Ebenezer Clapp (Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, Nicholas), 1732-1802
No. 14322 Howe House on Willow Court
The Clapp Memorial. Record of the Clapp Family in America … Ebenezer Clapp, compiler. (Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1876)
Ebenezer, oldest son of Ebenezer and Hannah (Pierce) Clapp, was born in Dorchester, April 23, 1732; died Jan. 29, 1802. He married first, Dec. 11, 1755, Elizabeth, daughter of Deacon Richard, and granddaughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Clapp) Hall. She died Feb. 17, 1779, and he married, second, May 13, 1779, Mary, daughter of Enoch Glover, of Dorchester. In consequence of the death of her son Eleazer, by suicide, in a fit of derangement, her feelings were so wrought upon as to completely unnerve and bewilder her, and five days after her son’s death, Sept. 2, 1817, she also committed suicide. His first wife was about 17 years old when married, and his second wife about 18 years. Mr. Clapp lived and died in the house built by his father a short time previous to his death, the house being situated in what is now Willow Court, near the old causeway road leading from Dorchester to South Boston. He was chosen Colonel of the Militia, and his military title served to distinguish him from the other Ebenezers of the family. [footnote: Early in 1775, the officers of militia generally resigned rather than hold commissions under the king. Those in whom the people had confidence were rechosen, receiving commissions from the Continental Congress, and Col. Clapp was thus rechosen, March 7th of that year.] Col. Clapp was a remarkably active man in business, and the owner of a large amount of real estate, including probably 300 acres of land. After his decease, this land greatly increased in value, and made some of his children quite wealthy. It is believed his estate was the largest ever rendered in, to the Norfolk Co. Probate Court, up to the time of his death in 1802. He presented the town of Dorchester an elegant clock, which was first placed in the meeting-house that was pulled down in 1817, then removed to the town-house, and on the annexation of the town of Boston, it became the property of that city. From the town records of Dorchester for the year 1770, the following vote of acknowledge for the present is taken:
“Whereas, Mr. Ebenezer Clapp has been so generous as to make the town a present of a clock and to place it in the meeting-house,
“Voted, That the thanks of this town be given him for his valuable and handsome present, which is an ornament to the meeting-house, and exceeds in value any present made the town since the proprietors gave the town a bell for the meeting-house; and that this vote of thanks be carefully recorded for the perpetual remembrance of his gift.”
The following notices of Col. Clapp are from an interesting sketch drawn up by Daniel W. Baker, Esq., and published in the Boston Daily Globe of April 26, 1875.
“Colonel Clapp was several times elected a Selectman of the town, and during a considerable portion of his life was the largest taxpayer. This distinction he valued, and remonstrated with the assessors upon one occasion for having rated one of his townsmen higher than himself. It was hardly to be expected that human nature in an assessor could withstand that kind of an appeal. The error was rectified, and thereafter the colonel stood at the head of the list. [footnote: Not far from the time of the above occurrence, the assessors of Dorchester were annoyed by a complaint of a different nature, and one corresponding more nearly to those which have ever since been common in assessors’ offices. Another wealthy land owner of the town objected strongly to the large amount of his taxes. Not being able to prevail upon the proper authorities to reduce it, he sold his property, moved into a neighboring locality, where he spent the remainder of his life, and at his death bequeathed the bulk of his estate for the benefit of the people among whom he died.] His extensive farming operations, together with the business of tanning which he also carried on, required the labor of a large number of persons, and it is said that nearly every laboring man in town at one time or another was employed by him. Work in dull as well as busy times was generally to be had at his place for fair wages, and in this way he ever befriended the poor in the manner most satisfactory to themselves.
“If partial to titular distinctions, he seems to have been of democratic sympathies, as this anecdote may illustrate: Late one summer night the accustomed quietude of the farmhouse was disturbed and the Colonel aroused from slumber by strange noises in the kitchen. Neither considerations of burglars nor of the toilet suggested any special delay for preparation, and accordingly the owner appeared at once upon the scene, demanding with dome degree of wrath to know the occasion of so much untimely noise. The two farm hands whom he found standing before a roaring fire in the kitchen, explained that they had been detained late at work, and thinking to have something to eat before retiring, had roasted a joint from the pantry. The steaming dish had just reached the table, and its pleasant aroma had already sensibly mollified the irate Colonel. Without waiting for further explanation or apology, he allowed that the meat was savory, and said he would join them in the feast. The Colonel carved and did the honors, and the three sat down to a fraternal midnight meal.
“With his accustomed liberality he reciprocated the honor of the colonelcy when conferred upon him, in a manner regarded appropriate then, and not altogether out of fashion yet. The regiment was paraded, and after the usual field exercises was marched to his mansion, where, upon the green in front, a collation was spread and a quarter cask of brandy was unheaded, which, with the inevitable farm-house cider, made a very pleasant entertainment.
“Attendance upon public worship was part of the recognized duty of citizenship in those days, wherein due regard was had for dignity of appearance. The Colonel’s conveyance to the meeting-house was a coach and pair, an equipage of rarity then, and of some distinction till within a comparatively recent period. Tolerant of the exuberant fashions of the day, he is described by a contemporary yet living as wearing an ample coat of broadcloth, with ruffled wristers, a scarlet embroidered waistcoat, breeches and stockings of silk, and shoes ornamented with large silver buckles; and he is remembered by our informant as prominent among the worthies of the assembly.”
Children of Col. Ebenezer and 1st wife Elizabeth (Hall) Clapp:
Ebenezer, b. March 19, 1757; d. June 11, 1763.
Hannah, b. March 19, 1759; d. Oct. 21, 1819; m. first Sept. 21, 1778, Henry Gardner, Esq. of Stow, Mass., for several years treasurer of the State of Massachusetts, having been appointed to that office by the Sons of Liberty as early as 1774, the Hon. Harrison Gray being then the treasurer under the Crown. Dorchester was one of the earliest towns which voted to pay its province tax into the hands of Mr. Gardner instead of Mr. Gray. Henry and Hannah Gardner had two sons, Henry and Joseph, both of them doctors of medicine. Henry graduated at Harvard College in 1798, studied medicine with Dr. John Warren, but never practiced. He held many offices of trust in Dorchester, where he lived, was often moderator at town meetings, represented the town in the General Court several years, was Senator from Norfolk county three years, and a member of the State Convention of 1820. He d. June 19, 1858. Hon. Henry J. Gardner, ex-Governor of Mass., is his son. Joseph was a graduate of Harvard in 1802, practiced medicine in Dorchester, and d. in 1809. After the death of her husband, Hannah married, second, Dec. 28, 1784, Rev. Moses Everett, of Dorchester, being his third wife, and eight children were born to them.
Children of Col. Ebenezer and 2d wife Mary (Glover) Clapp:
Polly, b. Feb. 20, 1780; d. Dec. 10, 1799, unmarried.
Ebenezer, b. Aug. 20, 1781; d. May 18, 1821. He was never married. For a number of years, he carried on the Lowder farm, so called, in Dorchester, a little west of Meeting-house Hill, on what is now Bowdoin Street. The farm was subsequently owned by Bradish Billings. Ebenezer died at the Island of St. Thomas, where he had gone to transact some business.
Elizabeth, b. Sept. 10, 1781; m. June 30, 1802, James Howe, of Dorchester, who d. Aug. 27, 1830. They had two children, Eliza Ann and James Theodore, the former of whom m. Edward Pierce, the latter Martha N. Jenkins, both of Dorchester. James Howe and family occupied the ancient house in Willow Court, where Mrs. H.’s father lived and died. After Mr. Howe’s death, his widow occupied it till her death, which took place Nov. 25, 1868, and it has since been occupied by her son James Theodore.
Lemuel, b. June 1784; d. June 11, 1866, aged 82 years. He was never married; he lived with his sister, Mrs. Howe, and improved the land inherited from his father. He left directions, before his death, for the erection of a marble monument to the memory of his father, Col. Ebenezer Clapp, which has since been erected, at an expense of upwards of $500, in the old Dorchester burying-ground, and is an elegant and appropriate structure.
Eleazer, b. Aug. 18, 1786; d. as already mentioned, Aug. 27, 1817. He graduated at Harvard College in 1807, studied medicine, and practiced as a physician in Dorchester.
Benjamin, b. July 17, 1788; d. Oct. 12, 1789.
Enoch, b. Aug. 6, 1790.
Ann, b. Dec. 8, 1792; m. April 4, 1844, Alexander Balch, who d. July 5, 1812, aged 26 years. They had one child, Ann A., b. Feb. 4, 1813, about seven months after the death of her father and married, in 1834, Francis D. Kidder. Mrs. Balch married second, Jan. 10, 1819, John Wheeler, and had seven children—John W., d. July 6, 1837, aged 18, Alexander W., James H., Elisha C., Frederick L., Elizabeth E. and Harriet F. Mrs Wheeler is now dead.
Benjamin, b. Jan. 16, 1795; d. Nov. 9, 1861; m. in 1840, Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen Pierce, of Dorchester. In early life he was in mercantile business, which he relinquished, and afterwards lived upon the income of the property left him by his father. He resided on Adams Street, Dorchester. [Children are listed.]
Elisha, b. Oct. 22, 1796; d. Aug. 8, 1823, aged 27 years. It is believed he was in business awhile in Baltimore.
Amasa, b. Jan. 14, 1799; d. Dec. 29, 1874. He was unmarried; lived in Boston the early part of his life, but for many years before death resided in his native town, the last part of the time in Mt. Vernon Street, in the northerly part of the town, on land which for many generations was the property of his ancestors. With some eccentricities, he possessed many virtues, was honest and upright in all his dealings with others, and was endeared to a large circle of connections and friends. He had long been known as a noted horseman, and in the course of his life had trained several horses to perform very remarkable tricks at his command. He was also an ingenious artificer in wood-work. The affection which marriage probably would have fixed upon other objects, he freely bestowed upon animals, and the death of one of his favorite horses is supposed to have hastened his own decease. As showing the tendency and strength of his feelings in this direction, it may be mentioned that in his will he bequeathed $5000 to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. During the sickness preceding his death, which confined him to his house nearly three years, he exhibited exemplary patience and Christian resignation. He was the last but one of his family, his brother Enoch, of Philadelphia, alone now remaining.