The French Claveys

The Claveys
Extracts from a book giving genealogical details of Belfort families
Translated by Francois Werlen

Clavey (Clavé/Clavez) was a keyholder. The person who was resposible for the keys of a convent, hospital or prison. He may be responsible for the town gates or guardian of the town coffers. He held a post of responsibility and trust. The Claveys from Belfort were an ancient merchant family dealing with the bourgeois duties of the town of Belfort from the 15th century.

Jean Clavé, son of Vuillaume, is mentioned in 1451. He was made “visitor to the fire” (?) in 1473 and a council member in 1481. Another Jean Clavey, son of Perrin Clavey, was an arquebusier for the community (a type of soldier)

In the 16th century Clavey families were in Belfort, Valdoie, Petitmagny, Trétudans and Cravanche. Nicolas Clavey, husband of Jeannette Boussard, was grand mayor of the assizes in 1583.

The largest group of descendants in the 17th century came from the line of Pierre, one of his sons. Pierre had at least 16 children. He married four times. His daughters married Nicolas Chardoillet, Pierre Girol, a lawyer and Antoine Degrez, son of a military commander. Among the sons there were marriages with the Charoillet, Bourquenot and Bachelard families.

One of Pierre’s grandsons, Sebastian Clavey, born in 1640, married Elizabeth Bourquenot and had a son Jean Georges in 1670. At his baptism, the vicar was proud and moved that the godfather was the famous abbot from the Altonadensis in Bohemia. A document about the Austrian regency of Ensisheim gives a list for Belfort of bourgeois who left the town with their families in 1633 when the Swedes invaded. A Perrin Clavey who sought refuge in Luxeuil was on this list.

A Charles Clavey (1706-1778) son of Jean Nicolas (a merchant born in 1665) is a magistrate, emissary and delegate who married Marie-Ursule Bruat and had 13 children. One of these, Jean-Pierre married Madeleine Schouler in 1767 and was the King’s inspector of armaments and fortifications of Belfort.

Another Jean-Pierre Clavey (1667-1744) pharmacist, husband of Mari-Ursule Lefévre is head of the Sainte-Barbe hospital in Belfort. He is buried in the hospital chapel.

A third Jean-Pierre born in 1747 (1720?) married Marie-Anne Lapostelet, granddaughter of Jean-Baptiste Lapostolet (1673-1739) certainly came from Chagey to work in the forges in Belfort - a metal worker. He had seven children, six boys and one daughter Marie-Anne, who married Jean-Antoinette Gluck from Altkirch (1706-1796) direct ancestor of the general secretary of CEGFC (?) who organised a recent successful congress of genealogy in Besancon.

Interesting comment from a web site was that the Clavey surname has variations (e.g., Claffey, Claffie, Claffy, Clave, de Clave, Clave', Clavet, Clavette, Clavau, Claveau, Clafie and more).

The name owes its origin to France; area of Poitore but migrated to England where it is also commonly found.