Nathaniel Clapp (Ebenezer, Nathaniel, Nicholas), 1712/13 – 1750/51
[from The Clapp Memorial. Record of the Clapp Family in America … Ebenezer Clapp, compiler. Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1876]
Nathaniel, third son of Ebenezer and Hannah Clapp, was born in Dorchester, Jan. 22, 1712-13. He married, Jan 1, 1740, Sarah Howe, then about 18 years of age. He was a shoemaker by trade. It is probably that he built the house afterwards and for a long time occupied by Preserved Baker, a few rods South-west of Clapp’s Mill, in the northerly part of the town. Mr. Baker married one of his daughters. He seems to have owned the land making the westerly angle of the Five Corners, and extending south on what is now Boston Street, to the gateway leading to the house of Deacon Jonathan and his sons. It is said that his death, which took place March 18, 1750-51, in his 39th year, was caused by a fall from a tree. His wife outlived her husband more than forty-six years, and died Nov. 2, 1796.
Children of Nathaniel and Sarah (Howe) Clapp:
John, b. Oct. 11, 1741; m. first, Nov. 29, 1764, Hannah Baker; m. second, Sept. 15, 1784, Polly Vaughan. He was a shoemaker by trade, and was somewhat deranged in the latter part of his life. This John was familiarly known as “John Old Times.” Children by first wife:
John, b. Dec. 19, 1768; d. May 16, 1816; m. first, July 30, 1789, Elizabeth Wilson; m. second Mehitable Allen. The former part of his life he lived in Dorchester, the latter part in Roxbury, excepting a short time in Boston, where he died. [various children and grandchildren listed.]
Hannah, b. June 10, 1772; d. June 15, 1776.
Nathaniel, twin brother of Hannah, b. June 10, 1772; d. Oct. 18, 1774.
Nathaniel, b. Aug. 28, 1777; d. Jan. 21, 1859, a. 82; m. first Oct. 18, 1800, Polly, dau. of John Williams, of Dorchester; m. second, Sept. 20, 1806, Lucretia Johnson, of Charlestown. She d. March 20, 1865, aged 79 years. Mr. Clapp was a very respectable man; was a bootmaker by trade. He lived in Boston, and an interesting family [children listed]
Sarah, b. Oct. 4, 1742.
Nathaniel, b. April 22, 1744; d. Oct. 11, 1823.
Samuel, b. July 13, 1745; d. Jan. 22, 1823.
Elizabeth, b. Oct. 29, 1746; m. Samuel Baker, of Dorchester brother of Preserved Baker, who m. her sister Submit. They lived in Leeds’s Lane, near Old Hill, so-called, now Savin Hill Avenue and Savin Hill.
Isaac, b. May 9, 1748; d. Jan. 29, 1750.
Submit, b. Jan. 9, 1749-50; d. Jan. 11, 1749-50
Submit, b. Feb. 5, 1750-51; d. Dec. 28, 1836; m. Preserved Baker, of Dorchester. Both of them lived to be aged. Their house was the one already spoken of as probably built by Nathaniel Clapp, Submit’s father above, north of the end of what is now Willow court, and reached by a passage-way from Cottage Street.