Genealogy

Ashland maintains a large genealogical database, has voluminous records, and knows where to find many more. We are pleased to share this information with you and will do our best to provide answers to your family history questions.

Please direct genealogical inquiries to Curator Eric Brooks at ebrooks@henryclay.org, 859-266-8581 x203

Please provide as much information as possible.

The following resources are recommended for further research:

Hale Stutesman, John.  Some Watkins Families of Virginia and their Kin.  Gateway Press, Inc., 1989.
One of two good resources on the family of Henry Clay’s stepfather Henry Watkins.. This one is a little larger and more recent.

McMurtry Allen, Jane.  Henry Watkins of Henrico County.  Gateway Press, Inc., 1985.
One of two good resources on the family of Henry Clay’s stepfather Henry Watkins.

Oliver, Robin Clay.  Some Descendants of John Clay (Emigrant to Jamestown 1613) Through his son Charles Clay (ca 1638-1686) and his wife Hannah Wilson Compiled.
This source gathers much research on the larger family of which Henry Clay is a member and is a valuable starting point. It can be found and purchased on the internet.

Smith, Zachary F. and Mary Rogers Clay.  The Clay Family Clay.  Filson Club Publications, No. 14. Filson Club, 1899.
This volume is probably the most definitive resource on the Clay family. It is somewhat rare and generally only available in Special Collections libraries.

Young, Sarah S. Genealogical Narrative of the Hart Family.  S.C. Toof & Co. Steam Printers, 1882.
This is the main work on Henry Clay’s wife’s family. It is also rather rare and generally found in special collections.

Henry Clay Papers at University of Kentucky Department of Special Collections and Digital Projects
UK Special Collections has several large and important collections of papers on Henry Clay and his family. This is an excellent starting point for research.

Transylvania University Library Special Collections
Transylvania has a small but important collection of Clay papers. It also houses the records of the Kentucky University, the institution that owned Ashland from 1866 through 1882.

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