Richard Clapp (1528 - bef. 1609)

Born 1528 in Sidbury, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Christian Clapp — married about 1575 in England

Descendants

Died before 25 Jul 1609 before age 81 in Sidbury, Devon, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Chris Hoyt [send private message], David Brown [send private message], and Pat Sage [send private message]

Parents

Richard Clapp was the only son of William and Alice (_____) Clapp. William Clapp was born in about 1500 in Sidbury, Devonshire, England. He married Alice (___) about 1526 in Sidbury. He wrote his will on 29 May 1555 as Yeoman of Harpford. His will was proved on 26 Jul 1555. He lists only one son Richard and five daughter: Florence Ybdon (and children of William Ybdon), Jyllyan Badstone, Alice Ynglande, Beaton and Johane the last two unmarried so possibly the youngest. And "Allse [Alice] my Wyffe."Wittness John Fulbrouke & T. Badstone. William's son Richard was progenitor of the New England family. Richard was married with two children at the time the will was written. See Richard's profile.^[1][2][3] In the Great Migration Robert Charles Anderson says that Kempton Ancestry supersedes all other sources on the Clapp family. According the Kempton Ancestry William is the first generation we can identity as a progenitor of the New England family.

Biography

Birth: Unknown say 1528 in probably Sidbury, Devon, England.

Death: After 1589 when Richard was last listed as the sole Sidbury Clapp in the subsidy rolls and before 25 JUL 1609 when his widow wrote her will.

Rychard Clapp was buried on 20 Nov 1609,^[4] at St Gregory's, Parish, Seaton,Devonshire,England.

Wife: Christian (___)

Richard Clapp was a "billman." He appears in the 1569 Devonshire Muster Rolls for Sidbury. He appear in the 1571, 1576, 1581 and 1589 Sidbury subsidy rolls. His residence was near the Ottery Hill on the border with Ottery St Mary [deposition of his son Nicholas saying his father described the border stones remarking the grazing bounds of sheep there].

The birth of Richard is unrecorded we only know that he was the sole son named in his father's will. Based on the contents of his father's will it is posited he was born about 1528 because in the will Richard was already married with two children. He died after 1589 [when Richard was last listed as the sole Clapp in the Sidbury subsidy rolls] and before 25 JUL 1609 [when his widow Christian wrote her will].

Richard had seven known children. He left a widow Christian who is currently thought to be the mother of all of his children. Richard's wife Christian (__ ), died in Sidbury, Devonshire, between 25 July 1608 [writing of her will] and 12 August 1608 [will proved]. Walter Goodin Davis in 1945 postulated that Richard had an unknown first wife before Christian. This is based on the fact that Christian only named one son, Nicholas, in her will. However, in more recent research published in 2000 by NEHGS in Kempton Ancestry the authors assert that this is not sufficient evidence to believe Richard had a first wife. The authors point out that It was not uncommon for a widow during this period in England who had meager resources to only name one son even if she had several sons. As evidenced by her inventory she had little more than her wearing apparel. Their son Peter's will names his brother Nicholas and Robert and Peter's marriage record named his father as Richard Clapp of Sidbury. Furthermore his other brother Richard Clapp was appointed executor of Peter's will. Taken together we can see there were clearly more sons than named in the Richard widow's will. Richard and Christian's grandson John left a will leaving bequests to "my dear and loving cousins Roger Claps children" and appointed "my cousin Roger Clap" as one of the overseers indicating that their father William was also a son of Richard and Christian Clapp. In total these data indicate that Richard had five sons and two daughters (see list of children below). Both his sons William and Nicholas had children that came to New England.

Children

1. RICHARD, living 1602; married in Sidmouth, Devonshire, 2 October 1592 MARGERY GOOD, living 1602.
2. ROBERT, probably the man buried in Venn Ottery, Devonshire, 10 September 1624, perhaps incapable since his brother Peter bequeathed him 1 Os per year to be paid quarterly for life,27 certainly unmarried.
3. WILLIAM,buried in Salcombe Regis, Devonshire, 1 March 1640/1; married in Sidmouth, Devonshire, 11 November 1593 JOHAN CHANNON, buried in Salcombe Regis 5 August 1629, daughter of Robert and Johan(___) Channon.
4. PETER, died by 16 January 1622(/3] when his will was proved; married in Sidmouth, Devonshire, 3 July 1595 TAMSYNE STOCKER, living 1623 when she was her husband's executrix. His marriage record records his father as "Richard Clapp of Sydbury." He named his brothers Nicholas and Robert in his will.
5. DAUGHTER, living 1608; married __ 32 WINDSOM
6. NICHOLASA CLAPP, yeoman, born in Sidbury, Devonshire, about 1568; died in Venn Ottery, Devonshire, 12 March 1631/235 and buried there 14 March 1631/2; married say 1605 ELIZABETH(____) PILE, born say 1580, buried in Venn Ottery 14 March 1631/2, the same day as her late husband. Elizabeth (or an unseen, earlier wife), was married to __ Pile, and had children, Francis Pile and Elizabeth Pile. Daughter Elizabeth Pile married at Talaton, Devonshire, 15 September 1623 Hercules Searle. Son Francis Pile married Elizabeth __ , and had at least six children, also at Talaton. Hercules Searle and Francis Pile were called "sons-in-law" in Nicholas Clapp's will.
7. EYDE, living 1608 and 1615 if she is the woman who married ROGER CRUTCHETT, buried Coylton, Devonshire 29 January 1650/1. Roger Crutchett married perhaps second at Coylton between 21 November 1614 and 13 February 1614/15 Ellen Oxen, with whom he had son Richard, baptized there 8 October 1615. Roger Crutchett married perhaps third at Coylton 15 June 1618 Marie Baseley, widow, who was buried there 16 February 1635/6. Roger Crutchett married perhaps fourth at Colyton 7 September 1636 Joane Road, who probably survived him.

Will of Widow Christian Clapp

To the poor of Sidbury 5s. To my godchildren 4d. each. To my goddaughter dwelling at Broadclist22 one petticoat. To Mary Clapp my gowne. To Elizabeth Clapp, my son Nicholas his wife, my cloake. To Prudence Clapp, Ann Crutchell and Ann Windsam all linen apparell. To Prudence Clapp my cobord at Pynhill,23 etc. 121 To said Ann Windsam £10 to be paid at the end of a year after my death, to be employed to the best use for her benefit and if she happen to die before the age of 20, said £ 10 to remain to Prudence Clapp. To Eyde Crutchett my daughter £10. To Richard Clapp my son Nicholas his son one chest. To Ellen Lee my kyrtle. Residue to Nicholas my son, executor. Witnesses: Thos. Ebson,24 James Taylor Proved 12 August 1608

The inventory of widow Christian Clapp of Sidbury was presented 9 August 1608 and totalled a modest £ 15 1 Os, which was insufficient to pay the legacies outlined in her will

Sources

1. ↑ Smith, Dean Crawford, and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton 1878-1908. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2000), Part IV: The Ancestry of Linda Anna Powers, 1839-1879 p 114-182 link @ p 171-172 includes the will of William Clapp Yeoman of Sidbury now of Harpford, Devon, England. Will dated 29 May 1555 proved, 26 Jul 1555 lists only one son Richard and five daughter: Florence Ybdon (and children of William Ybdon), Jyllyan Badstone, Alice Ynglande, Beaton and Johane the last two unmarried so possibly the youngest. And "Allse [Alice] my Wyffe."Wittness John Fulbrouke & T. Badstone. William son Richard was progenitor of the New England family. See Richard's profile.
2. ↑ Spear, Burton W. Search for the passengers of the Mary & John, 1630. (Toledo, Ohio: B.W. Spear, c1985-), Vol. 4. link
3. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009). , James A. Garfield, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Roosevelt link
4. ↑ Devon : Seaton : St Gregory : Parish Register : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817d7cde93790ec75758477 : viewed 10 Dec 2022) burial Rychard Clapp 20 Nov 1609

Note these older Genealogies also treat this family but have errors corrected in Kempton Anc and should be used with caution:

1. Mary Lovering Holman, The Scott Genealogy . . . (Boston 1919) 224-30 link
2. Walter Goodwin Davis, The Ancestry of Joseph Neal, 1769-c.1835 (Portland, Maine, 1945) 87-93 link
3. Mary Lovering Holman (and Winifred Lovering Holman), Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife Frances Helen Miller, 2 volumes (n.p. 1948, 1951) 1:276 link
4. Mary Walton Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines (n.p., 1943) 1:155-75 link