Person:Elizabeth Clayton (8)

    Middle name, Catherine, from Facts, Fiction, Folklore and Fakelore complied by James E. Bellarts 1991 (FHC Salt Lake City), page 82.       

    Ackerly, Mary Denham, "Our kin" : the genealogies of some of the early families who made history in the founding and development of Bedford County, Virginia printed unknown c1930 - page351 says Miss Ruth Early, (a descendant of the Clayton family), in her notes, wrote that one of the daughters married a "Hays", one married a "Harvey" and one married a "North"

    From John W. Poole <[email protected]> of Houston, TX., in E-mail sent Jan. 2001: "JAMES ARTHUR HAYS - James Arthur Hays, son of Nicholas Hays and Alley Hunter, was born about 1763 in Bedford County, VA, died in Jefferson Co., TN in 1828.  He married Elizabeth Clayton on April 18, 1782 in Campbell, VA. She was the daughter of John Clayton and Elizabeth ____ of Charlotte Co., VA. Their children were:

• 1. Nicholas Hays, born Aug 22, 1783 in Bedford Co., VA?, died August 20, 1822 in Washington Co., MO; married May 23, 1805 to Rachel Black.
• 2. John Hays, born 1785? in Greene Co., TN.
• 3. James Hays, Jr., born October 15, 1788 in Greene County, TN.
• 4. Lewis Willis Hays, born March 9, 1790? in Greene Co., TN; married October 28, 1813 to Leah Kinser in Greene Co., TN.
• 5. Elizabeth Hays, born December 14, 1791? in Greene Co., TN, died 1865?; married March 10, 1811 to Nicholas Yates in Greene Co., TN.
• 6. Elvira Hays, born February 4, 1794 in Greene Co., TN, died September 4, 1874 in Knox Co., IN; married September 6, 1813 to Reuben Steffey in Greene Co., TN.
• 7. Silvia Hays, born may 26, 1795? in Greene Co., TN; married November 11, 1819 to John Longacre in Jefferson Co., TN.
• 8. Clayton Hays, born 1796? in Greene Co., TN.
• 9. William Newton Hays, born December, 1798 in Greene Co., TN, died December 20, 1847 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico; married May 11, 1823 in Franklin Co., TN to Alia-Ally Hays, his cousin, the daughter of Samuel Hays, Sr. and Rachel Huff.
• 10. Mariah (Maude) Hays, born November 17, 1799 in Greene Co., TN, died April 2, 1886 in Boonesboro, AR; married February 26, 1836 to Joseph Rutherford.
• 11. Henry Hays, born 1804? in Jefferson Co., TN.
• 12. Enoch Monroe Hays, born 1808? in Jefferson Co., TN died in Lawrence Co., Mo on May 25, 1855; married October 13, 1835 in Jefferson Co., TN to Margaret Carney.

    An interesting court record from Charlotte Co., VA, shows the sale of slaves from John and Elizabeth (Clayton) Hays to some of their children on March 10, 1777.  "For five shillings each and natural love and affection to son, William, a negro man called Davey, and child that negro Rose is with, to my daughter, Elizabeth, one negro girl named Slukey, to my daughter Ann, one negro Phillis, to my son Thomas, one negro women named Judith, and to son Arther, one negro woman named Rose."

    E-mail from Imogene Bennett [email protected], dated February 01, 2001:  "Elizabeth CLAYTON -- her birth date is unknown although it is known it was post 1756, possibly in Gloucester Co VA.  In deed of her father in Charlotte Co VA Deed Book 4, p 1-1/2 dated 10 Mar 1777, he mentioned children "... to my Daughter Elisabeth CLAYTON one Negroe girl named Sukey ... But if either of the above mentioned children should die before they arive to the age of Twenty-one years ..."  This would indicate she was b after 1756.  I have the page from the marriage bond book from Charlotte Co VA which shows Elizabeth CLATON m James HAYES by John Weatherford.  On this bond, it shows the date as 15 Apr 1782, but somewhere in this hodgepodge another date of 18 Apr 1782 has crept in and I cannot find the source for that at this moment.  Elizabeth's death date is unknown, but apparently was deceased by 19 Jul 1828 when James HAYS made his will in Jefferson Co TN.  It was probated 10 Sep 1828.  John CLAYTON III & Elizabeth WILLIS were the parents of Elizabeth CLAYTON.  From Adventurers of Purse and Person, 3rd edition, published by First Families of Virginia, "John CLAYTON, of Charlotte County, born 1725, died after 1783, married Elizabeth WILLIS, born 12 Jan. 1729/30, died after 1782, daughter of Col. Henry WILLIS of Fredericksburg and his (2) wife Mildred LEWIS Howell Bourne, daughter of John LEWIS and Elizabeth WARNER (see MARTIAU) of "Warner Hall"; ..."  Source shown in above for the birth of Mildred LEWIS is Bible of Col. Henry Willis, cited in Byrd Charles Willis and Richard Henry Willis, "A Sketch of the Willis Family of Virginia" (Richmond, n.d.), p 26.  I have picked up additional sources for Mildred LEWIS being d/o John LEWIS & Elizabeth WARNER from "Pioneer Lewis Families" by Michael L. Cook.  This is in Vol. IV, pp 78-79.  The only thing Mr. Cook has shown incorrectly is when he mentions children of Henry WILLIS & Mildred LEWIS is when he says the daughter Elizabeth WILLIS, b 12 Jan 1729/30, "apparently died young."  Of course, for every source showing she was a LEWIS, there are that many giving other versions.  One confusion for Mildred LEWIS is the fact Col. Henry WILLIS was married three times, #2 wife Mildred LEWIS & #3 wife Mildred WASHINGTON.  The two Mildreds were cousins.  Another source is a chapter devoted to Col. Henry WILLIS of Fredericksburg in "The Willis Family of the Northern Neck in Virginia, 1669-1737," by Peggy Frances Rush, published 1998.  I could identify with exactly what the author was saying (having gone that route), "According to the bible records, Henry Willis married secondly on 30 October 1726 Mildred Brown, said to have been the widow of Dr. John Brown, but with no documentation.  Willis histories are inconsistent regarding her maiden name with some claiming that she was a HOWELL and others, LEWIS.  The latter appears to be the most correct from a 1730 deed from Henry Willis to John Lewis of Gloucester County ..."  Source cited: Spotsylania Co Deed Book B:133.  Have I lost you?  I could go on forever, but will stop at that and give you the other generations.  Once you get past the Mildred LEWIS wall, it is easy to find many sources for the background of her parents and beyond.  The following are the names to check for:

Elizabeth CLAYTON m James HAYS
John CLAYTON & Elizabeth WILLIS
Col. Henry WILLIS & Mildred LEWIS - his #2 wife, her #3 husband Councillor John LEWIS & Elizabeth WARNER
Augustine WARNER Jr. & Mildred READE
George READE & Elizabeth MARTIAU
Nicolas MARTIAU
Much can be found in "Adventurers of Purse and Person" about all of the above people. I have an excellent chart showing the Lewises of Warner Hall family which went with a display of paintings in an exhibit my sister went to at "Kenmore" in Fredericksburg which was the home of Fielding LEWIS & Betty WASHINGTON, sister of George. We have visited the gravesites at Warner Hall which include ancestors Councillor John LEWIS & Elizabeth WARNER, Augustine WARNER Jr. & Mildred READE, Augustine WARNER Sr. & Mary (TOWNLEY?). Also Nicolas MARTIAU, George READE, and Elizabeth MARTIAU -- all three of them buried in the cemetery beside Grace Church in Yorktown. We also visited the historical marker of John CLAYTON, the botanist, which is located over the line in Mathews Co. Went to the gravesites of the immigrant LEWIS which noone could ever find if they weren't with someone who knew where to go. Warner Hall is now a bed & breakfast I understand. However, when we were there for a MARTIAU tribute, the group managed a tour inside by the owner. I'm sure you are asleep by this time. I do hope you can prove your John HAYS to James & Elizabeth because you will have fun in the library after that. Imogene [email protected]"