1233131 Arthur Joseph 1870-1915
Arthur was born on 29 April 1870 in Stapenhill, the eldest son of Charles John Clay and "Aggie" née Arden. He was educated at Harrow[1], whence he went up to New College, Oxford. When he was 35, he was married on 10 May 1905 in Lichfield Cathedral to Bridget Parker‑Jervis (see below), then aged 20.
Arthur and Bridget moved to Grangewood in Leicestershire, and had two daughters and two sons :-
(Evelyn Agnes) "Evie" was born on 1 October 1906 in Cranley Gardens, London, and at the end of her life lived at The Dower House, Headbourne Worthy, Winchester She was married on 22 January 1938, to (Edward Stephen Bruce) "Ted" Williams, Brigadier of the Rifle Brigade, who was the son of Major General Sir Hugh Bruce Bruce-Williams, KCB, DSO (1865-1942) of Crowborough, and Mabel Heward. Ted was born 02.11.1892 in Pinhoe, Devon, and educated at Winchester College; (Infantry Company) Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; Staff College (psc); RN Staff College (ns); MA by decree Oxon (1934). Ted had married 1st (14.04.1925) Elizabeth Frances Chadwyck-Healey, who died in a riding accident in 1934. She was the daughter of Sir Charles Edward Heley Chadwyck-Healey, 1st Bt. and Frances Katharine Wait.
Ted Williams's CV:-
2nd Lt. 20.09.1911 [1554]
Lt. 17.04.1913
Capt. 15.05.1915
Bt. Maj. 01.07.1930
Maj. 23.11.1932
local Lt.Col. 15.10.1930-14.10.1934
Bt. Lt.Col. 01.07.1934
Lt.Col. 11.07.1938
Col. 08.02.1940, seniority 01.07.1937
(supernumerary 31.12.1944)
(retd 30.12.1946)
A/Brig. 08.02.1940-07.08.1940
T/Brig. 08.08.1940-(04.1946)
Hon. Brig. 30.12.1946
CBE 02.06.1943 HM's birthday 43
MID 15.05.1917 ?
LegH
14|15 St - & clasp
BWM 14|20 
VM
Iraq operations 1919-20 Medal & Clasp
Palestine 1936-39 Clasp
20.09.1911 commissioned, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
20.08.1914- 19.10.1914 served France & Belgium
11.04.1915 - 13.03.1916 A.Sig.Serv. [= Air Signal Service ?] (from 25.05.1915-07.07.1915 Gallipoli, from 15.10.1915-18.03.1916 Egypt)
14.03.1916 - 22.07.1916 General Staff Officer, 3rd grade (GSO3), Egyptian Expeditionary Force & France (from 06.06.1916) (wounded twice)
23.07.1916 - 06.04.1917 General Staff Officer, 3rd grade (GSO3), France
04.02.1918 - 07.07.1919 Brigade Major, Home Forces
08.07.1919 - 07.07.1922 Adjutant, ... (Iraq operations, 1919-1920)
31.08.1922 - 20.01.1926 Officer Company of Gentlemen Cadets, Royal Military College, Sandhurst
21.01.1929 - 14.10.1930 General Staff Officer for Weapon Training (Class CC), Aldershot Command
15.10.1930 - 14.10.1934 Lt.Col. in Command, Oxford University Contingent, Officer Training Corps
(01.1937) 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade (Malta)
11.07.1938 - 07.02.1940 Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade (Palestine operations, 1939)
22.01.1940 - 31.01.1940 acting Commander, 7th Support Group (Egypt)
08.02.1940 - 29.07.1941 Commander, 182nd Infantry Brigade (UK)
30.07.1941 - 20.04.1943 Brigadier General Staff, Scottish Command (Home Forces)
1943 - 1946 Brigadier General Staff, East Africa Command
Ted was Colonel of the Rifle Brigade before WW II.
Played First Class cricket, 1922-1935.
Ted died on 20.01.1977 in Winchester.
The elder son of Evie and Ted was David (Arden) Bruce Williams (1940-2007), who became Colonel of the Royal Green Jackets; they had another son Bruce, and two daughters, Bridget and Joanna. All married with children - but they are WILLIAMS, not CLAY, so further details are not shown here..
Doris Muriel was born on 24 December 1907 in Grangewood, Ashby de la Zouch, and died there on 12 October 1909 at the age of 9½ months.
(Charles John Jervis) "Char" was born on 19 March 1910.
On 6th June 1912, Arthur and his wife Bridget, his youngest brother Wilfrid and his half-sister Hilda set off to drive across Europe (and the Alps) to Italy, and arrived back on 6th July - here is an edited account of that trip, that appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of the Vintage Sports Car Club Bulletin.
Henry Arthur Clay, was born on 23 April 1913.
Arthur was a J.P. for Staffordshire, and a Director of Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton. He inherited Holly Bush on his father's death in 1910, but sold it to the Hignets, as he was by then living at Grangewood.
When the War came in 1914, Arthur joined the North Staffordshire Regiment with the rank of Major, but he died of pneumonia less than six months later, on 18 February 1915, in Harpendon, Herts, at the age of 44, while on active service. He was buried at Newborough, Burton‑on‑Trent
Bridget Parker‑Jervis
Bridget was born in Shenstone, near Lichfield, Staffs,[2] on 23 March 1885. Bridget's twin sister[3] Evelyn was the mother of Diana Negus, who married Ralph Clay, the younger son of Gerard Clay, a brother of Bridget's husband.
The twins (Bridget & Evelyn), another daughter Dorothy and three sons, Thomas, Humphrey and George were the children of Thomas Swynfen Parker-Jervis (1852-1936) and Bridget Harriet nee Atkinson (1853-1930), daughter of Francis Baring Atkinson (married 17 January 1883). Thomas Swynfen Parker-Jervis was the 8th son of Edward Swynfen Parker-Jervis, who was the youngest son of the 2nd Viscount St. Vincent (William Henry Jervis nee Ricketts), son of Mary Jervis, a sister of Adm. The Rt. Hon. Sir John JERVIS Earl of St. Vincent, P.C., G.C.B. (d.s.p.), whose father was the Rev. Swynfen Jervis - named after his mother, Mary Swynfen (1620-1721) - and whose mother was Elizabeth Parker.
As mentioned above, in June 1912 Bridget accompanied her husband Arthur, his brother Wilfrid and half-sister Hilda on a trip by car over the Alps and back.
After the death of her husband Arthur on active service in 1915, Bridget (now aged 30) and her three remaining children, then aged 3, 5 and 9, moved to The Well House, Banstead, in Surrey, the home of her brother-in-law Ernest.
Bridget died on 6 June 1973 in Hindhead at the age of 88. After her death, her daughter Evie (so she told me) took each of the drawers of her bureau in turn, and, without looking at the contents, emptied it onto the bonfire…
