An American Family History

William Clay

The Battle of Point Pleasant (Battle of Kanawha) was on October 10, 1774. It was between the Virginia militia and the Shawnee and Mingo. The Shawnee unsuccesfully attempted to halt the militia's advance into the Ohio Valley.

William Mitchell Clay was born about 1710/1711 in Henrico (now Chesterfield) County, Virginia. He was the son of Henry Clay and Mary Mitchell.

He may have married Martha Runyon in 1729. And/ or he married Martha Ann Lewis. She was the daughter of John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner.

William's children may have included:

Mary Elizabeth Clay (1734, married Isham Belcher),
Mitchell Clay (1736),
Judith Clay (1737, married Thomas Farley),
Obediah Clay (1737, married Mary Chappell),
Mitchell Clay (1739),
David Clay (1740)
Meredith Clay (1742),
Nancy Clay (1744),
Ezekial Clay (1746),
Jesse Clay (1745),
Hannah Clay.

He inherited land when his father died in 1760.

I give and bequeath unto my son, William Clay, the land and plantation whereon he now lives, and my land and plantation on Deep Creek, in Henrico [now Chesterfield] County, whereon Richard Belcher now lives, to him, his heirs, and assigns forever.

Martha Ann died in 1764.

In 1768, a William Clay placed an advertisement in the Virginia Gazette

...my wife Agnes has eloped
from my bed, and robbed me of things of considerable
value and I expect will endeavor to run me in debt, I therefore
forewarn all persons from dealing with her on my account as I
will pay no debts of her contracting .

Henrico County was established in 1634 as one Virginia's eight original shires. Its boundaries incorporated an area from which ten Virginia counties were later formed.

Chesterfield County, Virginia was organized in 1749 when the territory south of the James River was separated from Henrico County.

divider

H O M E	Colonial Maryland	Colonial New England	Colonial Virginia & North Carolina	Colonial Virginia & West Virginia	Quakers & Mennonites	New Jersey Baptists
German Lutherans	Ontario Settlers	Ohio Pioneers	Watauga Settlement	Pennsylvania Pioneers	Midwest Pioneers	Californians	Jewish Immigrants

©Roberta Tuller 2025
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
An American Family History is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.