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Clay County, Kentucky Genealogy

∣ Societies and Family History Resources ∣ Government Records ∣ Genealogy Links ∣ Publications ∣ Census Records ∣
∣ Court, Probate, Land and Tax Records ∣ Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records ∣
∣ Cemeteries & Graveyards ∣ Church & Bible Records ∣ County History ∣ Military Records ∣ Schools & Directories ∣

Clay County, Kentucky family history and genealogy research page. Uncover links to record collections, history, and genealogy resources to assist you to you find your personal Clay Co., ancestors. Learn how to start by putting together a Free Family Tree.

Clay County was established on April 1, 1807 from Madison County, Floyd County and Knox County. Currently the county was named in honor of Green Clay (1757–1828), Revolutionary War general and western surveyor .

Currently the Clay County Seat is situated in Manchester additionally, the county government website is www.claycounty.ky.gov

Locations adjacent to Clay County happen to be Owsley County (north), Perry County (northeast), Leslie County (east), Bell County (southeast), Knox County (southwest), Laurel County (west), Jackson County (northwest).

Cities and towns to be found in Clay County comprise of Manchester, Oneida, Burning Springs, Goose Rock.

Clay County consists of Federal Census Schedules to guide in researching your family tree. Government Population Schedules are present for 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Clay Co. Slave Schedules can be obtained for 1850 & 1860. Clay Co. Mortality Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Clay Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be acquired for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Clay Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be obtained for 1890. One can find free down loadable and also printable census forms that can help with your research.

Clay County Genealogical & Historical Societies and Family History Resources

A list of Clay County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also Kentucky Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.

• Clay County Genealogical and Historical Society, Courthouse Hill, Manchester, KY  40962; 606-598-5507
• Clay County Public Library, 211 Bridge Street, Manchester, KY 40962-1203; (606) 598-2617
• KYCLAY. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Clay County, Kentucky. Interested individuals may want to check out the Clay County KYGenWeb site. To subscribe send "subscribe" to kyclay-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or kyclay-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• EASTERNKENTUCKY. A mailing list for all researchers who's ancestors settled in or traveled through the state of Kentucky. Some of the counties covered are Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliot, Estill, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rowan, Whitley, Wolfe, and adjacent counties that represent the East Kentucky Coalfields. Additional information can be found on the East Kentucky Genealogy website. To subscribe send "subscribe" to easternkentucky-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or easternkentucky-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• JACKSON-CLAY-OVERTON-CO-TN. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Jackson, Clay, and/or Overton Counties, Tennessee as well as Smith County, Tennessee which was the parent county and bordering Monroe County, Kentucky. To subscribe send "subscribe" to jackson-clay-overton-co-tn-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or jackson-clay-overton-co-tn-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• SE-KENTUCKY. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in the Kentucky counties that border Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia, and surrounding south eastern Kentucky counties (i.e., Whitley, Knox, Bell, Harlan, Clay, Leslie, Perry, Letcher, Knott, Breathitt, Pike, Floyd, Martin, Johnson, Morgan, Lawrence). To subscribe send "subscribe" to se-kentucky-l-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or se-kentucky-d-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
• southeasternkentuckyroots. A mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest in Perry County, Kentucky, cemeteries and southeastern Kentucky genealogy (e.g., Perry, Knott, Clay, and Clark Counties). You can subscribe from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southeasternkentuckyroots/ or by sending the following to southeasternkentuckyroots-subscribe@yahoogroup s.com: subscribe
• Kentucky State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Clay County USGenWeb Archives Project (usgwarchives.net)
• Clay County, Kentucky Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Clay County
• Clay County, Kentucky Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Clay County

Clay County Courthouse and Government Records

Genealogist frequently fail to notice the advantages of Clay County court, probate, and land files as a useful resource of genealogical information and facts. Buried away in Kentucky courthouses and archives just about everywhere tend to be the dreams and frustrations of the many Kentucky citizens.

The odds are great that your chosen ancestors have left a detailed record of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Clay County court records. Even if your forefathers is not brought up in a Court case, take into consideration all of the other methods which may have lead to her or him to appear in court records.

The following facts indicates what death, marriage, birth, land, probate, and legal records are located in Clay county.  The dates indicated below are the first known records for each county. On 20 Jan 1936, there was a courthouse fire.