William Clapp, of Sidbury

Summary

• Born: about 1500 he was of Sidbury, Deven in court records but of Harpford, Devon when he wrote his will.
• Died: Between 29 May 1555 [date of WIll and 25 Jul 1555 [probate of will]
• WIfe: Alice (___)
• Occupation: Yeoman, described as poor bedman [court records]
• Father: Thomas of Sidbury

Biography

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 and his father Thomas are the first generations we can identity as a progenitor of the New England family.

William Clapp was listed in the Devon subsidy rolls of 1523 through 1525 and from from 1541 through 1551,6 in the East Budleigh Hundred, parish of Sidbury. [The Devonshire Lay Subsidy of 1332, Audrey M. Erskine, ed., Devon & Cornwall Record Society, New Series, vol. 14, pp. 59, 106, 123.]

Early Chancery Proceedings from 1533 to 1538 record a complaint against John Pery and John Wodde made by WIlliam Calpp for taking the profits from the Clapp lands once owned by William's father, the late Thomas Clapp. William Clapp describes himself as of Sidbury, Deven, yeoman, and poor "bedman," The record shows that:

• "Thomas Clappe... was seized in his demesne ... of four messuages, 100 acres of land, 60 acres of meadow and 200 acres of pasture, with appurtenances, in Sidbury ... and died seized thereof." William claimed that after his father's death, the property "... descended or by right ought to descend to the orator as son and heir to the said Thomas Clappe. However, diverse evidences, deeds, charters and muniments concerning the premises have come into the hands and custody of John Pery and John Wodde, who by reason of the same have craftily conveyed unto themselves diverse estates, unknown to the orator, and by colour thereof they take the profits of the premises." [P.R.O., Early Chancery Proceedings, C1/767/7, abstracted by Simon Neal. See also, List of Early Chancery Proceedings ... (London, 1922) (Lists and Indexes, 48), 353]

Children

1. Richard only son married Christian. He had two children when his father wrote his will in 1555 so he was born about 1528.
2. Florence married William Ybdon before 1555
3. Jyllyan married Badstone before 1555
4. Alice married Ynglande before 1555
5. Beaton unmarried so perhaps young in 1555
6. Johane unmarried so perhaps young in 1555

Will of William Clapp of Sidbury and Harpford

• WYLLYAM CLAPPE of Sydbury, "now lyvinge in the paryshe of Harforde [sic Harpford]. (thanks be to God hole of mind & memory)" written 29 May 1555 and proved 26 July 1555xxxix
• First, I bequeath my solle to Allmighty God & my body to be buryed in holly turffe.
• Item, unto 2 of my daughters which one is marryed, Beaton & Johane at the makyng of this not marryed so that they will marry with the advyse of their mother & of my overseers of this my last will, £20 to every of them apiece. And if they should do otherwise then I would them to have no benefyte of this my last will, £20, to every of them apiece.
• Item to Florence Ybdon a panne and 2 brode dysshes.
• Item unto 2 of William Ybdon's children 20/- apiece.
• Item to Jyllyan Badstone, a panne.
• Item to Alse Ynglande a panne and a vate.
• Item to the daughters of the same Alse 20/-.
• Item to every one of my godchildren 12d. apiece.
• Item to the hye awter of Sydbury to be prayed for 6/8.
• Item to the repayr of the same church 6/8.
• Item to the repayr of the churche of Harford [sic Harpford] 6/8.
• Item to every of my natural chyldren a sylver spone.x1
• Item, unto 2 of my sonne's children Richard Clappe 20/- apice.
• The rest of my goods not bequeathed I geve unto Alse [ Allse] my wyffe whom I make my holle executrix.
• Witnesses: John Fulbrouke & T. Badstone whom lykewyse that this my last wyll may be fethfully observyd I make my overseers, and they for their labor to have 6/8 apiece.
• Inventory: £59:2:11

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

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

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
5. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Clapp-3
6. http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:William_Clapp_%286%29