We are descended from William and his wife Johann (Channon) Clapp through two of his sons, Edward and Roger. Edward Clapp's great-great-great-great granddaughter, Hannah Hewett, married Roger Clapp's great-great-great grandson, Asa Payson, thus bringing the two lines together again.

"The surname Clapp or Clap had its origin in the proper or personal name of Osgod Clapa, a Danish noble of the court of King Canute, 1007-1036... The ancient seat of this family in England is in Devonshire where they owned important estates for many centuries... The American family is descended from six immigrants, Edward and Captain Roger, sons of William Clapp of Salcombe Regis, Devonshire, England, and John, Nicholas, Thomas, and Ambrose, sons of Nicholas Clapp of Venn Ottery, Devonshire, England. The fathers, William and Nicholas Clapp were brothers." William R. Cutter, "Genealogical and Memorial of New England Families," pp. 412-413. All of these six immigrants came to America within a few years of each other. Roger Clapp came in the ship Mary and John which sailed from Plymouth, England, 20 March 1630, and arrived at Nantasket, MA, 30 May 1630. Edward Clapp arrived in America in 1633, and both settled in Dorchester, MA.

Edward and his family lived in Dorchester, MA. He was a proprietor, made a "freeman" on 7 December 1636, was a selectman in 1637, and was a deacon of the church for 25 years. He owned one-half of the mill called "Clapp's Mill."

Edward and his first wife, Prudence (Clapp) Clapp had at least five children, all born in Dorchester, MA:

• Elizabeth, b. 1634; d. 16 Jan. 1694; m. James Blake.
• Prudence, b. 28 Dec. 1637; m. Samuel Peck of Hingham, MA.
• Ezra, b. 22 May 1640; m. Abigail Pond.
• Nehemiah, b. Sept. 1646; d. 2 April 1684; m. Sarah Leavitt, daughter of John Leavitt, one of the early settlers of Hingham, MA.
• Susanna, b. Nov. 1648.

Edward and his second wife Susanna (Cockerill) Clapp had at least four children, all born in Dorchester, MA:

• Esther, b. July 1656; m. Samuel Strong of Northampton, MA.
• Abigail, b. 27 April 1659; d. 3 Jan. 1660.
• Joshua, b. 12 May 1661; d. 22 May 1662.
• Jonathan, b. 23 March 1664; d. 30 May 1664.

Ezra was made "freeman" in Dorchester, Ma, in 1666 and lived there for a few years after the death of his father in 1665. His father left him land which was situated in Milton, MA, which had been incorporated as a separate town 7 May 1662. Milton previously constituted a part of Dorchester, which embraced within its limits the present towns of Stoughton, Canton, Sharon, and parts of Wrentham and Foxborough. Ezra and his family moved to his inherited land in Milton perhaps as early as 1667 and joined the church which was established there in 1678. About 1712, he built a mill on Neponset River at the request of some of his neighbors. This project was beneficial to the town and he was granted as much water from the River as was needed for his mill.

Ezra and his first wife Abigail (Pond) Clapp had seven children, all born in Milton, MA:

• Mary, b. 26 April 1667; d. before 1717 but was living in 1707; m. Nathaniel Pitcher of Milton, MA.
• Edward, b. Sept. 1672. He went to Canada, probably in the expedition sent to fight the Indians in 1690, and it appears that he never did return. He served in Capt. John Withington's Company where 46 of the men from Dorchester were lost at sea. His brother, Nehemiah, received his portion of land granted by the General Court in 1735 to the survivors of that company or their representatives, land that was called Dorchester Canada and is now in the town of Ashburnham, MA.
• Ezra, b. 29 Jan. 1674; d. 10 April 1691.
• Abigail, b. 1675; m. Samuel King, alias Rice.
• Sarah, b. 20 July 1677; m. John Vose of Milton, MA.
• Judith, b. 6 May 1680; m. Joseph Tucker.
• Elizabeth, b. 1 Oct. 1682; died previous to July 1716; m. John Rice, Jr. of Sudbury, son of John and Tabatha Rice.

Ezra and his second wife Experience (Houghton) Clapp had seven children, all born in Milton, MA:

• William, b. July 1685. Probably died young as he was not mentioned in his father's will.
• Jane, b. 12 March 1687; m. Ebenezer Tucker.
• Nehemiah, date of birth unknown; d. 18 July 1743; m. Lydia Tucker of Milton, MA.
• Ezra (again), b. 18 March 1693; d. 20 Sept. 1761.
• Ebenezer, b. 3 Feb. 1697; bpt. 7 Feb. 1697.
• Esther, b. 10 Feb. 1699; m. James Endicott of Dorchester, MA.
• Susanna, b. 7 March 1702; d. Nov. 1734; m. George Sumner.

Johanna Ford and her family, and Roger Clapp were passengers on the same ship, Mary and John on their voyage to America. Roger wrote an account of their voyage and of the settlement of Dorchester, Massachusetts:

"'so we came, by the good hand of the Lord, through the Deeps comfortably; having Preaching or Expounding of the Word of God every Day for Ten Weeks together, by our Ministers. When we came to Nantasket, Capt. Squeb, who was Captain of that great Ship of Four Hundred Tons, would not bring us into Charles River, as he was bound to do; but put us ashore and our Goods on Nantasket Point, and left us to shift for our selves in a forlorn Place in this Wilderness. But as it pleased God, we got a Boat of some old Planters, and laded her with Goods; and some able Men well Armed went in her unto Charlestown: where we found some Wigwams and one House, and in the House there was a Man which had a boiled Bass, but no Bread that we see: but we did eat of his Bass and then went up Charles River, until the River grew narrow and shallow, and there we landed our Goods with much Labour and Toil, the Bank being steep. And night coming on, we were informed that there were hard by us Three Hundred Indians: One English Man that could speak the Indian Language (an old Planter) went to them and advised them not to come near us in the night; and they hearkened to his Counsel, and came not. I my self was one of the Centinels that first Night; our Captain was a Low Country Souldier, one Mr. Southcot, a brave Souldier. In the Morning some of the Indians came and stood at a distance off, looking at us, but came not near us: but when they had been a while in view, some of them came and held out a Great Bass towards us; so we sent a Man with a Bisket, and changed the Cake for the Bass. Afterwards they supplied us with Bass, exchanging a Bass for a Bisket-Cake, and were very friendly unto us.' The little scouting party of about ten men had gone up the river, leaving the main body near their landing place. Clap continues: 'We had not been there many Days ... but we had Order to come away from that Place, (which was about Watertown), unto a Place called Mattapan (now Dorchester) because there was a Neck of Land fit to keep our Cattle on: So we removed and came to Mattapan: The Indians there also were kind unto us.' There were sufficient hardships in spite of the Indians' friendliness, hunger the chief: 'In our beginning many were in great straits for want of Provision for themselves and their little Ones. Oh the Hunger that many suffered, and saw no hope as an Eye of Reason to be supplyed, only by Clams, and Muscles, and Fish. We did quickly build Boats, and some went a Fishing. But Bread was with many a very scarce thing: and Flesh of all kinds in scarce.... In those Days God did cause his People to trust in him, and to be contented with mean things. It was not accounted a strange thing in those Days to drink Water, and to eat Samp or Homonie without Butter or Milk. Indeed it would have been a strange thing to see a piece of Roast Beef, Mutton or Veal; though it was not long before there was Roast Goat. After the first Winter, we were very Healthy; though some of us had no great Store of Corn. The Indians did sometimes bring Corn, and Truck with us for Cloathing and Knives; and once I had a Peck of Corn or thereabouts, for a little Puppy-Dog. Frost-fish, Muscles and Clams were a Relief to many. If our provision be better now than it was then, let us not, ... forget the Lord our God. You have better Food and Raiment, than was in former Times; but have you better Hearts than your Fore-fathers had?"' DeForest, Moore and Allied Families, pp. 248-250.

Roger Clapp was one of the first settlers of Dorchester, MA, where he was a proprietor, and was made a "freeman" on 14 May 1634. In 1637, when he was only 28 years old, he was elected a selectman, a post in which he served fourteen times. He was chosen several times as a Deputy from Dorchester, MA, to the General Court of the Colony.

On the same ship on which Roger and his future wife, Johanna Ford, sailed to the Colonies were two learned non-conformist ministers. Rev. John Maverick and Rev. John Warham. In 1635, the Rev. Mr. Warham moved to Windsor, CT, with a large portion of the members of the Dorchester, MA, Church, and took with him the church record. That record was lost and Roger Clapp's name cannot be found in the new record compiled by Richard Mather in 1636. However, it is believed that Roger was one of the founders of the church in Dorchester, MA, where he was a member for sixty years.

At the first organization of the military of the colony, Roger Clapp was a sergeant. He became a lieutenant and finally a captain of the Dorchester, MA, company which became the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" which exists to this day and still takes part in ceremonies in Boston.

Roger and his family lived probably in a house he built near the old causeway road leading to "Little Neck" (now South Boston) until he was appointed, by the General Court, Captain of the Castle, located on an island in Boston Harbor. It was known then as "Castle William" named for King William IV but, in 1799, became known by its present name of "Fort Independence."

Mentioned in the work of Ebenezer Clapp, The Clapp Memorial, p. 5, and in 1676, Edward Randolph, in his Narrative of the State of New England, wrote, "Three miles from Boston, upon a small island, there is a castle of stone lately built, and in good repair, with four bastions, and mounted with 38 guns, 16 whole culverin, commodiously seated upon a rising ground sixty paces from the waterside, under which, at high water mark, is a small stone battery of six guns. The present commander is one Captain Clap, an old man; his salary 50 pounds per annum. There belong to it six gunners, each 10 pounds per annum."

Roger continued in command of the castle for 21 years and he and his family lived there until he resigned in 1686, at age 77. Roger was held in high regard as evidenced by a day of fasting and prayer being ordered by the Town of Dorchester, MA, on one occasion when he was seriously ill that they might pray for his recovery. On his restoration to health, a day of thanksgiving was set apart.

The resignation of his command of the Castle was caused by a change in government brought about by loss of the charter and the appointment of Sir Edmund Andros as governor and "some things were required of him that were grievous to his pious soul."

After his resignation, he lived in the south end of Boston where he owned a house and land bounded on the east by "the sea" (Boston Bay.) He died there and was buried in Kings Chapel Burial Ground in Boston after an elaborate funeral conducted with a parade of military officers (probably the Ancient and Honorable Artillery) followed by the Governor and members of the General Court, while the Castle guns were being fired.

Roger and his wife Johanna (Ford) Clapp had fourteen children, all born in Dorchester, MA. The quoted material in the following list is from Memoirs of Capt. Roger Clap written by James Blake, Jr., of Dorchester, who knew them personally.

• Samuel, b. 11 Oct. 1634; d. 16 Oct. 1708; m. Hannah Leeds, daughter of Richard Leeds of Dorchester, MA.They had 10 children, four of whom lived to grow up. "He was a wise and prudent man, partaking of the choice spirit of his father, treading in his steps, and making good his ground. He was eminent for religion, and of a blameless and unspoted conversation. He was early and constantly employed in public affairs: He was Captain of the military company, Representative for the town, and the seven last years of his life a Ruling Elder of the Church of Dorchester, where he lived. He died about eight days after his wife, being about 74 years old. His eldest Son, Samuel, deceased in his middle age, a very pious, useful man also. He was chosen one of the Deacons of the Church in Dorchester, where he lived, and was Lieutenant of a military company in the town. His other son died a hopeful young man."
• William, b. 5 July 1636; d. 22 Sept. 1638.
• Elizabeth, b. 22 June 1638; d. in Boston, 25 Dec. 1711; m. Joseph Holmes. They had 5 children who lived to adulthood. "She was a virtuous and prudent woman."
• Experience, b. 23 Aug. 1640; d. 1 Nov. 1640.
• Waitstill, b. 22 Oct. 1641; d. 9 Aug. 1643.
• Preserved, b. 23 Nov. 1643; d. 20 Sept. 1720; m. Sarah Newbury, daughter of Benjamin Newbury of Windsor, CT. They had eight children, seven of whom lived to be grown up. "He was a good instrument and a great blessing to the town of Northampton, where he lived. He was Captain of the town, and their Representative in the General Court, and Ruling Elder in the Church."
• Experience (again), b. dec. 1645; d. young.
• Hopestill, b. 6 Nov. 1647; d. 2 Sept. 1719; m. Susannah Swift. They had nine children, six of whom lived to be grown up.. "He was a very gracious man, endowed with a great measure of meekness and patience; studied and practiced those things that made for peace. He was first a Deacon of the Church of Dorchester, where he lived; and afterwards in the year 1709, he was chosen and ordained a Ruling Elder in the same church. He represented the town in the General Court for the space of fifteen years. He was much honored and respected by those that had a value for vital piety. One of his sons died a young man, the other is now living in Dorchester."
• Wait, b. 17 March 1649; d. 3 May 1717; m. Jonathan Simpson of Charlestown, MA. They had two children, both of whom grew to adulthood. "She was a godly woman, following the good example of her parents. She often spake of that charge which her father left his children, viz. Never to spend any time in idleness, and practised accordingly in a very observable manner. She lived a widow about twelve years and died at Boston, in the house that her father and mother lived and died in, and was buried near her parents."
• Thanks, b. July 1651; d. young.
• Desire, b. 17 Oct. 1652; d. 12 Dec. 1717; m. (1) Sarah Pond, m. (2) Mrs. Deborah Smith of Boston, MA.
• Thomas, b. April 1655; d. 1670.
• Unite, b. 13 Oct. 1656; d. 20 March 1664.
• Supply, b. 30 Oct. 1660; d. 5 March 1686 from "the accidental firing of a gun, as he was going a fowling" or from another source, "was a gunner at the Castle, and was killed by the accidental firing of a gun."

Desire Clapp "lived in Dorchester, was a sober, religious man. He married Miss Sarah Pond. They had four children that lived to be grown up, one son and three daughters. In his old age he buried his first wife, and married again to Mrs. Deborah Smith, of Boston, with whom he went to live; and there he died in December 1717, in the 66th year of his age, and was interred near his relations." James Blake, Jr., "Memoirs of Capt. Roger Clap"

Desire and his first wife Sarah (Pond) Clapp had ten children, all born probably in Dorchester, MA:

• William, b. 9 Oct. 1680; died young.
• Desire, b. 6 March 1682; died young.
• Experience, b. 30 Nov. 1683; m. Samuel Tolman.
• Sarah, b. 24 March 1686; m. Samuel Bird.
• Preserved, a daughter, b. 8 Aug. 1688; d. 21 Aug. 1688.
• Twins:
  • Desire (again), b. 13 Aug. 1694; d. 19 Aug. 1694.
  • William, b. 13 Aug. 1694; d. 2 Oct. 1743; m. Elizabeth Humphreys.
• Twins:
  • Roger, b. 24 May 1697; d. 7 June 1697.
  • Daniel, b. 24 May 1697; d. 12 June 1697.
• Judith, b. 9 Oct. 1698; m. Ephraim Payson.

Again we find a high mortality rate abong the Clapp children, only four of the ten children surviving beyond childhood. Particularly sad is the second set of twins dying within a few days of each other less than a month after their birth. With the death of William who lived to grow up and marry, but did not have any children, the name Clapp was extinguished in the line of Desire, son of Roger.