Early locations of the Derbyshire Clay's

1200s. 2 Places. Derby and Peak Forest.

1300s. 3 places. Wingerworth and Stretton. (North Wingfield) and Brampton.

1400s. 4 Places. Wingerworth. North Wingfield. Ault Hucknall and Holmesfield. (Possibly others).

1500s. 18 Places. Wingerworth. North Wingfield. Ault Hucknall. Holmesfield. Brampton. Chesterfield. Morton. Crich. Glapwell. Pleasley. South Normanton. Alfreton. Wilne. Hartington. Buxton. Scarcliffe. Eckington and Beeley.

There is a gap of 300 years in the known references to Clay's at Derby which is most unusual for a town of its size. There are no known references between 1252 and 1552 which makes it feasible that the Clay's of Derby could have been victims of the plague known as the 'Black Death' which decimated the population of England from the year 1348 to 1350. Or it could have been that they migrated to the north of the county after the plague as there was numerous job vacancies left for the survivors.