THE CLAPP FAMILY

The Clapps of the Liberty Center area are the direct descendants of Captain Roger Clap who came from Devenshire, England, to America in 1630. (Sometime through the years, a second P was added to the name.) Roger Clap was 21 years old when he sailed on the ship, Mary and John, to start a new life in the "New England," and was one of the many thousands of Puritans who came to settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He landed at Nantasket in May, 1630, and later lived in Dorchester and became a prominent citizen there. His wife was Joanna Ford who sailed with her parents on the same ship.

Their first eight generations are as follows: 1. Preserved or Providence; 2. Roger; 3. Charles; 4. Israel; 5. Chester; 6. Russell P.; 7. Matthew; 8. Roger.

Their ninth generation descendant, named Russell, married Lovisa Strong in South Hampton, Massachusetts, in 1811 and later moved to the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County, New York, where a son Russell Kellogg, the fifth of eight children, was born. In 1839 they moved to Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio, and in 1846 to Henry County where they bought 40 acres in Liberty Township, Section 23, about two miles northwest of the present town of Liberty Center. They paid $1.50 an acre for this land.

Russell Kellogg Clapp married Amelia Clough, a school teacher, in the Clapp log home, in 1851. When their son, Theodore was two years old, she taught at the old Reed School for one year for $60.00, which she used to buy 40 acres. Eventually, the land she bought was traded to Orlin Buchanan for the 40 acres just west of the Clapp homestead. Russell Kellogg Clapp built a frame house just north of the log one, and it stands remodeled on the home place today. He took his grist to Texas with oxen, going zig-zag to cross the streams which had no bridges. Amelia took her butter and eggs to sell at Colton, walking the four miles, one mile of which was on logs across the swamp. A daughter Jennie, married Ralph Redfield. Another daughter, Genie, died at the age of five and is buried with grandparents Roger and Lovisa on the homestead.

In 1881, Theodore Clapp married Mary Tanier, who had come to Ohio from Gloucester, New Jersey, at the age of 21. Her father, John Whiteman (Jack) Tanier, built them a house northwest of the frame house where their children, Eugenia (Fredrick), Lester, Charles, John, Mamie (who died at one month), and Lena (Carpenter) were born. This house was later moved one-fourth mile southeast.

John Clapp married Laura Wagner, a school teacher, in 1923 and their children are Arleen (Weaks) and Paul. The Weaks live on 20 acres of the old Clapp homestead, and Paul lives on the 40 acres just west of it. Arleen and Paul are the fifth generation of Clapps to live in Henry County, and the fourteenth generation to live in America. This year, 1975, another generation, the sixth in this county has moved into the old Clapp Homestead. Christine Fisher, daughter of Arleen, and her husband Randall Fisher, are the new occupants.

This lineage which began with Roger Clap, the Puritan who sailed from England, might have ended withhim. For Captain Squeb of their ship, Mary and John, had deposited his load of settlers in a forlorn wilderness place along the coast because he would not bother to convey them further up the Charles River. Governor John Winthrop, sailing nearby in search for open land for raising cattle, spotted them, had them rescued, and ordered the ship's captain to pay damages for his conduct.

Written by: Isabelle (Fredrick) Pursel

The Clapp Family Corrections and Additions, Vol. 3, page 60

Capt. Roger Clap (1609-1691) married Johanna Ford and their sixth child, Preserved (1643-1720) married Sarah Newberry. (It is recorded that Sarah was a descendant of King Henry I of England, 1100-1135, and also of Aethelrod II, King of England, 979-1016.) Preserved and Sarah's seventh child Roger (1684-1762) married Elizabeth Bartlett. Their son, Roger (b. 1708) and his wife Ann named their sixth child Roger (b. 1747) and he married a widow, Sarah Kellogg Strong. Roger and Sarah's children were Anne, Sarah, Russell (1786-1854), Sarah, Tirzah, Dennis, and Charles.

Russell Clapp married Lovisa Strong and their children were Emily, Emily Bissell, Charles Wells, Henrietta, Russell Kellogg (1823-1903), Henrietta, Lovisa, and Sarah Amanda. Emily, Lo-visa, and both Henriettas died young. Emily B. married Lester Cook. Charles W. married Jane (Jennie) Bassett. Sarah Amanda married John E. Cowdrick and some of their descendants live in Henry County.

Russell K. Clapp married Amelia Clough and their children were Theodore Grafton (1853-1904), Jennie Lo-visa (1855-1913), and Genie (18631868). Jennie married Ralph Redfield and their descendants are listed in Vol. I, p. 424.

Theodore G. Clapp married Mary Esther Tanier and their children were Emily Eugenia (1883-19-), Harry Lester (1885-1959), Charles Wells (18861943), John Tanier (1889-1966), Mary Anna, called Mamie (1890-1891) and Lena May (1892-19-).

E. Eugenia Clapp married Daniel Fredrick (1883-1959) and their children are Emerson Melvin, Lena Lovelle, Mary Estella, and Ruth Isabelle. Emerson married Grace Rhoades (1911-1952) and Madelene Hodson Jensen. Emerson and Grace's children are Phyllis Jean and Donol Paul. Phyllis married Franklin Strine and their children are Devon Ray, Bruce Emerson, Madelynn Louise and Donalynn Marie. Devon married Kathy Mallory and they have a daughter Kelly Kay. Donol P. married Shirley Cox and their children are Cheryl Ann and Gregory Paul. L. Lovelle married Clyde Rehberg (1915-1973). Mary married Melvin Sayler and their children are Elwin Emerson, Norma Eileen (19371939), Eleanor Mary, Galen Eugene and Aileen Elizabeth. Elwin married Nancy Hunter and their children are Beth Ann, Christine Lovelle, Orville Emerson, Milton John, Melvin Merritt, Mary Augusta, and Sarah Nancy. Beth Ann married Ronald Pycraft. Galen married Susan Wentz and their children are Gayle Lynn and Daniel Everett. Aileen married Frank Anthony Calabrese and their children are Jennifer Aileen and Anthony Frank. R. Isabelle married Orville Pursel and their son is Joseph Fredrick Pursel.

H. Lester Clapp married Imo Carpenter (1889-1974) and their children are Orma Martell (1912-1912) and Lois Regina. Lois R. married Nathaniel B. Cuff and their son Stephen William married Amy Bowman.

Charles W. Clapp married Roena Pearl Nicholas (1889-1954) and their children are Martha Luella, Bessie Pearl, Theodore Thomas, Charles George (1918-1922), Elsie Fern, Robert Everett (1925-1927) and Richard James (1928-1933). Martha L. married Harold Neff and Dorwin Rearick. Martha and Harold's children are Charles Mahlon and Ruby Alice. Charles married Kathleen Bowerman and their daughter is Dawn Marie. Ruby married Paul Bettinger and Tom Finlin. Ruby and Paul's daughter is Mary Martha and she married James Russell II and Jimmie Wright. Mary Martha and James' sons are James Dorran and Charles Paul. Bessie P. married Guy Andrews and William Dean. Bessie and Guy's children are Mary Louise and George Gene. Mary married Clarence Heath and Gene Holdcraft. Mary and Clarence's children are Susan, Diane, James, and Sharon. Susan married Jack Trott and their children are Mandy and Holly. Diane married Patrick Kelly and their children are Parnell and Sharman. Jim and Becky's child is Eric. George married Nancy Jane Wade and their children are Debora Lou and Kimberly Sue. Theodore T. married Edith Loudon and their children are Sharon Irene, Roena Jean, and John Thomas. Sharon married John Layman and their children are Anthony Wayne, Christina Marie and Melissa Lynn. Roena married Terry Clendenin. John married Sandra Smith Yeager and their daughter is Angela Marie. Elsie F. married Russell Ballard and William Morehead. Elsie and Russell's children are Mary Frances (1942-1942), Frank, Barbara Louise and Sharon Kay. Frank married Sue Foulk and their children are Kim Renee, Jody Lynn, Brenda Alice and Donald Allen. Barbara married Gary Sharif and Donald Webb. Sharon married Darold Radabaugh and their children are Sharyl Lynn and Sheila Louise.

John T. Clapp married Laura Wagner (1898-1927) and their children are Christine Arleen and Paul Vernon. C. Arleen married Myron Weaks and their daughter Christine married Randall Fisher. Paul V. married Ila Jean Hines and their children are Cheryl Lynn, Patricia Ann, Dennis Paul, David Alan, and Steven Michael. Cheryl married Michael Collier and their children are Laura Ann and Lisa Marie. Patricia married Kelvin McIntosh and their son is Shawn Christopher. Dennis married Mary Bruns.

Lena M. Clapp married Charles Carpenter (1890-1954) and their son is Merlin Clarence. Merlin C. married Betty Hopper and their sons are Marlin Leroy and Dean Michael.

Corrections:

In the article in Vol I, the lineage from Capt. Roger Clap, to Roger and Sarah Clap, is wrong and is corrected herein. Consequently, Arleen and Paul and their first cousins are the tenth, not fourteenth, generation to live in America.

Russell and Lovisa, not Roger and Lovisa, are buried on the homestead.

Submitted by: Isabelle (Fredrick) Pursel