Ralph Chapman (abt. 1615 - bef. 1672)

Born about 1615 in St. Savior's, Southwark, Surrey, England [uncertain]

Husband of Lydia (Wells) Chapman — married 23 Nov 1642 in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 5 Mar 1672 before about age 57 in Marshfield, Plymouth Colony

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Ralph Chapman migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 2, p. 51) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Biography developed from the Ralph Chapman entry in Anderson’s Great Migration:^[1]

Ralph Chapman was born about 1615 in England. In 1635, at the age of 20, he came from to New England from Southwark, Surrey on the ship 'Elizabeth'. His first residence was Duxbury, and he later moved to Marshfield. On November 23, 1642, in Marshfield, he married Lydia Wells,^[2] the daughter of Isaac Wells of Scituate and Barnstable.

Ralph’s will was dated November 28, 1671.^[3] On March 5, 1671/2 Plymouth Court made a reference to the estate of Ralph Chapman, deceased. So we know that he died between those two dates. Lydia was not mentioned in Ralph’s will, so it is presumed that she died before he did. His will was not signed, so several depositions were taken.^[3] Abstracted excerpts from his will and probate records were published in The Mayflower Descendant.^[4]

His inventory was taken on 27 March 1671 and exhibited to the Plymouth court on 4 June 1672 on the oath of William Norcott and Sarah his wife.^[3]

Ralph and Lydia had seven children:

1. Mary was born in Marshfield on October 31, 1643. On May 14, 1666 she married (Deacon) William Throope (spelled Troop on their marriage record).
2. Sarah was born in Marshfield May 15, 1645 and baptized in Scituate on September 27, 1657. She married William Norcutt prior to 1671, the date of her father’s will.
3. Isaac was born in Marshfield August 4, 1647. On September 2, 1678 he married Rebecca Leonard.
4. Lydia was born in Marshfield October 5, 1649 and died there on November 26, 1649.
5. John was probably born in 1651. He was baptized in Scituate on September 27, 1657, and still living in 1671, the date of his father’s will.
6. Ralph died in Marshfield July 29, 1653. He may have been born on June 20, 1653, but Anderson could find no evidence of this.
7. Ralph was baptized in Scituate on September 27, 1657. He was married three times, by 1679 to Mary ____, by 1693 to Abigail ____, and to Mary (Clark) Gould, the daughter of Walter Clark and the widow of Daniel Gould.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins Robert Charles Anderson did not find sufficient evidence that Ralph Chapman was the son of John Chapman, baptized in Diss, Norfolk 9 December 1612, son of John Chapman, as claimed in Charles Banks' Topographical Dictionary and Dorothy and Gerald Knoff's Thirty-one Immigrants who came to New England by 1662 (1989). He notes that the 1612 birth year is a few years off the age at immigration and that there is nothing to indicate Diss would be the correct location. The profile of John Chapman was removed as Ralph Chapman's father, pending additional evidence.

English Origins Research: The following records may be a match to Ralph Chapman (or his family), but additional evidence would be needed to connect them to the immigrant:

• Baptism 6 Sep 1613 St Mary Newington, Southwark, Raph (Rapli), son of Jaemes (Joemes) Chapman. Subscription access: St Mary Newington, Southwark Parish Register https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1624/31280_198024-00139?pid=2580789

• Jaemes Chapman married 27 Nov 1606 at St Mary, Newington, Southwark, Surrey, England to Margaret Thomas. Subscription access: St Mary, Newington, Southwark Parish Register https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1624/31280_198024-00130?pid=1533992

• Some other Chapman marriages in Southwark during these years:
  • 12 Nov 1606 St Olave Southwark Henry Chapman to Margaret Bradley
  • 6 Oct 1608 St Olave Bermondsey Abraham Chapman to Catherine Turner
  • 27 Aug 1611 St George Martyr Robert Chapman to Annis Banister
  • 6 Jan 1613 St Mary Rotherhithe Joseph Chapman to Katherine Clay
  • 14 Feb 1613 St George Martyr William Chapman to Alice Hammelton
  • 19 April 1613 St George Martyr Thomas Chapman to Jane Cox
  • 28 Sep 1613 St Mary Newington John Chapman to Mary Dixon.
  • 11 Feb 1615 St George Martyr John Chapman to Elizabeth Jackson
  • ...and a female Chapman marriage 16 March 1615 at St Saviour Southwark Margaret Chapman to Edward Haile by license.

Sources

1. ↑ Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001, Vol II C-F, pages 51-55.
2. ↑ "Vital Records of Marshfield, Mass." The Mayflower Descendant vol 2 (1900), p 4.Internet Archive.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-V35K : 9 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 325 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ "Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories." The Mayflower Descendant (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, Boston) Vol. 19 ((1917), pp 132-5. Internet Archive or Google Books

• Anderson, Robert Charles, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001. sketch for Ralph Chapman. pp 51 - 55. AmericanAncestors.org link for subscribers$