Noah Clapp (Jonathan, Nathaniel, Nicholas), 1718-1799
The Clapp Memorial. Record of the Clapp Family in America … Ebenezer Clapp, compiler. (Boston: David Clapp & Son, 1876)
Noah Clapp, the son of Deacon Jonathan and Sarah (Capen) Clapp, grandfather of the compiler of this work, was born in Dorchester, Jan. 25, 1718. He married, Dece. 11, 1760, Ann (Ebenezer, Ebenezer, Nathaniel, Nicholas), daughter of Ebenezer Clapp, Jr., he being then about 42 years of age. His wife was a daughter of his cousin, and about 13 years his junior; she was born March 16, 1731, and died May 26, 1812. They first lived in the house occupied by his father Jonathan, on Boston Street, near the Five Corners, a little north of the mansion of Mr. John Holden. He had, in 1755, bought all his brother David’s share in their father’s property, and then occupied the house in connection with his brother Jonathan. This house was consumed by fire May 15, 1784. Noah was then clerk of the Town. The Records were in the house at the time, and some were destroyed. Great efforts were made by him to save them, even if everything else was lost. Those which were consumed were in a great measure supplied by him afterwards. That house was the second in Dorchester containing the town Records which had been destroyed by fire; the other was in the year 1657, when Thomas Millet was Town Clerk.
The burning of the house in which Noah lived caused another fire at the same time, the wind blowing fresh from the northwest, and a burning shingle being carried to the leeward about one third of a mile, and setting on fire a house then occuipied by William Allen, which stood on the spot where the building known as the Pavilion afterwards stood for many years. This was on Pleasant Street near the corner of Cottage Street. Noah took measures for the erection of another house soon after the fire, and the one afterwards occupied by his son Deacon Ebenezer Clapp, and in which they both died, was built by him. It was situated southwest of the old one on what is now Boston Street, and not many rods north from the old cemetery. It was raised Nov. 18, 1784, and on the 26th of May following the family moved into it. He lived there the rest of his days, and died April 10, 1799, aged 81 years.
The following account of him was written by the late Elisha Clapp. “Noah, son of Deacon Jonathan Clap, was born in Dorchester. He received the honors of Harvard College in 1735. He studied theology, and became a preacher; but such was the feebleness of his constitution, that he does not appear to have entertained the idea of settling in the ministry. He officiated occasionally for the neighboring clergy for many years. He was usefully employed in his native town, in the capacity of Selectman, Assessor, Clerk, and Treasurer, thirty seven years successively, and as schoolmaster at four different periods about twenty years. From March 13, 1749-9, to March 24, 1792, a space of forty-three years, during all of which, except three near the close, he was Town Clerk, he recorded about 1700 births, 900 deaths, and 400 marriages. He was a man of meekness, piety and integrity, and singular veracity. He was rarely known to assert anything positively, but prefixed whatever he uttered with ‘it may be.’ He delighted in the study of American antiquities, and from him the late Dr. Belknap received some valuable hints for the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Owing to a retentive memory, he was remarkable for accuracy in his statement of facts, and for the exactness with which he would repeat his tales of former years.”
The late Rev. Dr. Harris preached a sermon the Sunday after the interment of Noah Clapp, April 14, 1799, in which he paid a tribute to his memory. [for quotation, see the Clapp Memorial]
Children of Noah and Ann Clapp:
Ann, b. Nov. 9, 1761; d. March 15, 1787; unmarried.
Hannah, b. April 22, 1763; d. Nov. 24, 1793.
John, b. Sept. 11, 1764; d. Sept. 23, 1840.
Lois, b. Oct. 15, 1765; d. Jan. 11, 1766.
Elizabeth, b. Jan. 10, 1767; d. Feb. 22, 1838; m. Ebenezer Seaver of Roxbury.
Sarah, b. Oct. 7, 1768; d. Nov. 21, 1806; m. John Holden and lived in the next house north of her father’s, on the old road leading to South Boston, now Boston Street.
Lydia, b. Feb. 3, 1770; d. Oct. 7, 1814; m. James Pierce of Dorchester and settled in Roxbury.
Ebenezer, b. Aug. 25, 1771; d. March 6, 1860; father of the compiler.
Lucy, b. March 27, 1776; d. June 11, 1804; unmarried, school teacher in the North School House in Dorchester and privately at home. The Reverend Oliver Everett was then living in the mansion house still standing at the Five Corners – and two of his sons, Alexander H. and Edward, in after life so celebrated as scholars and as public men, attended the school of Miss Clapp, and learned their alphabet in her father’s bed-room, where her school was held a portion of the time.