The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-11-23
cLAY,s MOTHERS TAVERN.
something About the Mother of s"s
Great Ksntscky Orator and
Statesman.

Comparatively few people are now
living who know that the mother oil
Henry Clay once kept tavern In Ner'
saiiies. Ky,, and fewer still have even
had II occur to them that had this bot
been the case Clay would most probably
no, have come to Kentucky at all.
The Watkins family arrived In Yer
saiIIes about the close OF the eighteenth
century, bringing with them quite
. retjnue OF slaves. want to say riget
here tbnt there IL little foundation for
, the popular idea that Henry Clay's boy
= hood was spent In the atmosphere OF
poyerty. obscurity and absolute want.
The mother of the mill Boy OF the
!, slasbes," Elizabeth Hudson. was
g member of n wealthy Virginia fanny,
and In marrying Rev. John Clay (niter
Il whose death she married Henry Wat
y kins) she married into family OF
equal prominence with her own. The
:. Claws and Iiu,lsons probably lived In
n the rather gorgeous style of the Nir
ginia gentry. and II Rev. john oay
,r. was poor II was no doubt due 10 'he
! devastation wrought by the revolution
ury war. II Is extremely unlikely tha'
~ his poyerty could have been so great M
tbe story books would have us believe
Henry Clay did not accompany ms
~, mo,b.r and stcpfatbcr to Kentucky
hut remained In Richmond, Va, as dep
di u,v In the clerks Office and engage'
In prosecuting his legal studies. I'M
'ts Watkinses shortly took charge of IN
only hostelry in Versailles, ana "a'
kins' tavern" became famous In IN
surrounding country. They had 'wo
nj, story stone house built Mt the corne
r nj Main street and Court square b
= Of Henry Metcalfe. at that time s'o"'
SC mason. but af,erward governor OF he'
Tor tucky. Such places were n sor, OF ~
'ncs litical headquarters and rendez'o'
"e for the discussion OF the news oi u
any. nj n time when news travelled on
Tin. nv stage coach. The Mnrshalis, u
ilely Crittendcns, the Blackburns. the Clay
hind IN. Wotkinses and other promine
was men no doubt planned campaigns
"Watkins' tavern" and here Gen
'ore' Fayettc was entertained In 1870.
y "e Mrs. CIay-Watkins was very aor'
tive. While not n beauty, she
..,rv comeiy. with dark hair and eyes n
rosy checks. Her manners were 's
You engaging and she was most ent
ave q ,,inipy conyersn ionulist. she hai
o the well.rounded and shnpeiy hgure
ent possessed great vigor Of mind ana DO
!. pu' Her first husband, Rev. John Clay
nniv IDENTIFY realized fully his wife's char
for In making his will he more u
once gives directions "in case my
which loved wife should intermarry bet"
carr. ,h;s aud then" And sure enough
owns "A the mother Of nine children,
n,arried Henry Watkins, ian elee
u, and accomplished gentleman OF .s'
Ya, whom she afterward bore seven
, door dren. 80.
Mrs. watkins was full Of spirit,
story told By one Of her grands
r. II. Watkins. OF Lexington, f'p
), ! see lie says that the day after the o'
VI nns of Rev. John Clay, the Bri'ish
:, Tarleton mad. raid into Virginia
/, rcc. his men devastated her place.
.rly an CLAY r,primunde Tarleton so se'
Of IRE. ly that he emptied a bag OF coin
table md told her to take that foi
loss.s AS soon rs Tarleton left
Iiencys CLAY scraped the money of into
"on' ,nron and threw II into the fire,
ing that her hand "shouid not be
a know luted with british gold" She seei
. your have been n noble woman, mneh
erenced by those who knew her
me-" and with striking individuality nj
'ns sa,a imperious will. go,
'eAA'ns About the year 1915 the Walk
gave up their tavern ut Nersa''e'
settled upon farm which they o'
. three miles south Of town. Here
aid the Watkins died In 1899, mt the nge
re you wears. Her remains were buried
a real. country graveyard close by, and
theve until 1854, when they wel
ajor. - moved 10 Lexington by her son y
y three The "Iienry Watkins farm ~h
s,ili a point Of great interest Is nc
home OF Mr.. Robert Mcdonnell,
been a last wstige Of the Watkins res'
no ths, has given place TO more moder
proyements--St. Louis 0aooe'l
/ ~