Evening journal., 1915-07-21
What HENRY CLAY
WOULD HAVE Done
Eastern Shore People Be-
lieve His Action Would Not
Have Paralleled Bryan's
WAS RESIDENT OF
TALBOT COUNTY

ST. MIcHAELS, Nd. July 21.--Pat-
riots of Eastern Shore Of Maryland are
divided on the question OF Mr. Bryan's
motive in retiring from the cabinet
Some uphold his action and advocate
peace at any price. Others. whose
American ancestral lines are as Iona
90 tue Chesapeake Bay. are with the
President and declare that American
rights should be maintained even if
it LED TO war These latter patriots
quote Henry Clay and assert that we're
he Secretary Of State in the present
emergency Germany would not have
dared to kill Americans on the high
seas.
In speaking Of Henry Clay the
Eastern Shore citizens exhibit a feel
ing Of pride and tell you that while
the great statesman was not bern in
Maryland, his ancestors owned a large
tract Of land and made their home in
Talbot county.
The location Of the ancestral home
of Henry Clay has long been a ques-
ton Historians have failed to agree
on this, but the early records of the
State prove that his forefathers lived
near ST. Michaels for several genera
tions. They moved in 1854 TO Virginia,
where Henry Clay was born.
Neck Named for Family.
Clay's Neck. one of the many semi
peninsular points OF the Eastern
Shore. at :he head OF Harris Creek. a
tributary Of the great ChOptank, is
named for the family of the illustri-
Gus statesman The old home Of the
grandparents of Henry Clay and their
forefathers still stands almost hidden
in a cluster OF oak and locust trees.
The creek, which has born the name
Of Harris since Colonial times. is a
gradually widening sheet Of water un-
til It joins the Choptank. The view
from the Neck takes in the wide
mouth Of the Choptank. a larger sheet
OF water than New York BAY, and a
broad stretch Of the Chesapeake.
The old home. or that part of il still
standing, is not as pratentious as
many OF the Colonial places that lend
an air Of romance and antiquity to
the Eastern Shore II Is a two story
house with a high peaked shingled
roof and brick walls. There is no
porch, merely a door opening into the
living room. The house contains six
rooms. Marks on the north wall show
that there had been an extension at
one time.
John Bozman Kerr, genealogist and
historian, was the irst to declare that
this was the home Of the ancestors
OF Henry Clay. The vaults in the
court house at Fasion contain records
which seem to substantiate Mr. Kerr.
book in which the oldest records OF
Talbot county are indexed gives the
first clew. Henry Clay TO Nicholas
Lurky," and refers to Liber E. page
H.
Earliest Record Is 1854.
There is no doubt that the Clays
moved from Talbot county in the early
days, and II thev we're the ancestors
Of the statesmen they must have gone
to Virginia. At any rate the latest
record of any land transfer to which
a Clay was party was on April 90
1854, in the ninth year Of the domin-
alton Of Charles. Lord Proprietary of
Maryland and Avalon. For the con-
sideration of 1880 pounds OF good.
, sound tobacco, Henry Clay Of Plant
err" and Mary his wife (probably his
second wife) conveyed to James Ledg-
wick the plantation whereon he.
Henry Clay. resided and the land ad-
Joining. called Turkey" "a change in
the spelling), and "also that parcel
OF land called Clay's Neck, lying in
Talbot county in a creek called Har.
ris creek"
The deed indicates that Henry Clay
previously had acquired Turkey" and
then dwelt upon tho place. owning at
4 the same time Clay's Neck. This rec
ord shows that on April 20. 1884. Hen
4 ry Clay sold all his property in Tai
bot and moved with his family Wheth-
er the Henry Clay mentioned in the
deed was the great grandfather or