The family of John Phillip Clapp 1731-1798

 This Clapp family is just a little bit easier to trace and track.  There are always questions, of course, and I should state that some sites show some of these children as belonging to another Clapp family.  The constant repetition of the same names in each family makes it difficult to be sure of the parentage of some, but the preponderance of the evidence I've seen leads me to believe this list is pretty much correct, although of course it may well be incomplete.  If you have differing or additional information, I'd like to hear from you!

Phillip is the son of George Valentine and Anna Barbara Steiss, born in Germany and came to America with his family in 1727.  They settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where Phillip married Barbara, believed to be Barbara Clapp, the daughter of John Ludwig and Anna Margaret Strader Clapp (this is still the subject of debate).  Phillip and Barbara had at least 10 children, all mentioned in their father's will.  There may be other children who did not survive to adulthood, of course. Phillip died in 1798 in Whitsett, Guilford County, North Carolina, where the family had lived for many years.

Phillip identifies Valentine, also known as Felty, as his eldest son, so he was probably born about 1752.  Several of these families left North Carolina as adults, and Felty was no exception.  He died in 1835 in Charlestown, Clark County, Indiana.  He married Marie or Maria Rogers, the daughter of William or Wilhelm Rogers, mother unknown at this time.  Their children are Jacob, Elizabeth, Ludwig, Valentine, Tobias, Henry, Samuel, John David, and Maria.  

John was born in 1753 and died in 1813 in Alamance County, North Carolina, so he did not travel far from home.  He married Judith Foust, the daughter of Johannes and Anna Barbara Albright Faust.  (Note: We have seen the Albright name in earlier posts and will see it again in this post.  I have not attempted to figure out the relationships involved but there were some, we can be reasonably sure.)  John and Judith's children are Barbara, Susannah Sophia, John, Catherine, and another John.  It is possible that John married a second wife after Judith died, Sarah Stowe.

Adam was born in 1754, and died in 1841 in Union County, Illinois.  He is a Revolutionary War veteran, having served at least three different times, and received a pension late in his life.  He married Emma Ruth Marley, the daughter of Adam and Rosanna (unknown) Marley.  Their children are John Isaac, David, Mary, William, and Abel.  His second wife is Ruth Lawrence, the daughter of Adam and Susannah Mason Lawrence.  Their children are Catherine, Elisha, and Nancy.  

I would imagine that Barbara, at least, was glad when Anna Christina was born in 1756.  She died in 1817 in Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio.  She also married an Albright, Philip, the son of Johann Ludwig and Anna Maria Keller Albright.  Their children are John Ludwigg, Catherine, Elizabeth, Adam, William, Jonas, and possibly Simpson.   

There seems to be a gap of several years, before Mary Barbara was born in 1762.  She married Johan Matthias Swing, the son of John Ludwig and Maria Eva (not known) Swing.  Their children are Conrad, Susanna, Phillippina, Elizabeth, Phillippina, Catherine, Maria Barbara, Susan, and Ludwig/Lewis.  She died in 1797 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  

Magdalena, known as Molly was probably born between 1762 and 1767, although I haven't located a firm date for her.  She died in 1845 in Whitsett, Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married Conrad Hagy, the son of Hans Jorg and Anna Eva Frey Hagi (various spellings of that last name, obviously).  Their children are Catherine, Barbara, John, Jacob, Adam, Sarah, Christine, Lewis, and Maria Sophia.

Catherine was born in 1767 and died in 1834 in Preble County, Ohio.  She married John Adam Brown, known as Adam, who possibly was the son of Frederick Brown or Braun.  I have not yet found proof of that relationship, if it is correct.  Their children are Peter, Polly, John, Frederick, George, Catherine, and two more daughters who I have not yet been able to locate names for.  (Guesses would be Barbara, Sarah, or Elizabeth, but guesses are a waste of time.

Ludwig Lewis was born before 1770, but just when I don't yet know.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and a minister in the German Reformed Church.  He died in 1836 in Callaway County, Kentucky, but what became of his widow is a fascinating story.  First, though, the basics: He married Margaret Ann Loy, the daughter of George and Catherine Tilghman (various spellings) Loy.  Ludwig and Margaret's children are William, Mary, Joel, Sarah, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Benjamin.  

It's that last name, Benjamin, that makes the story interesting, because it's an outlier for our family.  Sometime, hopefully after Ludwig died, Benjamin and his family, as well as Margaret Ann, converted to the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  They lived in Nauvoo, Illinois for a time, apparently were part of the group that went to Iowa, and in 1850 joined the Edward Hunter Pioneer Company and went by wagon train to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was just a few years old.  Margaret was 77 years old at the time, and lived until 1855.  Benjamin Lynn Clapp was one of the early leaders of the church, apparently practiced polygamy, and ended up being excommunicated from the church for reasons not clear to me.  I cannot help but wonder what Ludwig, a German Reformed pastor, would have thought about the change in religion of his widow and his son.  

Anna Maria, known as Mary, wa born in 1770 and died in 1845 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  She married Jacob Shaver/Schaffer/Shepherd, the son of William and Catherine Thompson Shaver or Shepherd.  Their children are Barbara, William, Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, John, Adam, Elizabeth, and Daniel.

And finally, there was Eva or Eva, born in 1774 and died in 1851 in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.  She married Ephraim Burrow, the son of Phillip and Martha Littlefield Burrow. Their children are Jesse, Letha, James, Frances, Solomon, Ephraim, Alfred, Madison, Hester, and Nancy. 

These Clapp children, whether they stayed in North Carolina or moved on, all have interesting stories to tell, and I'm sure I have only scratched the surface here.  But we can see that they were raised by God-fearing parents; we know their father provided for them in his will, and we know that several were involved in the Revolutionary War.  Likely some were in the War of 1812, also but I haven't researched that aspect.  We can be proud of this family.  

 

 

 

The family of George Valentine Clapp 1702-1773

George Valentine Clapp is also an immigrant ancestor, as he was about 25 years old when he immigrated with his parents, Johann Jost and Anna Margaretha Stauder Clapp, and other family members from Germany to Pennsylvania.  And here we go again-there is considerable confusion and intermixing of Clapp children with other Clapp families.  It's believed that Valentine married Anna Barbara Stiess, daughter of Philip Steiss, but some trees show that he married either before or after Barbara.  The most common name I've seen for a second wife is Mary Albright or Albrecht.  I believe that marriage is for a later Valentine Clapp, but I am still trying to verify that.  

Valentine and Barbara (Barbary) had at least 12 children.  If I accept all the names I've found on various sites, there may have been as many as 18.  I don't think that there were as many as 18, so then the question is, which of the 18 names are actually included in the 12 children that the most seasoned researchers have mentioned?  Part of the confusion may be because of the move the family made from Berks County, Pennsylvania to Guilford County, North Carolina, in about 1754.  Did all of the children also move south, and if so, did they all end up in Guilford County?  There seem to be Clapps left in Pennsylvania, but were they of this family?  It's confusing!  

There is a listing on the FamilySearch site for Maria Christina, born in 1723 and died June 12, 1725.  Valentine and Barbara was married August 24, 1723, so this raises some questions.   

Barbara was born in 1725, in Germany, and apparently died as an infant.  There is no further record of her.

Maria Elizabeth was born in 1726, also in Germany.  There is one suggestion that she married a Peter Gortner or Cortner, and died in 1768 in Forestville, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.  I cannot substantiate that, and the dates don't seem to work.  I would love to fill in the dash after her birth, hoping that she lived a long and happy life.  

John Philip was born in 1731 in Berks County, and died in 1798 in Whittsett, Guilford County, North Carolina.  His wife is uncertain, but has long been thought to be Barbara Clapp, the daughter of John Ludwig and Anna Margaret Strader Clapp.  There is considerable controversy here, because many researchers adamantly say that cousins did not intermarry in this culture, and John Philip and Barbara are both grandchildren of Jost and Anna Margaretha Clapp.  (I will write a blog post about John Ludwig's children at some point, in case the attribution of Barbara Clapp is correct, but for now I will continue to follow this line, and John Phillip's family will be the subject of my next post.)  It appears that Philip's children are Valentine, Adam, Anna Christina, Mary Barbara, Mary Magdalena, Anna Maria, Eve, Ludwig, and  Catherine, who married Adam Brown.  

Maria Veronica was born in 1733, and again, there is no consensus, or even an idea, as to her life or lifespan.   

Joseph (Jost) was born in 1732 or possibly 1741 and died in 1816. He may have been married to an Anna Maria, but I've not been able to find even a suggestion of who she might be.  His children are Margaret, Jacob, John, George, Anna Margaret, Valentine, William, Mary, Daniel and Isaac.  It is possible that he married a second time, to a Maria Julian.  If so, their children are Mary Magdalena, David, Jacob, Mary Ann, and Sarah.

Jacob was born in 1734 and died in 1800 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  He married Barbara Foust in 1772, which was a little late for a first marriage, so there may be an earlier marriage.  I have not found any mention of children for him.   

George Tobias was born in 1735 and died in 1800 in Guilford County, NC.  He married Anna Maria Glass or Gleiss, daughter of John Philip and Anna Maria Glass.  Their children are Elizabeth, Maria Sophia, Margaret, Daniel, and Tobias.  He may have also married Mary Christina  

George Valentine, often seen as Felty, was born in 1739 and died in 1806 in Guilford County, NC.  He married Anna Elizabeth Albright or Albrecht, daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Rick Albright.  Their children are Maria Sophia, Dorothea, Jacob, Elizabeth, Anna Margaret, Anna Maria, William Henry, and Daniel.  His second wife is Maria Christina, so far not further identified.  Their children are Magdalena, Barbara, Laura, Anne Marie, John George, and Isaac.

This makes nine children, not enough to make the twelve mentioned at the outset of this post.  There are various other possibilities.  

Joseph may have been born about 1741.  There is a Joseph Clapp who died in 1817 in South Carolina, but I am not yet convinced this is the same Joseph.  At the moment, he is still a mystery to me.   

Daniel was born about 1746 and died in 1835 He married Elizabeth Coble, the daughter of Antonius and Anna Maria Coble.  There are at least two children, Rosa Ann, and Joseph.  

Alvin Louis was born in 1747 and that's all I could learn of him.  

There may be a John, born in 1742 and died in 1798.  I have seen him identified with John Philip, above, although he is said to have married someone named Sally.  The list of his children includes John George, Valentine, Adam, Anna Christina, Mary Barbara, Mary Magdalena, Anna Maria, Eve, and Ludwig Lewis.  This list is so similar to that of John Philip that I am not at all confident that there were two different men.  John may have married Sally, but did he really have children with the same names, and in the same order, as John Philip?

Finally, there is a Maria Barbara, born in either 1733 or 1742, who married George Cortner or Gortner, son of Peter and Mary Cortner.. She died about 1807 in Guilford County, North Carolina. They do have children,  including Daniel, Eve, George, Matthias, Barbara, Mary Elizabeth, Maria Magdalena, Samuel, and John Matthew.  I am not totally convinced, but I think it likely that she is the daughter of Valentine and Barbara.  

What do you think?  Have you researched this family? Do you have the same questions I do?  The stories I've found are quite interesting.  Some were involved in what was basically a massacre of four peaceful Cherokee natives. They were actually looking for Shawnee warriors at the time, who had been attacking settlers during the French and Indian war.  Some of them were involved in the Regulator movement of 1772 in North Carolina, and some were Revolutionary War militia or soldiers.  We need to understand the family so we can honor the men who served our country well, and learn from the ones who may have been less honorable.   

Holbrook line: The family of Jost Clapp 1669-abt 1731

My maternal line is full of ancestors from western Europe who came to either New England or the mid-Atlantic and went west from there.  For the most part, they arrived in the 17th century (some very early) and although it is a joy to get to know a bit about them, it is strange only in the sense that the many years that have passed have made our worlds so very different.  But there are a few families in this line who come from a different culture and place, one that still feels strange to me.  

One of those "other" places is Germany, or the many states that make up what is now Germany, and one of those families is the Clapp family.  Jost, usually seen as Johann Jost, is the son of Nikolaus and Elizabeth Potter Clapp, and was born in 1669 in Istha, Hesse, Germany.  He married Anna Margaretha Stauder, the daughter of Michael and Anna Appolina Stauder and they raised their family in Weisenheim am Berg in the Palatinate, where the children were born. In 1727, the family, including the six known children and spouses (for most) emigrated to America, and Jost died about 1731 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

I used the term "known children" because there are all sorts of lists on different genealogy sites as to how many children this couple have.  I am reasonably sure that many of the children given as belonging to this couple belong to another Clapp family.  However, there does seem to be a gap of a few years from roughly 1710 to 1716, when there could well be other children who were born to this couple, and for whatever reason, were not noted in the records, or the records for those years may not be available.  So I'm keeping an open mind, and would love to hear from someone who can fill in the blanks, if there are any.

Their first born was a son, George Valentine, born in 1702 and died in 1773 in Guilford County, North Carolina, where most of the Clapp children ended up.  He married Anna Barbara Steiss, the daughter of Philip and Anna Dohlmann Steiss.  Their children are an infant, Maria ELizabeth, John Philip, Maria Veronica, Jacob, George, and Maria Barbara.  I will write more of this family in a future post.

Johann Ludwig may or may not have been born next.  I see birth years for him from 1704 to 1707, but no firm dates.  He married Anna Margaret Strader, the daughter of Caspar Heinrich and Margaret Catherine Uhrmeister.  He died in 1778 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  Their children are Bernhart (Barney), Anna Margaretha, Charles, Maria Barbara, George Valentine, John Ludwig, Catherine, Daniel, Anna Maria, Jacob, Stephen, John, and Esther.  I will also be writing a blog post about this family.

Maria Elizabeth was born in 1706 and married Johann Adam Volpel (also seen as Philple).  I have found three children for them, Johann Adam, Anna Maria, and Anna Catherine.  There may be more children, or she may have died as a young woman, perhaps in or as a result of childbirth.  I have not located a death date or location. so "If you know something, say something."

Anna Catherine was born about 1708 and married Christian Miller.  He died soon after the family arrived in America, possibly with a child.  Anna Catherina then married Heinrich Schucardt (Shucker).  They had at least 8 children, including Johan Jost, Johanna Maria, Johannes, Maria Christina, Johann Heinrich, Wilhelm, Tobias, and Anna Maria.  She died in 1750 in Berks County, Pennsylvania.   

Anna Margaretha was born about 1710 and married Hans George Coch (Cook).  I have found no further information about her, other than a supposed death date of 1780 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, unsubstantiated as far as I can tell.  I don't know whether there were children, whether she actually died earlier, or anything at all.  I would love to find the rest of her story!

Finally, Maria Veronica was born, but not until December of 1716.  She married Philip Carl Jaeger, known as Charles Hunter, and died in 1745 in Yadkin County, North Carolina.  Their children are Maria Phillipina, Jacob, Daniel, John Henry, Joseph, and Charles.   

There are various other children claimed to belong to this family-another Anna Catherine, a Maria Catherine, and Johann Phillip, Johanna, and Joseph.  However, the birth dates given are too late for Anna Margaretha to be their mother (even 1716 is stretching it, as she was born about 1673).  As of this writing, unless someone or something changes my mind, I think these children belong to another family or families.  

The Clapps came from Germany.  Some put down roots in Pennsylvania, some left and traveled south on the Great Wagon Road, stopping and staying in North Carolina, until later generations stayed, or moved northward.  We'll see where some of them ended their days in later posts, but we're glad they came!   

  

 

 

The family of Daniel Kramer 1743-1813

One of the very great benefits of writing these blog posts is that I can lean how often I've been wrong.  As I review what's in my tree (actually, this is husband's tree but the same thing is true of mine), I not only find new children for the subject of the post, but I occasionally find a new to me wife.  Both of these are the case with the family of Daniel Kramer.

Daniel was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1743, the son of Andrew/Andreas and Maria Magdalena Birckel. He died in 1813 in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, where he had apparently gone toward the end of his life.  I have always recorded his wife as Anna Maria Geise, and had not paid close attention to her vital records.  Apparently she was born in 1755, not 1745, and as such, she could not be the mother of the first several Kramer children.  Although I have not yet found adequate documentation, it appears that Daniel's first wife is Catherine, probably Catherine Kepler. I have not yet found her parents, but she is said to have been born about 1745, and died about 1774.  Daniel and Catharine had 8 children.  Daniel then married Anna Maria Geise, and they have at least five children.  I sure would love to find more information about each of these wives, as they are both mysteries to me.

In Daniel's 1813 will, he names 10 children, so three must have preceded him in death.  The first of these, Andrew, was born in 1766.  I have found nothing further that I could definitely say "that's our guy", and he is not mentioned in his father's will, so he died before the will was written.  It apparently was an early death, because some of Daniel's grandchildren are mentioned, when the parent was deceased.  

Maria Catherine was born in 1767 and died in 1842 in Clermont County, Ohio.  She married Heinrich or Henry Appel/Apple, the son of Andrew of Elizabeth Catherine Gilmore Appel.  Their children are John Henry, Daniel, Andrew, Maria Catherine, Henry, Anna Maria, Thomas, Elizabeth, John, and George.  

Johannes was born in 1769 and died after 1813.  He may have died in Centre County, Pennsylvania, or he may have died in 1834 in Stark County, Ohio.  Again, he "may" have married Regina Ness, whose parents I have not discovered.  The children attributed to Johannes are Elizabeth, Johannes, Catherine, Susannah, Sallie, Mary Magdelena, Regina, Mary Ann, Daniel, and Nancy.  

Eva Elizabeth was born in 1769 and died in 1848 in Centre County, Pennsylvania.  She married Jacob Kepler, who was in the militia in the Revolutionary War.  Their children are Peggy, Jacob, Johannes, John Jacob, Maria Katherine, and Daniel.  Jacob's parents are possibly Bernard and Maria Lindemood Kepler, or possibly Jacob and Maria Elizabeth Winters Kepler.  The Kepler name shows up several times in this post.  After Jacob's death in 1804, Elizabeth married John Herter or Harter.  No children were born to this marriage.   

Abraham was the next born, in 1770.  He died in 1834 in Stark County, Ohio.  His wife is Maria Buchtel, the daughter of Johannes and Catherine Scheler (various spellings) Buchtel.  (Johannes and Catherine are ancestors in another line, and also will show up again later in this post.) Their children include Solomon, Elizabeth, John, Philip, and Daniel.  I do not know whether this list is complete. 

Then came apparent twins, John Philip and Anna Margaret, in 1773.  Sadly, John Philip lived only five or six days, but Anna Margaret survived and thrived.  She married Peter Buchtel, also the son of Johannes and Catherine Scheler/Seiler (see above).  Their children are Sally, Solomon, Mary, Margaret, John, Catherine, Peter, Michael, Elizabeth, Susanna, Rosina, and Sarah.  Anna Margaret died in Greene Township, Summit County, Ohio but her date and even year of death are so far not found.  "Buchtel family records" suggest a date of 1850.

Then came another set of twins, in 1776.  Anna Maria (Mary) and Magdelena married brothers, Andrew and John Kepler, respectively.  Both men were the sons of Bernard and Mary Elizabeth Lindemood/Lindemuth Kepler.   Mary and Andrew's children are Elizabeth, Catherine, Sarah, Margaret, Mary, Andrew, Samuel, Jacob, Rebecca and John.  Mary died in 1854 in Greene township, Summit County, Ohio.

Magdelena and John's children are Catherine, Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Andrew, Daniel, George, Lena, Henry, and Samuel.  She died in Green Township, Summit County, Ohio at an uncertain date.

John Jacob is another mystery.  He was born in 1777, but that is as much as I am relatively certain of.  I have seen speculation that his wife may be Anna Maria Young, and there may be a daughter, Elizabeth, but again, I've not found documentation.  He was mentioned in his father's will, so he was alive in 1813. If someone has knowledge of this man, I would love to learn more about him.

There is a time gap of about six years between John Jacob and the next known child, Rosina Rebecca.  She was born in 1783 and died in 1873 in Jones, Iowa.  She married George Meyer or Moyer, the son of John Philip and Anna Margaret Morr Meyer(s).  Their children are Israel, Elizabeth, Philip, George, Margaret, Catherine, Philip, Jacob, Daniel, Mary Elizabeth, and Rosina.  

And finally, there is Daniel, born in 1785.  He died in 1848 in Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio.  He married Anna Catyherine Meyer or Moyer, the daughter of John Philip and Anna Margaret Morr Meyer (see above).  Their children are Barbara, Betsey, John Daniel, Catherine, Philip, Samuel, Sarah, Jonathan, Henry, and William.  

All of Daniel's children seem to have been born in Berks County, Pennsylvania and most if not all spent time in Centre County, Pennsylvania, on their way west.  Many of them settled in Stark or Summit County, Ohio.  I have not traced the inlaws, to see whether they were part of the Berks County bunch, or whether they came to mostly Centre County from another location.  But it does appear that during the late 1700s and early 1800s, the families (Kramer, Kepler, Buchtel, Meyer) must have lived in close proximity as the Kramer children often married siblings from the Kepler, Buchtel, and Meyer families.  What a fun time it must have been, with all those double cousins and aunts and uncles!   

This is my last post about this family, as Mary Kepler (daughter of Andrew and Mary Kramer) married George Harshbarger, and that line continued.