The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-03-04
.CLAYS SISTER IN Neg
LECTED GRAVE YARD.
Some Historic Facts About Sis
ter Of Kentucky's Noted
Statesman and Commoner

on what is known as dhe old Dyre
farm, there is an antiquated burying
ground in which number of the first
SETTLERS of that section Of the Big
Sandy valley were buried. A report
says that there is today scansely any
thing there TO indicate that such a
thing as a grave yard was ever there.
One might pass over the ground a
thousand times and unless they We're
told THAI they were within tine sacred
and hallowed precin,s Of city Of
the dead" they would never think of
such thing. Portions of Il are said
70 have been plowed over by the farm
ers who have owned the place; cattle
and sheep have graZed upon the
grounds, and in many ways the old
grave yard has been desscrated, until
1t has practically passed beyond no
tice.
Despite all this neglect and Jack of
interest among those who have lived
in the community there is the dust
of persons quietly sleeping benleath
the sod who never should have been
forgotten, most prominent among
them being a sister of the great Ken
lucky statesman and commoner, the
illuS-rious Henry Clay. Numerous de-
scendants of this woman reside in
this section OF the country. In fact,
the number of her offspring is almost
legion. They have basn scattered
abroad until there is scracely a state
in the Union but in which some of
them may be found.
The name OF this woman was Pa
thence Clay Chapman, the wife of
George Chapman, one of the pioneer
settlers of Eastern Kentucky, who en-
tered boundary of land on both sides
of the Big Sandy Understanding sew
eral miles along the river The maid
en- name of the woman was Patience
Clay, and she was manfred 70 George
Chapman in virginia, and she with
her husband came to the Big Sandy
country from Giles county chat state.
Soon after having moved inno that
section Chapman returned to their
former home TO collect some money
and the night before he was to start
on his reJurn trip, overland, 10 Ken
lucky, he was sGized with a violent
illness and died that night, the Cir
cumstances of his death ever having
been believed to have been surrounded
by suspicious features, AS none of the
money he was known TO have had in
his possession was ever recoveIied by
his family. He was buried in Giles
county and his widow continued 20
reside in Kentucky for several years
when she died and was buried in the
old graveyard above mentioned. For
many years her grave was kept mark
ed by only a crude stone marker such
as was usually used for that purpose
in that early day, but finally the
grave was neglected and it is said
that no one could locate it with any
degree of accuracy today.
Among her descendants are the Nc
Clures, the Pecks, the ChaIpmansy she
having been the mother of the writ
er's grand father. Besides tho;b above
mentioned she had a daughter who
continued to reside in Giles county,
va, whose DESCENDANTS represent
many of the prominent families in
that section of the country.
The farm on which the grave is To-
Gated was transferred to two sons of
Mrs. Patience Clay Chapman, David
and George Chapman, who owned it
for long time, when it passed into
other hands and since then has been
owned by a number OF persons, re-
motely related TO the pioneer woman,
III l-@1NF years we DSiAtNe suetJ lii'
farm has bsen known as the Bur
less" farm.
The original boundary of land was
divided between the following child
rem of George Chapman the Senior
Isaac Chapman, Mrs. Ducretia Chap
man Mcclure, Mrs. Elizabeth Chap
man Peck, Archibald Chapman and
George and David Chapman, above
named.
George Chapman went west in an
early day and there are said to be
numerous descendants of him residing
in Oregon and Washington states.
Archibald Chapman disposed of his
interest in the Kentucky lands and
moved TO Gallia counyt, o.
Proposed Indian Monument to be