Clayes of Bretagne

                                                The Clayes of Bretagne

From the book, La Nobles de Bretagne,

 pages 185/186.

The de Clayes are described in the above book as an ancient family going back to the 13th Century.

The family were settled in the village of La Clayes and the town of Pays du Montfort. ( There is in fact another La Claye some 30 miles away alongside that is La Petite Claye and there is the site of where the castle used to be and is now a farm, Le Tertre de la Claye.) see maps

In a separate book, La Noblesse du France aux Croisades, we have Raoul listed in 1249 as a chevalier on Crusade.

From the book, La Nobles de Bretagne pages 185/6

Alain De Claye and his wife Aliette in 1272, we have further mention of Alain in a separate book in 1282. ( L’ Histoire De Bretagne )

Guillame de Claye is recorded on the 9th of June 1363 in connection with Guy de Laval XII. The house of Laval played a significant role in the history of Brittany.

On the 13th of July 1392, Oudart de Claye, knight bachelor accompanied the King of France and the count of Melun on a voyage, he was paid 165 francs d’or by the treasurer of war, d’Arnou Boucher.

The nobleman Guillame de Claye, is staying in the parish of de Fougeray in 1450.

The tower at Fougeray

The family de Claye is listed in an alliance with the family of de Couyer in 1490.

See, The Noblesse de Bretagne vol 2 page 24.

Jean de Claye, Sgr (seigneur, equivalent to an English Lord of the Manor) of la Foray, is recorded in the parish of de Fougeray in 1513.

Jean de Claye, Sgr of de La Meslaye married Louise Costard in 1570.

See, The noblesse de Bretagne vol 2.

The family de Claye is listed in an alliance with the family of Dollier in 1605.

See The Noblesse de Bretagne vol 2 page 17.

This is through the marriage of Jean de Claye Sgr Du Loretz (Loray) and Gillette Dollier in 1605.

Julienne de Clay the sister of Jean de Claye is recorded in the church of Fougeray in 1616 and in 1646 she marries Louis De Castonett, Sgr of des Fosses.

The nobleman Jean de Claye is recorded in the church of Fougeray in 1628.

Barbe de Claye, another sister of Jean marries Nicholas Penguel, Sgr of de La Blaire in 1653.

Francois de Claye, Sgr of La Foray, the father of the three above , dies on the 5th of May 1662.

Renee de Claye, Dame du Loray and du La Venourie born 22nd of February 1636 is the bride of Messier Jean de Castellan, Sgr Du Bois and de La Fouaye.

The family de Claye also held alliance with the Meslaye family c1570.

The family held the Fiefs of de Clayes, du Bray, de La Venourie, de la Tauradye, de la Preverie, de la Chausee and Fougeray.

  Notes from other sources

From, The Repetoire General de Bretagne vol 9

In 1717 Madeleine Nicholas de Claye married Francois De Bourdannaye, Sgr de Claye, had the family died out in the male line?

From, Reserches Sur La Cheralerve de Duc De Bretagne vol 1 page 413

Jean de Cleux is recorded as Maitre d’Hotel de la Nevre Isabeau D’Ecosse, Veuve du Duc Francois I.

Page 469

Olivier de Cleux(z) is a captain at the siege of Povence in 1431, 1454 he he is chamberlain to Duc and chevalier de L’Hermire.

Jean de Cleux in 1433 is squire to the enfant of the Duc.

Page 474

List of Chevaliers, includes Pierre de Cleux.

From, Abrege de Histoire Du Poitou

The death of Seguin deClaye is recorded in 1755.

It would appear that the family of la Vayer and de Claye intermarried, in the 15th century Thebault le Vayer is listed as the Lord of The Chateau de Clayes.

The ancestors of Raoul de Claye are mentioned in the Cartulary of Saint-Melaine.

From, The Inventaire Sommaire des Archives de Loire-inferieure

1664-1710 Mdlle Chenu de Clayes, is L’abbesse de Nioiseau.

Bulletin et Memoires de la Societe Archeologique du Department, Vols 5 and 6

FIFTH SECTION: MANORS AND NOBLE LANDS.

Many manor houses surrounded the seigniorial castle of Fougeray.

THE LORAY.

The oldest place recorded by history is that of Loray, formerly called Coët-Loray. In 875, Pascweten, Count of Brittany, gave the village to the abbey of Redon. Of Hoëtlor, as well as all its inhabitants; we have little doubt of the identity of Hoëtlor and Coët-Loray. Tradition wants that the monks established a leper colony there; what is certain, it is only a castle, the last remains of which appear still exist in the woods of Loray, existed there by means of age; it was replaced in recent times by a manor built a short distance away, and whose portal, from the 16th century, remains alone standing. In 1450 to Guillaume de Forges, the manor of Loray passed into the hands of the Clay family; Jean de Clay, lord of Loray and Vénourie, lived in 1513; - Geffroy de Clay, in 1541; Jean de Clay, lord of Loray, married Gillette Dollier around 1600; François de Clay, living in 1649, left from his union with Michelle de Carheil only a daughter named Anne. The latter married in 1634 Jean de Castellan, lord of La Fouaye, parish, page, Page 324

THE VENOURIA. This old noble house must have been rebuilt in the 17th century at the same time as the Souchay, because we find the same moldings in the architectural details of the two manors. La Vénourie belonged to Clay's family for a long time. William de Clay owned it in 1450, and John de Clay in 1513; Claude de Clay lived in 1640, and François de Clay and Michelle de Carheil, his wife, lord and lady of Vénourie and Loray, in 1649. Their daughter, Anne de Clay, brought these two lands into the house of Castellan by marrying Jean de Castellan, lord of La Fouaye; but they did not remain there long, because the Dolliers were lords of Vénourie and Loray from 1717. and they continued to be so until the Revolution. Page 329

The Fosses. This manor belonged to the family of that name for a long time; Jean des Fosses owned it in 1450 and François des Fosses in 1513. It then passed into the hands of the Castonnet family. Louis de Castonnet, sieur des Fosses, married to Claude Coppalle, died in 1634. Louis de Castonnet, his son, married Julienne de Clay in 1646, and François de Castonnet married Anne Gault. In 1707, Barbe de Castonnet, lady of Fosses, married René Joussé, sieur de la Chesnaye. Having become a simple farm, the Fosses were given to the Fougeray family in 1837 by Mrs. Olivier de Mareil. Page 335

There were also in Fougeray, in the past, several other less important houses, some of which were noble; such were the Fief-Rubé, in 1638, to Adrien Picot, lord of Lande-Ferrière; les Moulinets, in 1450, to Maurice Bernardin; Préverie, in 1450, to Guillaume de Claye; - la Choltière. Page 336

                       The castle of La Claye

The ancient family of De Claye held the castle and  Lordship of La Claye until the end of the 14th century.

The Lordship of La Claye was held under the Counts of Combourg, its fiefdom extended into three parishes, La Boussac, Sainte-Marcan and Saint-Boladre.

The castle stood on a hill known as Tertres de la Claye, it was described with, its sinister forks with three pillars,  by 1650 the castle was in ruins.

Today, the site of the castle is a farm called Tertres de la Claye. (see maps)