John Stapp of Buckinghamshire

Parents seen as John Stappe, but evidence needed.

1. JOHN1 STAPP was born Abt. 1610 in Buckinghamshire, England, and died Abt. 1658 in England. He married MARY WOODWARD.

Notes for JOHN STAPP:

The above John Stapp of Buckinghamshire and who most of the Stepp genealogists believe to be the ancestor of our Colonial Virginia Stepps lived and died in England.

The above Abraham Stapp, 1646-1714 and brother Joshua Stap, b. ca 1650-51 are the Stapps from which most American Stepps spring.

Wayne Stepp, in his "Stepp Family Chronicles" mentions a John Stepp, of Fowey, England, who was Master of a ship called the "William and Ann", which was built in the Colonies about 1690.

Many Stapp/Stepp researches believe John is the father of Abraham, but this is an assumption at this time.

Children of JOHN STAPP and MARY WOODWARD are:

• i. JOSEPH2 STAPP, b. Abt. 1642, England; d. 1750.
• 2. ii. ABRAHAM SR. STAPP, b. Abt. 1646, Buckinghamshire, England; d. April 18, 1714, Essex County, VA..
• iii. JOSHUA STAPP, b. 1650; d. Abt. 1695, Henrico County, Virginia.

More About JOSHUA STAPP:

Fact 1: Joshua Stapp 1659-1750 (Source: Stepp/Stapp Families of America by Henry P. Scalf.)

Fact 2: Joshua Stapp 1650-1695 (Source: Stepp Family Chronicles.)

http://www.baileysteppe.com/Book/F03TheSteppeFamilyinAmerica.htm

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH STEPPS

The Stapps or Stepps (the name beginning to be used interchangeably) were impressing themselves upon English records by the Thirteenth Century. Scattered and fragmentary official notations exist. John Stapp, a man of some wealth, in Buckinghamshire, died in 1658. There was a contest over his will, a certain infant, Thomas Warrall, pleading through his fatherf Thomas Warrall, that the signature was not that of John Stapp. The Warrall infant was probably a grandson of John Stapp. John Deering, age 55, grocer, deposed that he was well acquainted with the handwriting of the late John Stapp, having for many years had dealings with him and testifies to the signature on said will." (2)

Genealogists are inclined to believe this John Stapp of Buckingham was the ancestor of the American Stapps and since this hazardous assumption is entertained his will is examined here in some detail. It was dated December 12, 1657 and proven April 3, 1658 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which had overriding jurisdiction in all England with sole jurisdiction in certain other instances. Stapp had acquired considerable properties in Newport-Fagnell. To his wife, Mary, he left his dwelling house in Newport-Pagnell and "all my barns, stables and garden orchard and yard in Newport." His widow was to receive a house in London and "five tenements with yard garden orchard.... in Surry." She received a tract of twenty acres in Buckingham. To "Joan Peet, wife of Marke ? Peet of "Ellington in the countie of Huntington" he gave one hundred pounds of good and lawful money of England to be equally divided and given unto her and John Peet her sonne and Elizabeth Pette her daughter and Martha Peet her daughter or to as many of them as shall be living at the time of my wife's decease." Mary Stapp was made executrix and George Stancliffe, the testator's brother-in-law, and Thomas.... were named to assist her. Stancliffe witnessed the instrument.

Four decades after the demise of John Stapp we encounter a John Stepp (note spelling) as master of the ship "William & Ann," 180 tons, out of Fowy, England. In the period between Dec. 2l, 1699 and March 25, 1700, Stepp was entering the "Potomack" River, his business not stated but probably to gather a cargo of tobacco for his native country. June 21,1699 to May 18, 1700 he was operating in the "Lower District Potomack." Between Nov. 17, 1700 and June 6, 1701 he shifted operations to the Lower James River. On this latter entry he was not the master but a co-owner. (3)

Evidently the early Colonial Stepps or Staps were closely associated with shipping for in addition to the documentary evidence there are many traditions to that effect. In Campbell County, Virginia. a Steppe (Step) descendant preserves the tradition that one of the early Stepp immigrants was a sea captain from Scotland but they do not affirm he was Scotch.

His ship was the Princess Ann. Arriving in America he liked the country so well he decided to sell his ship and become a permanent resident of the new land. His name is lost to the Cambell Steppes (the "e" added as in so many familiest like Clarke for instance) but they know he had a desscendant, John D. Steppe, who married an Emma Layne and reared twelve children. John D. Steppe fought in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. (4)

A John Stepp lived in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in 1683-87, Mr. Frey found in his researches: "He was a seaman who stayed on land for a time to recover from wounds received at sea. He married an Elizabeth Downey. A late entry in a Bible in the possession of a Mr. Weatherhead shows that Stepp and his wife sailed for the Americas." The possibility, perhaps the probability, exists that this John Stepp was the master of the William & Ann who was shipping out of Fowy to America.

References

• THE STEPP FAMILY CHRONICLES: A History of The Ancestors And Descendants of John Stepp. Sr. II of Rockingham County, Virginia. A Source Book By William Wayne Stepp. < FamilySearch >
• "England, Buckinghamshire, Church Records, 1217-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:685J-7B3Q : 11 August 2022), John Stapp, 1630.
• England, Buckinghamshire, Church Records, 1217-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:685J-KGWS : 11 August 2022), John Stapp, 1630.
• "England, Buckinghamshire, Church Records, 1217-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:685J-KGWB : 21 October 2021), John Stapp in entry for Mary Woodward, 1630.
• "England, Buckinghamshire, Church Records, 1217-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:685J-9V45 : 21 October 2021), John Stapp in entry for Mary Woodard, 1630.
• "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJBY-LXG : 6 January 2021), John Stapp, 1630.
• https://www.familytreedna.com/public/steppstappdna/default.aspx?sec...
• https://www.geocities.ws/Heartland/Ranch/2298/stappdes.html
• https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/112057/?offset=0#...
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G7LZ-R9P