When I was a kid in the 1960s & 1970s we had a very thick plastic bound family tree book (light green cover, typewritten). I don't know what became of it unfortunately, but my mother had said that they could trace the family back to the time of William the Conqueror and that the name was originally something longer ie Mapesum - possibly Roman in origin). I had only gotten as far as John Mapes around 1430 (I see edited to 1425), the assumption being he was an orphan of the plagues of that time. I am glad to see someone had or recovered the information my mother was talking about, and a likely more correct original spelling Mapesone.
Where did you come by the information and thank you.
James Grant Mapes b1964 son of James Edgar Mapes b1923
