Holbrook line: Johann Jost Clapp, Immigrant 1669-1731

We have a lot of New England ancestors, with a few in the Maryland-Virginia area, almost all from England.  Sometimes it's hard to remember that we also have German ancestors.  Johann Jost Clapp is on of those.  He was born August 9, 1669 in Istha, Wolfhagen, Kassel, Hessen (Germany), the son of Nicolas and Elizabeth Potter Klapp.  His parents were married in 1668 and Elizabeth died in 1680. It's possible, therefore, that Jost (Joseph, Anglicized) was not an only child but he is the only one that is noted in records I've found. 

It is likely that economic factors forced or encouraged the emigration of the Klapp/Clapp family to Philadelphia, Pa in 1727.  14 members, Jost and his wife, Anna Margaretha, along with five of their  children and a couple of grandchildren came on the ship "James Goodwell", which arrived in Philadelphia on September 27, 1727.  Doubtless they spent a few weeks or months at Germantown, where perhaps there were friends and relatives, before they moved on to Oley township, Berks County.  Actually, it wasn't Berks County yet, it was Philadelphia County. 

The Clapps were of the German Reformed religion (Protestant but not Lutheran) and when Jost died in 1731 he was probably buried in the church ground there, although I haven't found a record of it.  It's not known whether he and his wife had a separate home from the children or whether they lived with one of more of them.  Jost was about 62 years old when he died in 1731.  Perhaps he had worked himself to death, or perhaps he was hit by one of the fevers so prevalent in the New World.  His widow survived him and was doubtless taken in by one of the children, if she wasn't already living with one. 

That's as much as I know about this German ancestor.  He was a brave man to bring his family (or maybe they talked him into it?) to Pennsylvania when it was still a baby colony, to a land where his native language wasn't the main language spoken, knowing he would be starting from scratch to make a living for himself and Elizabeth.  I hope he was satisfied when he died, knowing that his children all had chances to better themselves as they worked hard.  The children would go on to North Carolina via the Great Wagon Road, so they had learned well the lessons of stepping out in faith to go to a more productive land. 

The line of descent is:

Johan Jost Clapp-Anna Margaretha
John Ludwig Clapp-Anna Margaret Strader
Barbara Clapp-John Philip Clapp
Catherine Clapp-John Adam Brown
Adam Brown-Phoebe Myers
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

The second line is just like the first, except:

Johann Jost Clapp-Anna Margaretha
George Valentine Clapp-Anna Barbara Steiss
John Philip Clapp-Barbara Clapp
etc.

John Philip and Barbara were first cousins, it seems, although I am still looking for information to confirm this.