Henry Franklin CLAY

   Cause of his death was consumption.

   Another name for Henry was Frank.

  General Notes:

Name: F. C. Clay
Gender: Unknown (Male)
Burial Date:
Burial Place:
Death Date: 03 Jan 1882
Death Place: Ashley, Delaware, Ohio
Age: 29
Birth Date: 1853
Birthplace: Morrow Co., Ohio
Occupation: Clerk
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B01594-1
System Origin: Ohio-EASy
Source Film Number: 1983726
Reference Number:
Collection: Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997


BIOGRAPHY: Henry Franklin Clay was the eldest child of Morris & Lydia Clay. He was married under the name H.F. Clay, but went by the name of Frank. He married Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dixon of Ashley,Ohio, on May 24,1874. Frank and Lizzie lived in Ashley and purchased several lots, including one in Eden. It is also mentioned in the 1880 History of Delaware County, Ohio under the biographical sketch of D.W.. Morehouse that he sold a merchandising store to "Clay & Longwell", in Ashley in the year 1873. This was probably Frank Clay and NT Longwell. Clay and Longwell sued a man in Oxford township, probably because he did not pay his bill.
An interesting find was in the book The Soft Cage page 94. Speaking of the Lewis Tappan Agency that investigated for John M. Bradstreet of Cincinnati the following was recorded.

From Delaware County, Ohio
Clay & Longwell #sts June 14/73
Clay is a fine Steady young man - can say as to his means - Longwell is a farmer - lives about 8 miles from here Owns a gd farm-think in his own name- has some money-is well to do-is a fine man. Think he is all right #Noe.

Jun 17/73 "L" is supposed to be wo[worth]: 8c 10m$ [codes for:8 hundred, 10 thousand, or $10,800] Clay is a fine young man- Has oof [nothing] but will full heir to 3c4m$ [$4,300] this fall when he becomes of age. #2341 [the correspondent ID]3

In the "Ashley Enterprise" newspaper Vol.1 Number 2. April 15,1875 the following was written on page 3 column 1; Mr. H.F. Clay moved to Eden Station, from this place yesterday. We are sorry to lose Frank and Lizzie, but success attend them wherever they go. " Also "Mr. W. J. Porterfield moved into the house lately occupied by Mr. H.F.Clay, yesterday."
Maude A. Clay was born to Frank & Lizzie Clay on August 13, 1875, while they still lived in Eden Station.
In the year 1880, Frank was located in Warren Ohio working as a bookkeeper for the G.W. Griswold Co., Frank was living on Canal Street, in Warren, with his wife and four year old daughter, Maud A. Clay. This information was taken from the 1880 Census for Trumbell Co. Co. Ohio. Frank must have returned to Ashley when he became ill. In the Delaware Gazette on Jan. 5, 1882 we read that in Ashley Frank Clay is lying very low with consumption. News traveled slow. In the January 12, 1882 edition of the Delaware Herald we see under Brown twnship news... "Mr. Frank Clay, a former resident of Eden, son of Mrs. Jas. [sic] Fleming died at his home in Ashley, Tuesday morning of last week. Mr. Clay was a man much esteemed for his amiability of character, as well as his business qualifications. He was for some time employed as clerk in Mr. T.S.Scott's store of this place, afterwards engaged in trade in Ashley. He was taken away in the prime of life, being but 29 years of age. He was hereditarily predisposed to consumption, the disease of which he died, and had been for some months declining rapidly. ""He leaves a wife and two children, besides a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn his loss .During the past two years. until recently, Mr. Clay was a resident of Warren, Truble county, Ohio, while there he united with the Presbyterian church. After his decease Rev. Jackson, his pastor, came down, in accordance with his wishes, and preached his funeral sermon. A large concourse of people were in attendance upon the occasion. The remains were placed in Ashley cemetery on Wednesday, the of January. ". He is buried at Ashley Cemetery in plot 208.

This article mention two children I am only aware of one. Lizzie remarried Daniel N. Shoemaker, of Ashley,Oh. on January 19,1884. I have two photos of Maud Clay and one of them is labeled from Cainesville, Mo. . However Maud probably did not move until the late 1890's. In Lydia Fleming's estate in Sept.1904 Maude was living in Missouri.

baskins 1880 history of Delaware county
D. W. MOREHOUSE, merchant, Kingston Center; is a son of A. S. and Dyrexa (Rogers) Morehouse ; his father was born Jan. 26, 1814, in New Jersey, and emigrated to Ohio when a small boy, and worked most of his life in Porter Township and Morrow Co.; he now lives at Ashley, Ohio, and is in the furniture business; his mother was born Sept. 3, 1818, and died in 1860, and was a member of the M. E. Church; her father and brother were ministers. Mr. Morehouse's parents had six children-Mary J., born Aug. 23, 1835 ; J. W., April 18, 1842 ; Catharine, Sept. 27, 1847; Brintha, July 15, 1850; Rose A., Jan. 10, 1853. D. W. attended district school in his younger days, and, when 5 years old, went with his father to Kingston Center, where his father engaged in the furniture, wheelwrighting and farming business, in which his son, D. W., enlisted, most especially in the furniture business; he left his work with his father in 1865, and went to Butler, Ind., and engaged in the furniture business, under the firm name of Fisher &, Morehouse, and, in 1866, )It. Morehouse withdrew, and returned to his old native home, and engaged in the same business with his father, and, in the same fall, his father bought him out, and he began clerking for Haverstock & Higly, of Butler, Ind., in the dry-goods business, contitruing nine months; he then merchandised for himself one year, at the same place, and then took in a partner (Gordon-) ; they continued the business under the firm name of Morehouse & Gordon, for eighteen months, when Mr. -Morehouse withdrew, and began as a trading salesman for the firm of Shaw & Baldwin, of Toledo (in the notion business) ; he continued at this for two years, and then began merchandiseing at Ashley, Ohio, beginning March 17, 1871, and, in 1873, he sold the same to Clay & Longwell, and then traveled for Alcott & Co., of Cleveland, wholesale dealers in dry goods, and, July 18, 1874, he quit, and soon after traded for a stock of dry goods of James Wilcox, of East Liberty, and moved the same to Olive Green, where he has since been located, and is now carrying on a fine stock of dry goods, notions, hats, caps, boots and shoes, and everything denoting a firstclass drygoods store ; his gentlemanly appearance and honesty have won for him a trade enjoyed by few in any part of Central Ohio; he is now Postmaster at this place, and is also in the undertaking business. He enlisted in Co. D, 121st O. V. I., in 1863, and remained until the close of the war ; was in Sherman's march to the sea. He was married, May 6, 1866, to Sarah Doty, a daughter of Caroline Doty; she was born in 1848, in Pennsylvania; they had three children-Lillian, born Jan. 12, 1867; Minnie, born Oct. 23, 1869; Verner, born Aug. 1, 1875.

Page 790 JOSEPH S. DIXON, cooper, Ashley; was born Jan. 25, 1832, in Rockingham Co., Va., the son of Wm. and Elizabeth Dixon ; his father was born in Virginia, and his mother came from England; Mr. Dixon came with his parents to Ohio in 1842, and settled in Gallia Co., near Gallipolis ; when 16 years of age, he went to Ironton, Ohio, and worked in a brickyard ; at the age of 18, he went to Gallipolis and learned his trade, working two years ; he afterward ran on the steamboats of the Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers in various positions; worked at his trade several years at Chillicothe, and then as a journeyman cooper in Cincinnati, St. Louis, La Salle, Peoria; Beardstown, Naples, Milwaukee and Chicago, back to Cincinnati, then to Columbus, and back to Chillicothe-this took about three years. He was married, May 12, 1854, to Sarah A. Campbell, and remained in Chillicothe until 1861 ; then came to Ashley, opened a shop and bought town property. Enlisted in August, 1864, in the 176th O. V. I., and went to the Army of the Cumberland; he remained with the regiment until the close of the war, and was mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., the regiment took part in the battle of Nashville. In the spring of 1868, he sold his property in Ashley, and moved to Stanton, Ohio, and went into the huckster business on a large scale; he failed and came back to Ashley, bought lots in town, built him a house and soon after a shop. He has been Constable and Councilman, member of the School Board, Street Commissioner, and is now Marshal of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon have had five Children - William Fullerton, born Feb. 12, 1855, and died Jan. 19, 1875 ; Sarah Elizabeth, born Sept. 10, 1857 ; Charles Roney, born April 20, 1859 ; Josephus, born Dec. 7, 1860 ; Alice Belle, born Jan. 12, 1873, but died the same day. Sarah Elizabeth was married, May 24, 1874, to Frank H. Clay, now with G. O. Griswold, of Warren, Ohio, as book-keeper. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon are members of the Presbyterian Church. He is a member of the orders of Masons and Odd Fellows.


CENSUS: 1860 OH. Union County, Leesburgh twp, P.O.Phairsburg , Page 34 : Morris Clay Morris Clay 30 M farmer (value of real estate)2232 born in N.Y. Leida Clay 26 F born in O. Henry Clay 7 M born in O. Lucy E.Clay 4 F born in O. Margaret Clay 1 F born in O. 1880 Ohio Trimbull County, City of Warren, 17th of June 1880. Clay,Henry F, W M age=27, Book keeping , born in Ohio,Father born in Ohio, Mother born in Ohio. Clay, Sarah E, W F age 23, House Keeping. born in Ohio, Father born in Va, Mother born in Ohio Clay, Maud A,W F age 4, daughter, born in Ohio,Father born in Ohio,Mother born in Ohio

BIRTH: From Death Record States Oct 12,1852,Brown twps , Delaware County Ohio Death Records Guardianship Case file 1841 Delaware County Ohio August 11, 1869 Joseph D. Fleming Henry F. Clay aged 17 years October 11th next Lucy Estelle Clay aged 13 years January 1st next Mary Amelia Clay age 11 years March 6th last Albert Norton age 7 years Sept. 26th next also in file Guardians Bond June 21,1873
Henry F. Clay aged 21 years on the Eleventh day of October
Lucy E Clay age 16 January 1st 1873
Mary A 14 years on 6 day of March 1873
Albert Norton age 10 years on 26th day of September 1873 the minor children of Morris Clay also in file Guardians Bond July 29th 1875.

Lived in Ashley, Then Eden Station (Leonardsburg) moved to Warren, Ohio 1880 and when ill moved back to Ashley until death.

Purchased lots 42 & 43 in Ashley on Nov.17, 1874 from Joseph Dixon and sold back to Joseph Dixon on March 14, 1879.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Personal Photo: Possibly Frank Clay, 1881, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio.

• Marriage Contract: Henry Franklin Clay and Lizzie Dixon, 1874, Delaware Co., Ohio, United States.

• newspaper: Gazette Frank Clay Illness, 1882, Kilbourne, Brown, Delaware, Ohio.

• newspaper: Burial Article, 1882, Delaware Co., Ohio, United States.

• Burial: Franks Grave, 1882, Ashley Union Cem., Oxford Twp, Delaware Co., Ohio.

Henry married Sarah Elizabeth DIXON, daughter of Joseph S. DIXON and Sarah A. CAMPBELL, on 24 May 1874 in Delaware Co., Ohio, United States. (Sarah Elizabeth DIXON was born on 10 Sep 1857 in Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio, died on 17 Nov 1939 in Cainsville, Harrison, Missouri, United States and was buried on 26 Nov 1939 in Decatur City Cem., Decatur City, Decatur, Iowa, USA.)

  Marriage Notes:

Groom's Name: H.F. Clay
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Lizzie Dixon
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 24 May 1874
Marriage Place: Delaware County, Ohio
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01063-2
System Origin: Ohio-EASy
Source Film Number: 391397
Reference Number: p 345/1041
Collection: Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958