The Women of Ashland

Wife. Mother. Manager. Matriarch.

Born in Maryland and raised in Kentucky, Lucretia Hart Clay married Henry Clay in 1799 and moved to Ashland in 1807. Over their 53-year marriage, she gave birth to 11 children—only three would outlive her.

Lucretia managed the household and Ashland estate during Henry’s long absences in Washington, overseeing both daily operations and the lives of the people they enslaved. Known for her private nature and deep faith, she once stepped into the public spotlight to defend her family legacy in a widely republished letter.

She preferred domestic life but played a critical role in sustaining Clay’s political career, hosting events alongside Dolley Madison and acting as the anchor of Ashland in turbulent times.

Though she left behind few words of her own, Lucretia’s strength, devotion, and quiet determination shaped Ashland for generations—and can still be felt in every corner of the home she held together.

Enslaved Woman. Freedom Fight. No Longer Forgotten.

Born enslaved in Maryland, Lotty Dupuy was sold to Henry Clay in 1806 so she could remain with her husband, Aaron, who was also enslaved by Clay. At Ashland, she labored as a cook, housekeeper, and caretaker while raising their two children, Charles and Mary Ann.

In 1829, while living with the Clays in Washington, Lotty made history by suing Henry Clay—then Secretary of State—for her freedom and that of her children. Though she lost the case and was jailed for refusing to return to Ashland, her act of resistance was extraordinary. Clay later exiled her to New Orleans, separating her from her family for more than three years.

Eventually, Clay freed Lotty and her children—though not her husband. She lived the rest of her life in obscurity and died on April 10, 1877.

Lotty’s fight for freedom challenged the powerful—and her courage lives on. Though her grave is lost to time, her presence is still felt at Ashland.

Housekeeper. Caretaker. Constant Presence.

Born in Hull, England, Sally Hall immigrated to America with her brothers and eventually settled in Kentucky. In 1804, she was hired by Lucretia Clay as housekeeper—a position she would hold for over 50 years, first in the Clay’s downtown Lexington home, then at Ashland.

Unmarried and without children, Sally found stability and a sense of purpose in her work. As housekeeper, she managed the domestic staff—enslaved individuals included—and oversaw the daily rhythm of life inside Ashland’s walls. While she was paid, it was not always regular; she once received a lump sum covering 34 years of service.

After Henry Clay’s death, Sally moved with Lucretia to their son John’s nearby estate, where she lived out the rest of her life. She died in 1854, and Henry Clay’s son Thomas arranged for her burial in the Old Episcopal Burying Ground.

Sally may not have carried the Clay name, but her presence and care helped define daily life at Ashland for over half a century.

Historian. Hostess. Survivor of War.

Married to James B. Clay, Susan Jacob Clay became a central figure in Ashland’s second chapter. Intelligent and well-educated, she occasionally acted as Henry Clay’s secretary and later shaped his public memory through her writings—though she often softened or omitted difficult truths like slavery.

Susan and James rebuilt the Ashland mansion in 1856, but the peace was short-lived. When the Civil War erupted, James fled to Montreal, leaving Susan to manage the estate and raise their ten children alone—only five of whom survived to adulthood. In 1862, a skirmish broke out on Ashland’s grounds. Susan stayed, steeled by faith and determination, to protect her family and legacy.

Through upheaval and loss, Susan preserved Ashland with intellect and quiet fortitude—ensuring its survival through one of its darkest chapters.

Widow. Horsewoman. Trailblazer.

Josephine Clay became a Confederate widow in 1863 when her first husband, Eugene Erwin—Henry Clay’s grandson—was killed in the Civil War. Left with three children in Union-occupied Missouri, she faced a harsh reality: few paths existed for a woman alone to support a family.

Josephine eventually moved to Lexington and became housekeeper for John Clay, Eugene’s uncle. They later married, and upon his death, Josephine took over his Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation—vowing “to paddle my own canoe.” In a male-dominated industry, she earned widespread respect for her business acumen, independence, and success.

Later in life, she became an author and family historian, preserving stories and artifacts that form the backbone of Ashland’s interpretation today.

Josephine Clay broke barriers with grit and grace—preserving the past while boldly shaping her own future.

Reunifier. Curator. Keeper of the Flame.

The granddaughter of Henry Clay, Anne Clay McDowell returned Ashland to the family in 1882 when her husband, Henry Clay McDowell, purchased the estate. For Anne, the home was more than an inheritance—it was a sacred space to heal, remember, and rebuild.

Having lost her father in the Mexican-American War and both brothers during the Civil War—one Union, one Confederate—Anne knew the cost of division. She used Ashland as a place of reunion, gathering family and rebuilding connection in the wake of loss.

Anne filled the home with artifacts from her grandfather’s life, transforming Ashland into a monument to his legacy and a symbol of reconciliation. Her work laid the emotional and historical foundation for future preservation efforts.

Anne Clay McDowell made Ashland more than a memory—she made it a monument.

Artist. Architect. Inventor. Independent Spirit.

Known affectionately as “Aunt Mag,” Magdalen Harvey McDowell lived at Ashland from 1883 until her death in 1918. She never married, never worked in domestic service, and never asked permission to live life on her own terms. In a time when a woman’s role was expected to be confined to the drawing room or nursery, Aunt Mag carved her own path—with pencil, paintbrush, and pure will.

She was a skilled painter, several of whose works remain in Ashland’s collection. As an amateur architect, she designed a number of houses—some of which survive—and a children’s hospital facility. As an inventor, she secured a patent for a device that heated multiple rooms with a single fireplace.

But Aunt Mag’s greatest legacy was personal: she showed her nieces that women could think, create, and lead without apology. She inspired a generation of McDowell women to raise their voices and leave their mark.

In a world that told her “no,” Aunt Mag built her own yes—and opened the door for others to follow.

Preservationist. Advocate. Builder of Legacy.

Henry Clay’s great-granddaughter, Nannette McDowell Bullock, grew up at Ashland and returned in 1903 to care for her aging mother, Anne Clay McDowell. But Nannette didn’t just preserve her family—she preserved a national landmark.

In 1926, she founded the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation to save the estate from decline and ensure its stories endured. Thanks to her vision and tenacity, Ashland became a public museum in 1950, one of the earliest house museums in Kentucky. She also honored her sister, Madeline McDowell Breckinridge, by making the estate a monument to both their ancestor and modern civic activism.

Nannette fought for women’s rights too. In 1913, she ran for school superintendent—not to win, but to challenge the law preventing women from voting in that election. After helping secure that right through a lawsuit, she gracefully stepped aside.

Nannette didn’t just remember history—she institutionalized it, ensuring Ashland would inspire generations to come.

Reformer. Suffragist. Relentless Force for Change.

Madeline “Madge” McDowell Breckinridge was born into legacy—and used it as a launchpad for justice. As the great-granddaughter of Henry Clay and the great-great-niece of pioneering surgeon Ephraim McDowell, she combined privilege with purpose, and intellect with unstoppable drive.

Despite chronic illness, strokes, and lifelong battles with tuberculosis, Madge became a towering figure in Kentucky’s Progressive Era. She championed education for working-class children, created parks, advocated for African American rights, and fought to improve public health. But her greatest cause was woman suffrage.

Madge rose to national leadership in the suffrage movement and played a key role in securing Kentucky’s ratification of the 19th Amendment. She cast her first—and only—vote in the 1920 presidential election. Two weeks later, she died of a stroke.

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge gave everything for a more just world—and lived just long enough to see it change.