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Martha Runyon Clay

Birth
Gloucester County, Virginia, USA
Death
1 Jan 1764 (aged 51)
Henrico County, Virginia, USA
Burial
Burial Details Unknown Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Martha Lewis (sister of Colonel Charles Lewis - Lord Dunsmore's War), has been verified by Wendy Browne, a Lewis family researcher, as definitely was not the wife of William Mitchell Clay. So, this leaves Martha Runyon, which has been my first choice over the last several decades.
Our Martha Runyon was born on February 14, 1712, in Henrico, Virginia. Some parts of Henrico later became part of Chesterfield, Virginia, where her future husband, William Mitchell Clay, was born. Henrico must have been an exciting place to live. It was the second city to be established in Virginia, after Jamestown (1607). It was the most important town on the James River.
Martha Clay was lucky in some ways. She died prior to the death of her husband of 35 years, William Mitchell Clay. William, 66, a Virginia militia volunteer, while hunting game with a friend, he was killed by an Indian. He was the first casualty in his unit that was fighting "Lord Dunsmore's War."
Her son, Mitchell, and his wife Phoebe Belcher, faced Indian hostilities in the Shawnee Lake area of Mercer County, West Virginia, at that time known as Clover Bottom. Three of their children, a girl and 2 boys, were killed by Indians. Their tragedy so touched so many, a statue of Mitchell and his wife, called "A Torment in Stone" stands by the courthouse at Princeton, in Mercer County today. Several of his daughters (there were 7 girls and 7 boys), married soldiers.
Her son, Ezekiel, was killed by Indians (?) in Montgomery, Virginia. Eventually all of her children took off for other parts of the country. Some say she died in Cumberland.....
He husband, William, remarried shortly. Agnes was possibly much younger. As it appeared in the Virginia Gazette on September 22, 1768: "Whereas 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. (I must admit that Agnes could be married to another William, there were several).

Mitchell Clay and Wives Children. Dates are approximate. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Yes, there could be other children.

. Elizabeth Clay (1735 to after 1793)
. William Clay (1733 to 1735 - 1810)
. Ezekiel Clay (1737-1777)
. Judith Clay (1737-1809)
. Obediah Clay (1738 to 1815-1818)
. Pearce Clay (1738-1828)
. Mitchell Clay (1736-1739 to 1811)
. David Clay (1740 to 1777 or after 1825)
. Meredith Clay (1742-1806)
. Nancy Clay (1744-aft. 1825) could also been
known as Hannah Clay
. Jessie Clay (1745- 1824)
. Mary Clay (1755-abt. 1810)

Note again: Please disregard her father as a Lewis. Thank you.
- M. Bell
Martha Lewis (sister of Colonel Charles Lewis - Lord Dunsmore's War), has been verified by Wendy Browne, a Lewis family researcher, as definitely was not the wife of William Mitchell Clay. So, this leaves Martha Runyon, which has been my first choice over the last several decades.
Our Martha Runyon was born on February 14, 1712, in Henrico, Virginia. Some parts of Henrico later became part of Chesterfield, Virginia, where her future husband, William Mitchell Clay, was born. Henrico must have been an exciting place to live. It was the second city to be established in Virginia, after Jamestown (1607). It was the most important town on the James River.
Martha Clay was lucky in some ways. She died prior to the death of her husband of 35 years, William Mitchell Clay. William, 66, a Virginia militia volunteer, while hunting game with a friend, he was killed by an Indian. He was the first casualty in his unit that was fighting "Lord Dunsmore's War."
Her son, Mitchell, and his wife Phoebe Belcher, faced Indian hostilities in the Shawnee Lake area of Mercer County, West Virginia, at that time known as Clover Bottom. Three of their children, a girl and 2 boys, were killed by Indians. Their tragedy so touched so many, a statue of Mitchell and his wife, called "A Torment in Stone" stands by the courthouse at Princeton, in Mercer County today. Several of his daughters (there were 7 girls and 7 boys), married soldiers.
Her son, Ezekiel, was killed by Indians (?) in Montgomery, Virginia. Eventually all of her children took off for other parts of the country. Some say she died in Cumberland.....
He husband, William, remarried shortly. Agnes was possibly much younger. As it appeared in the Virginia Gazette on September 22, 1768: "Whereas 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. (I must admit that Agnes could be married to another William, there were several).

Mitchell Clay and Wives Children. Dates are approximate. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Yes, there could be other children.

. Elizabeth Clay (1735 to after 1793)
. William Clay (1733 to 1735 - 1810)
. Ezekiel Clay (1737-1777)
. Judith Clay (1737-1809)
. Obediah Clay (1738 to 1815-1818)
. Pearce Clay (1738-1828)
. Mitchell Clay (1736-1739 to 1811)
. David Clay (1740 to 1777 or after 1825)
. Meredith Clay (1742-1806)
. Nancy Clay (1744-aft. 1825) could also been
known as Hannah Clay
. Jessie Clay (1745- 1824)
. Mary Clay (1755-abt. 1810)

Note again: Please disregard her father as a Lewis. Thank you.
- M. Bell

Gravesite Details

Possibly buried in a family plot on the land he was living at the time.



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