Samuel Clapp (1642 - abt. 1733)

Born 1642 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Hannah (Gill) Clapp — married 14 Jun 1666 in Scituate, Ma

Descendants

Died about 10 Mar 1733 at about age 91 in Scituate, Plymouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

SAMUEL CLAPP

b.c.1640

m. 13 June 1666 Hingham, HANNAH GILL (b. 10 Nov. 1645 Hingham, d. 27 Feb. 1722 Scituate)

d. 18 Mar. 1733 Scituate

Samuel lived on the family homestead in Scituate.^[1] and was a deputy to the Plymouth Colony court from 1680 to 1686 and in 1690-1. He was then a representative to the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, after the colonies merged, from 1692 to 1696, 1699, 1703 to 1705, 1707 to 1709 and from 1714 to 1715.^[2]

In 1682 Samuel was part of a committee to settle the boundary between Scituate and Marshfield and the dividing line between the Conihasset grant and Scituate. On 27 May 1686 he was part of a committee chosen “to draw up their grievances, and impart their apprehensions to the town concerning the new laws that they read to them.” In 1687 he and John Cushing of Scituate gave a “very spirited declaration” to Gov. Andros concerning the governor granting a warrant to Humphrey Johnson to lay out lands to Johnson. Samuel also had a saw mill and grist mill where the Stockbridge Mills were located.^[3]

At the Plymouth Colony Court that began 18 March 1689/0 the Court appointed Samuel Clapp of Scituate the guardian to Benjamin and Samuel Stockbridge “the two youngest children of Mr. Charles Stockbridge late of Scituate.”^[4]

At the General Sessions and Inferiour Court of Common Pleas in Sept 1699 is an action of Joseph Otis against Samuel Clapp for “the recovery of possession of… sixty acres of land”. Joseph said that “Samuel Clapp under the prestense of his being the successour of Mr. Floyd late of Scituate one of the Ancient Housholder Inhabitants of said Town hath unjustly procured to be granted and layd out unto himself sixty acres of upland… and the said Samuel Clapp… doth unjustly withhold the possession thereof from the said Joseph Otis, the plf who by assignment doth rightfully succeed the said Mr. Floyd” to damage of £9. Samuel pleaded that “he withholds no land from the plf but what he the defendt hath right to hold and that the sixty acres mentioned in the writ he holds as his own”. Jury verdict for the plaintiff “possession of the land sued for, one shilling damage, and the cost of suit”, taxed at £3.4s.10d.^[5]

At the court in Dec. 1700 there was a review of the action tried in Sept. 1699 where judgement was rendered for Otis, “possession of the sixty acres of land sued for, one shilling damage and the cost of suit” to Samuel’s damage of £9.19s. The jury returned a special verdict “If the Committees Power be good in Granting the sixty acres of land sued for to the now plaintiff And the now defendant not capable to sue Then we find for the now Plf. the reversing of the former Judgment of Court; two shillings Damage and the cost of suits”… Samuel Clapp v. Joseph Otis. Continued from December term on advisement. “The said Court Resolve the former question in the negative vizt: that the said Committee had not power to grant the said sixty acres of land to the now Plf so as to make him a title against the now defendt. Thereby to debar the said defendts recovering the same in a due course of law he the said defendt making it appear that he is the rightfull successour of Mr Floyd in whose right said lands were granted. And the latter question being a plea in Barr to the now defendt’s Bringing his original writ but not pleaded till after Issue joined And it not being certainly Expressed wherein he the said Defendt was capable or uncapable to sue the court are not capable to Resolve it. And therefore Grant Judgment for the defendt [Otis] that by the consideration of said Court he receive his costs of suit vizt: the sum of 43 shillings”… Reversed by verdict, that Clap recover the land and costs, taxed at £12.16s.8d. ^[6]

Samuel Clapp enslaved a Black woman named Pegg according to his will.

"Ye second day of May… one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two, I Samuel Clap of Scittuate… do make and ordaine this my last will and Testament…

Imprimis I Give and Bequeath to my son Joseph Clap all of housing and lands and fulling mill whereon he now dwells and which he now Improves and all yt marshland which I bought of Nicholas Wade deceased and all yt marshland which I bought of William Wills deceased and also ye one half of ye lands I bought of Benjamin Chandler deceased and also all yt my tract of land lying at a place caled Reckey Swamp in Scittuate and also all my marshland lying at susans neck Island on ye southerly side of ye sd Island and also ye one third part of my lands lying near Black Pond and also one third part of my [  ? ] lying adjoining to it, and also one quarter part of my great lot at ye [  ? ] near Hingham, and also all yt my share of [  ? ] Swamp which I hold in ye Right of sd Chandler and also ye one third part of ye rest of ye upland and meadowland which I have at Stoney brook without ye bounds of ye meadow hereafter in this my will set out to Stephen Clap at sd Stoney brook all ye abovesd pieces and parcels of lands upland swampland marsh and meadowland housing and mill lying and being in Scittuate aforesd with all ye Priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging I give ye same to him sd Joseph Clap… he… paying to my daughter Hannah Woodworth ye sum of sixty pounds in good and Lawfull bills of Credit… within three years after my decease… which abovesd sum… I give and bequeath unto my sd daughter Hannah woodworth…

Item I give and bequeath unto my son Stephen Clap all yt my housing and land lying at a place Caled white [  ? ] plaine whereon he sd Stephen Clap now dwels and also one piece of marsh and upland lying at Stoney Brook aforesd on ye southerly side of a small ditch cutt out and running from sd stoney brook strait up to ye upland lately belonging to Jeremiah Hatch with ye liberty of a way to cart and drive to and from ye sd marsh through my other lands which in this my will I give to my sons Joseph Clap John Clap and David Clap where it may be most convenient… also I give to my sd son Stephen Clap one piece of fresh meadow and upland lying near a place caled Wilde Catt Hill having Solomon Lincolns land on ye east of it and ye Highway and a small [ / ] Hill on ye northerly side of it and also one other piece of land lying near ye land formerly belonging to Thomas Right deceased and is bounded beginning at a marked [  ? ] tree standing in david Claps land, and from there it runeth south and by east half a pointe Easterly to a marked walnut tree and so on ye same course to Stephen Claps Swamp and so all my land there lying on ye westerly side of ye sd line, and also ye one fourth part of my Great Lott Lying at ye Valley Swamp near Hingham and also one sixteenth part of the sawmill near Thomas Briants all ye aforesd piece and parcels of lands meadows housing liberty of a way and part of ye sawmill before expressed to be given to sd Stephen Clap… he… paying unto my daughter Jane Holdbrook ye sum of sixty pounds… within three years after my decease…

Item I Give and Bequeath to my son John Clap all of my housing and lands whereon he now dwells and also all of my salt marsh land and upland lying on ye northerly side of ye first hering brook and also ye one half of ye lands I bought of Benjamin Chandler deceased and also one third part of my lands lying at [ ] and also ye one fourth part of my Great lot of land lying at ye Valley swamp… and also one third part of my salt marsh and upland at sd stoney Brook without ye Bounds of yt which is Given to sd Stephen Clap as aforesd at sd Stoney Brook and also ye one half of my tract of land lying near a place caled ye bever dam adjoining to Richard [  ? ] land he sd John to have ye Easterly half part thereof and also another parcel of land lying near Job [  ? ] land and is bounded beginning at a heap of stones ye northerly corner of my lands there and from there [  ? ] near west 32 rods to a walnut tree marked and there near south and by east with a rang of marked trees till it cometh to ye aforesd small Ridy Hill and so all my land there lying on ye easterly side of ye last abovementioned [  ? ] and also ye one third part of my [  ? ] swamp at Black Pond and also ye one sixteenth part of ye sawmill near Thomas Briants all ye abovesd pieces and parcels of lands housing and part of sd sawmill expressed to be Given to sd John Clap as aforesd Lying and being in Scittuate… he… paying to my daughter Abigail Baily ye sum of sixty Pounds…

Item I Give and Bequeath to my son david Clap all yt my housing and lands wherein I now dwell and all my upland and salt marshland at Susans neck except what I have before in this my will Given to Joseph Clap and all my meadow at longmarsh and also all my lands lying at a place caled [  ? ] Pasture and ye one half of my tract of land at Wilde Catt Hill near a place Caled ye Bever dam adjoining to Richard [  ? ] land… ye westerly half part thereof; and also yt part of my tract of land near Job Otises land which lyeth between ye lands there given to Stephen Clap and John Clap… and ye one third part of my lands at Black Pond, and ye one third part of my Seder Swampland there at sd Black Pond and also ye one third part of my marsh and upland at Stoney Brook without ye bounds of what I have before in this my will Give to sd Stephen Clap and also ye one fourth part of sd Great lott at ye Valley Swamp and ye one sixteenth part of ye aforesd sawmill by Thomas Briants all ye sd parcels and pieces of lands housing and sd part of ye sawmill lying and being in Scittuate… he… paying unto my daughter Deborah Bates ye sum of sixty Pounds… within three years after my decease…

Item I Give to my sd son david Clap all my quick stock of cattel sheep horses and swine and my carts plows chains and all my Husbandry tools and Implements and my loome and tackeling for weaving he paying out thereof all my just debts yt shall be due from and payable out of my estate.

Item I Give to my four daughters Hannah woodworth Abigail Bayley Deborah Bates and Jane Holbrook all my Beds Bedsteads beding and ye furniture belonging to them and all my linnin in ye house and all utensils of household stuff, my silver tanker, my negro woman servant Caled Pegg and all my moveable goods within doors to be equally divided betwixt them and it is my minde and will yt my sd negro Caled Pegg shall have liberty to choose her master amoungst my children such master or mistress paying ye full value of her to my sd four daughters upon an equall apprizement… also I Give to my sd four daughters ye sum of Twenty Pounds in Good bills of credit… to be paid to them within one year after my decease and to be equally divided betwixt them, which with what I have before in this my will Given to my sd daughters… And all ye Rest of my Estate both Real and Personal… I Give… to my sd four sons Joseph Clap Stephen Clap John Clap and david Clap… to be equally divided betwixt them… Lastly I hereby nominate… my sd sons… to be Joynte Executors…

Samuel Clap

In ye Presence off
John Cushing
David Jacob
John Cushing Junr
Elijah Cushing

A Codicil… I Samuel Clap of Scittuate…whatever I did in my Last will and Testament Give and Bequeath unto my son John Clap late of Scittuate aforesd now deceased sundry pieces and parcels of land with ye housing and Buildings standing upon ye same Lying and being in Scittuate aforesd, he paying to my daughter Abigail Baily ye sum of sixty pounds… my sd son John Clap being now by the providence of God taken away by Death it is necessary sum further provision should be made in yt matter and I being minded yt my grand son Thomas Clap now of Taunton… son of ye aforesd John Clap should have and Injoy what I Gave to his father John Clap… I Give and Bequeath to ye sd Thomas Clap…those pieces and parcels of lands… in Scittuate… which in my aforesd will I Gave to my sd son John Clap his father now deceased… paying unto my sd daughter Abigail Baily ye sum of Sixty Pounds… within three years after my decease… ye third day of October… one thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine…

the marke of
Samuel X Clap

John Cushing
Samuel Turner
Nathanll hill
Benja Stockbridge"^[7][8]

Children

children born in Scituate

• I. Samuel- b. 14 May 1667

• II. Joseph- b. 14 Dec. 1668, m. 17 Jan. 1694/5 Abigail Allen (b. 28 Feb. 1673/4 Braintree, d. 13 Oct. 1740 Scituate), d.c.1747

• III. Stephen- b. 4 Mar. 1670, m. 24 Dec. 1696 Barnstable, Temperance Gorham (b. 2 Aug. 1678 Barnstable, d. 3 Dec. 1768 Norton), d. 11 Dec. 1756 Scituate

• IV. Hannah- b. 15 Jan. 1673, bpt. 11 June 1682, m. 23 Dec. 1697 Scituate, Hezekiah Woodworth (b. 5 Feb. 1670 Scituate, d. 25 Nov. 1716 Little Compton, RI), d. 10 Dec. 1734 Little Compton, RI

• V. Bethiah- m. 11 Nov. 1696 Scituate, Thomas Oliver

• VI. John- b. 31 Sept. 1677, bpt. 6 Oct. 1678, m. 16 Dec. 1702 Hingham, Hannah Gill (b. 23 Oct. 1681 Hingham, d. after Apr. 1739), d. before 1722

• VII. Abigil- b. Oct. 1679, m. 19 Feb. 1700 Scituate, John Bailey (b. 5 Nov. 1673 Scituate, d. June 1752 Hanover), d. 2 Mar. 1753 Hanover

• VIII. Thomas- bpt. 11 June 1682

• IX. David- b. Nov. 1684, m. Deborah Otis (b. 24 Apr. 1694 Marshfield)

• X. Deborah- b. Feb. 1686/7, m. 10 Sept. 1713 Scituate, Joseph Bates (b. 6 May 1687 Hingham, 7 Apr. 1750 Hingham)

• XI. Jane- b. Nov. 1689, m. 15 Dec. 1708 Scituate, Samuel Holbrook (b. 9 Feb. 1683 Scituate)

Samuel was the son of Thomas & Abigail (Holbrook) Clapp

He married Hannah Gill on 13 Jun 1666 at Scituate, Plymouth, MA Bay

Their children were Joseph, Stephen, John, Abigail, David, Deborah & Jane

Samuel was born in 1642. He passed away in 1715.

Sources

1. ↑ Samuel Deane, | History of Scituate, Massachusetts, from Its First Settlement to 1831, Loring, Boston, 1831
2. ↑ Ebenezer Clapp, | The Clapp Memorial; record of the Clapp family in America, containing sketches of the original six emigrants, and a genealogy of their descendants bearing the name, with a supplement, Boston, Clapp & Son, 1876
3. ↑ Ebenezer Clapp, | The Clapp Memorial; record of the Clapp family in America, containing sketches of the original six emigrants, and a genealogy of their descendants bearing the name, with a supplement, Boston, Clapp & Son, 1876
4. ↑ Plymouth Court Records- Vol. I, pp. 13-4
5. ↑ Plymouth Court Records- Vol. I, p. 37
6. ↑ Plymouth Court Records- Vol. I, pp. 48-50
7. ↑ Plymouth County Registry of Probate- Docket No. 4220
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-NH9Q : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1730-1733 and 1839-1845 vol 6-6U > image 187 of 589; State Archives, Boston.

• Hingham, Scituate, Hanover, Marshfield and Compton V.R.
• <http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I990&tree=Schirado />

• Thomas Cleary, firsthand knowledge. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Thomas and others.

Notes

Note N1534

From Samuel descended the distinguished family of the name in this vicinity. He succeeded to his father's residence. He married Hannah, the daughter of Thomas Gill of Hingham 1666. His children were Samuel born 1667, Joseph 1668, Stephen 1670, Hannah 1673, Bethia 1675, John 1677, Abigail 1679, David 1684, Deborah 1686, Jane 1689.

Samuel resided at the family homestead. He was a Representative to the General Court of Massachusetts 1692-96, 99, 1703-05, 07-09, and 14-15, after the Massachusetts and Plymouth Colonies were united. Previous to this he had been a Deputy to the Government of the Plymouth Colony 1680-86, and 90-91. He was one of the committee chosen May 27, 1686, by the town 'to draw up their grievances, and impart their apprehensions to the town' concerning the new laws that day read to them. In 1682, he was one of the commissioners to settle the boundary between Scituate and Marshfield; also to divide the line between Conihasset grant and Scituate. In many other ways he served the Town and State with great zeal and fidelity, and died at an age somewhat advanced. He and John Cushing, of Scituate, addressed a 'very spriited declaration' to Gev. Andros, in 1687, upon the account of his granting a warrant to Humphrey Johnson to lay out lands for Johnson's use. He had a grist and saw-mill where the Stockbridge Mills have since stood.

• MA Town & Vital Records
• family serch