Research by David Clay Email: dmclay@btinternet.com

Readers' Articles

1. "Declaration of Penance". (Article by David Clay).
In the parishes of England centuries ago women found guilty of what was regarded at the time as an immoral offence such as having sex outside of marriage would be compelled by the parish officials as punishment to recite in church on Sunday in front of the congregation a "Declaration of Penance". She would be humiliated in front of her neighbours by being made to stand on a wooden stool facing the crowd wearing nothing but a white sheet and holding a white wand in her hand.

The following documents are held at Nottingham Archive Office.-

1724. June 24th. The Penance of Alice Clay of Southwell for fornication with Thomas Hollingsworth the younger. Decalared in church before the Minister and congregation in a white sheet with a white wand. (Nottingham Archives Ref.- SC/8/2/319).

1765. Oct.26th. The Penance of Elizabeth Clay of Southwell for fornication with Joseph Wilson. Declared in church with white sheet and wand. (Nottingham Archives Office Ref.- SC/8/2/358).

1768. June 14th. The Penance of Ann Parr of Southwell for fornication with William Clay. Declared in church with white sheet and wand. (Nottingham Archives Office. Ref.- SC/8/2/369).

1768. Nov.4th. The Penance of Elizabeth Clay of Westhorpe for fornication. Declared in church with white sheet and wand. (Nottingham Archives Office Ref.- SC/8/2/372).

All the documents have similar words for the offender to recite, the following is for Elizabeth Clay. 1765.- Penance is to be performed by Elizabeth Clay of Southwell in the County of Nottingham. The said Elizabeth Clay is to be present in time of Devine Service where she shall stand upon some seat or form where the Minister readeth prayers, having a white sheet wrapped about her from the shoulders to the feet being bare headed,bare footed and bare legged with a white wand in her hand shall say after the Minister as followeth.-

Whereas I good people forgetting my duty to Almighty God have committed the detestable sin of fornication with Joseph Wilson and have hereby most justly provoked the heavy wrath of God against me to the danger of my own soul and evil example of others. I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for the same and do most humbly beseech Almighty God for the sake of Jesus Christ to forgive me this and all my other offences and to assist me with his Holy Spirit that I may never fall into the grievous sin again desiring you and all here present to take warning by this my punishment and to pray with and for me saying - Our Father which --

2. Seizing bodies for debt. (Article from the Derby Mercury Newspaper. Jan.17th 1883).

In the churchyard of North Wingfield in Derbyshire a gravestone bears the following inscription --

In Memory of Thomas son of John and Mary Clay who departed this life December 16th 1724 in the 40th year of his age.

What though no mournful kindred stand
Around the solemn bier,
No parent wring their trembling hand
Or drop the silent tear,
No costly oak adorned with art
My weary limbs inclose,
No friends impart a winding sheet
To deck my last repose.

The cause of the foregoing epitaph is thus explained. -

Thomas Clay was a man of intemperate habits and at the time of his death was indebted to the village innkeeper named Adlington to the amount of £20. The publican resolved to seize the body but the parents of the deceased carefully kept the door locked until the day of the funeral. As soon as the door was opened Adlington rushed into the house, seized the body and placed it on a form in the street. Clay's friends and family refused to pay the debt. After the body had been exposed for several days Adlington committed it to the ground in a bacon chest.

3. Some interesting articles found in old newspapers by David Clay.

Devon Newspaper February 2nd 1832.
Affair of Honour - A hostile meeting took place on Friday last between Mr John Clay. Solicitor and Mr Charles Roberts both Solicitors of Barnstaple in Devon. They were both involved in a trial at court on opposing sides and disagreed with evidence . The next day Mr Clay approached Mr Roberts and said "Yesterday you accused me of perjury", Mr Roberts then said "You swore what was not correct", whereupon Mr Clay held up and shook his cane at Mr Roberts. Shortly after a challenge was sent to Mr Clay by Mr Roberts and a meeting was decided on to take place at 4pm in the afternoon on Pottingham Marsh. At the appointed time the parties met Mr Roberts was attended by Dr Budd and Mr Clay by Mr Curry the Surgeon. The ground being marked out at 12 paces the parties fired together and Mr Roberts ball took effect entering the left thigh of Mr Clay a few inches above the knee, the medical gentlemen instantly ran to his assistance and he was conveyed home in a chaise where Dr Britton promptly attended to him and we are glad to hear there is every prospect of a speedy recovery.

Exeter and Plymouth Gazette March 26th 1836.
Conviction of Smugglers in Devon.- On December 1st. Lieutenant William Noble Clay of His Majesty's Service on Coast Guard Duty at Salterton was attacked by smugglers at Budleigh in the execution of his duties. He saw a boat approaching the shore and he made a signal to his colleagues by firing his pistol and then went to the beach where he was surrounded by 8 men by whom he was beaten and tied up they were going to throw him off a cliff but his colleagues came and the smugglers ran off leaving 52 kegs of spirits. Later 2 men were caught and Mr Clay recognized Henry Bird and he gave evidence in court where the men were found guilty.

Hampshire Chronicle April 22nd 1797.
Gale Jones was at the theatre in Coventry Mr Clay assisted by several others gathered round him roaring in his ears "God save the King and damn all Jacobins". - Jones escaped with much difficulty after having his hat beaten from his head. Jones procured a warrant the next morning and apprehended Mr Clay who was obliged to appear at the next assizes.

4. Hercules Clay.
I was very pleased to meet up with some Clay's again at the annual Hercules Clay event at Newark in March 2018, we attended a meeting of about 60 persons with local dignitaries and business people at a civic reception in the town hall. After tea and biscuits etc we were called to form up for the procession to the church led by the dignitaries in traditional robes of office carrying the Hercules Clay bible. A sermon dedicated to Hercules was given and the bread originally for the poor as directed in his Will was carried to the front and now goes to a local food bank. After the service the parade returned to the town hall where a speech was given by the Chair Lady of Newark Council. It is quite remarkable that after nearly 400 years the wishes of Hercules Clay still continue. The Clay contingent later made their way to a nearby tavern and related stories about their ancestry over a local brew.

5. Remarkable Rise of a Clay Family. (Article by David Clay).
Back in the 1600s Joseph Clay was just an ordinary husbandman who lived at a place called Merrybower in the parish of Barrow upon Trent in the county of Derbyshire. Little could he have known that one day his descendants would establish their own breweries and banks and become very wealthy and acquire large mansions, hold high office and produce lines of gentry and eventually marry into Royalty.

Joseph had four children Miriam 1682, Sarah 1683, Mary 1685 with his first wife Miriam who died in 1691, he married again to Elizabeth Gibson in 1696 and they had a son Thomas Clay born 1698 who became a butcher. Joseph died in 1728 and was buried at Barrow. Thomas married Elizabeth Adams in 1721 and one of their children Joseph Clay born 1726 at Barrow married Elizabeth Robinson in 1751 and moved to Burton upon Trent where he founded a brewery and in 1757 in a list of 13 breweries at Burton Joseph Clay's brewery is listed on the south side of Horninglow Street. His son also named Joseph born 1756 married an heiress Sarah Spender in 1791 and he also owned a brewery and by 1818 he had established one of the first banks in Burton.

Joseph and Sarah had six children including Henry Clay born 1796 who married Elizabeth Leigh in 1824, he became a JP for Staffordshire and Derbyshire he was also a banker and lived in an impressive mansion called Piercefield Park and later at Foremark Hall in Derbyshire where they had 15 servants.

Henry and Elizabeth had 5 children including Joseph Spender Clay born 1826 who married Elizabeth Sydney Garrett in 1874, Joseph by this time was a partner at Bass Breweries in Burton upon Trent and he bought a large mansion house called Ford Manor. They had children Herbert Henry Clay born 1875 and Violet Sylvia Blanche Clay born 1878. Violet married George Charles Bingham the 5th Earl of Lucan and she became Countess Lucan, their grandson was the infamous Lord Lucan who mysteriously disappeared after the death of his wife. Herbert Henry Clay married Pauline Astor in 1904 daughter of Viscount Astor of Hever Castle in Kent. Herbert was educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he joined the Life Guards and served abroad was awarded medals including the Military Cross. Their home was Ford Manor and he became a JP and MP.

Herbert and Pauline had 3 children including Rachel Pauline Spender Clay born 1907 she married Sir David Bowes Lyon in 1929 brother of the Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes Lyon who was the wife of King George V1 and parents of the late Queen Elizabeth which made Rachel sister in law to the Queen Mother and aunt to the Queen. Rachel Bowes Lyon (nee clay) her children are cousins to Queen Elizabeth.