Clay Artefacts

 New Find

"To our amazement my father (Colin Clay) and I were wandering around an antique shop in Northamptonshire when we stumbled upon a lovely find. My father randomly picked up a pewter tankard from a batch of about 30 and turned it around and it was engraved J. Clay. We purchased the item and from the pewter marks we've worked out that it is from around 1830". 

Article by Luke Clay.

An impressive cased  pair of George 111 silver tea caddies with Clay Coat of Arms dated 1788 by Henry Chawner of London. Sold at auction in London on 10th Dec. 2014 for £5,625.

"While searching through the depths of old auctions I found these which I think you will find quite amazing. I'd love to know who they sold to." 

Luke Clay

May 24th, 2018 - "I recently discovered these two lots at auction that may be of interest, the first lot was a Victorian sampler by Margreat Clay and the second was a 17th century carved oak panel with a prayer signed Water Clay 1624 which sold for £450. - Do you have any record of Water Clay living in the mid 1600s?"

Luke Clay ( Luke that is a rare find unfortunately I don't have any knowledge of Water Clay at the moment).

 Thinke one God while talk doth indure
And God in thy mouth good words will procur.
Sweet Jesus forgive me my sins
That by treu repentance may heaven win.
You ere in Christ. Water Clay.1624.

Sold at Auction in 2019 for £3,000. 18th century punch bowl engraved "Mr Charles Clay. Shinfull Hall. Good Luck for Forty Years to Come".

Engraved George and Betty Clay 1898 with words Royal Forresters, maybe they were involved with the hunting fraternity or maybe that was the name of their local pub.

The above items are just a small sample of cast iron objects made by James Clay Ltd. Ironfounders of Ketley in Shropshire. His firm also made grain crushers, cattle drinking bowls, garden rollers and drain covers. His implements were featured at the Royal Agricultral Show in 1919.   James was born in 1866 at Wellington.Shropshire the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Clay. There is a street named after him at Ketley called James Clay Court.

Clay Livery Buttons

These items are known as Livery Buttons and would be attached to servants uniforms who were in service to gentry families. The one on the left is listed by the "Livery Button Identity" website as being Clay of Derbyshire (Note the 3 Clay trefoils on the shield  and the Clay crest on top left of the button. The middle button with the Clay's crest has the makers name and address on the back - Firmin and Sons. 108 St Martins Lane. London who were at that address from 1895 to 1915.The button on the right is showing the Clay crest with trefoils on the wings and was worn by the servants of the Clay family of Ford Manor in Surrey.- (Credit to Danny Clay for finding these Livery Buttons).

Portrait of Susannah Clay of 'The Hill', North Wingfield. She was the daughter of Richard and Martha Clay of The Hill baptised 26th Feb.1739 and she Married Thomas Bradley April 22nd 1768. The Portrait was up for sale in 2019 at Roy Pecious Antiques. Wiltshire. Price £3,250.

Heirloom from Gt, Gt, Gt grandparents of David Clay. Job Clay of Wensley born 1782 had this 'Loving Cup' made for his wife Elizabeth in 1828 to mark their anniversary of 25 years. It's now in possession of one of the Clay descendants.

Charles Clay MD.Surgeon of Manchester. Born in Bredbury. Cheshire. The front cover of his scrapbook dated 1841 now held at Chethams Library. He was the surgeon who performed England's first hysterectomy in 1842 and he was the author of several medical books.

Label inside book set of four -The Dramatic Works of Ben Johnson 1572 - 1637. Reprinted in 1811 and purchased by William Waldegrave Pelham Clay of Southwell. Notts. Inside Vol. 1 page 635 there is a play featuring the character John Clay. Tilemaker of Kilborn.

"A Tale of a Tub".- (Partial extract below).

A play with a character named John Clay of Kilborn. Tile Maker. -  He was to marry the fair Awdrey of Kentish Town who said I went th church to have been wed to John Clay then Squire Tub seized me on the way and thought to have had me. John Clay was waiting at St Pancras Church but he was falsley accused of robbery to block his marriage and a hue and cry was raised to arrest him whereof he fled and hid in a barn and in danger of being hung. He was apprehended and taken to court where he feared he had lost his wench and was to be hanged but it turned out he was falsley accused by Tub and there was no robbery it was craftily devised to break the marriage of the tile man John Clay.

One of a pair of trumpet banners showing the Clay Coat of Arms. The banners are owned by a Clay gentry family who live in Wales and the family are originally descended from Derbyshire.

Valuation and Survey of a farm let by John Clay Esq to Joseph Stevens thought to be Shirland Parish in Derbyshire.

Document purchased by David Clay from auction in 2020.

Hardback book by David Clay. - The Derbyshire Muster Roll of 1638 which contains over 17,000 names of all males in the county of Derbyshire aged between 16 and 60 giving their abodes. The book contains 35 entries for the surnames of Clay, Claye and Cley.

Richard Clay. Silhouette. -  Mr Tony Robinson has recently corresponded with me and although he is not descended from the Clay's he has kindly given me  permission to display this rare item which is in his possession, he writes - "For the last 65 years I have owned a silhouette of Richard Clay of the Bombay Cavalry on the rear of the silhouette is a note from Mrs Deans (dated 17th April 1873) it reads Richard Clay of the Bombay Cavalry died at Deese 21st October 1822 aged about 20 he was brother of Admiral Deans 1st wife".

Camp Deesa was the British Military Quarters in Bombay. India. The Oriental Magazine and Calcutta Review Vol. 1 gives regimental deaths - Died in Camp Deesa in October 1822 Cornet Richard Clay of the 2nd Regiment of Light Cavalry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Admiral Robert Deans of Huntingdon and his wife Eliza had a son who became Captain Robert Deans in the Navy who married the sister of the afore mentioned Richard Clay in 1821. Admiral Robert Deans died in1815 so it was his son Robert Deans who married Mary Clay in 1821. Richard on the silhouette and his sister Mary were the children of Richard Clay of Gloucester Place. Portman Square. Middlesex. I have not been able to find out if Richard died in Camp Deesa of wounds or some disease but I have to thank Mr Robinson for the preservation of this rare Clay artefact.

Silver watch made by B. Clay of London in the 1700s. Sold at auction  in March 2023 by Hutchinson Scott Auctioneers at Skipton. Yorkshire.