Isabella was the daughter of George Pearson Clay and Isabella Maria (nee Groom). She was the first of their 10 children.
Isabella Maria's father William Groom was an Ironmonger in 1841, though his address was at a Meat Market in Bury St Edmunds. The family then had a Governess, and several men who worked as Ironmongers in their shop presumably workshop?
George Pearson Clay was born in Bury, in 1822, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Clay. Thomas was born in Bury in 1803 and died there in 1841.
In 1841 Elizabeth, with her 5 children, George being her youngest, was living, on Independent Means, in Guildhall Street in Bury.
Elizabeth lived to be 80, and spent her final years in East Acton, living in her son William's large household. William and his wife Jane, were sharing their house with William's Mother and Sister, sister-in-law and niece, plus 2 Servants
George married Isabella Maria in Bury, in 1846, when she was 25. Isabella Jane was their only child and was born in Bury St Edmunds and baptised in St James in Bury.
In 1851 and in 1861 George was living in Guildhall Street, with 2 Servants. He was a Churchwarden at St James' Church, in Bury.
In 1851 Isabella Maria was in Kensington staying with her sister Ellen, and Ellen's husband William Wreford. William was a Commercial Traveller, and was born in Devon.
Between 1856 and 1858, St. Peter's Church was built in Hospital Road, Bury, as a Chapel at Ease for St Mary's. The site was provided by the Most Hon Frederick William, Marquess of Bristol and the local MP. George P. Clay, Wine Merchant, was listed as Churchwarden.
In 1859 he was Mayor of Bury.
In 1861, with her mother, Isabella Jane was a visitor in her Uncle William Clay's house in East Acton. William was a Wine Merchant, also born in Bury St Edmunds, married to Jane (nee Barrett). Also there were William (and George's) mother Elizabeth, and their sister Mary, both from Suffolk. There were also a Cook and a Housemaid.
(When William died, in 1876, brother George was one of the Executors of his will.)
In 1871, Isabella and her mother were back at home in Bury St Edmunds, with father George, now a Merchant and a Magistrate. There was also one Housemaid.
In 1881, in Guildhall Street, in Bury, were Isabella, with her Mother, a Cook and a Housemaid.
George died in June 1883 in Bury, leaving wife Isabella as the sole Executor.
In 1891, Isabella was living with her Mother, in Lansdowne Road, Kensington. They had 2 female Domestic Servants.
Mother Isabella died in 1894, leaving her money to her daughter.
Interestingly, Isabella Maria left her daughter £3594. Nearly 30 years later, Isabella Jane left about £13,000 in her will. Some good investments!
Isabella features in Polling Registers at Kingsway, in Bath Road, Worthing, from 1912.
When she died, in 1923, aged 70, she was living at Kingsway, in Bath Road. Probate was given to Everard Francis Webster and Geoffrey Basil Clay. She had assets of around £13,000.