiled by Mrs. Mary Rogers Clay, of Lexington, K)'. Issue of Dr. Thomas G. and Margaret Morse (Jarrett) Clay are: Marston Clay, a dentist, died, aged 26, i880; James Clay, immigrated to California, married Jennie Ayers, of Nordhoff, Cal.; issue, Frank, Nettie, Myrtle and Major; latter died in childhood. Odin Clay lives in Chicago, Ill. He married Minnie Mathis, of Pontiac, Ill.; issue, Richard and Edna. John H. Clay married Lulo Garst Jarrett, a widow; have no children. Ruth Clay spent most of her life in Chicago, Ill., and New York City, serving the same corporation (she was associated with) in both cities, covering a period of nearly thirty years. Thomas G. Clay, Jr., owns and lives on a farm near Alderson, W. Va.; married Alice Gillespie. Sally Ann Clay married W. C. Cannon, son of Honorable Cannon, of Ventura, Cal., a relative of "Uncle Joe" Cannon, of Illinois. Mr. Cannon is an extensive land owner or "ranchman," as they term it in the West. Cultivates beans principally. Issue- Lenabell Cannon, n6w attending school at the University of California. Mary Clay married H. C. Saunders, whose family has a long and prominent lineage in Virginia and Alabama. They live in Birmingham, Ala. Issue-one son in present war; is now in France serving his country. Joseph J. Clay, the last and youngest of Doctor Clay's children, married Mamie Allen; lives on his mother's old home place on Muddy creek.