Joseph Clapham Sr.

was born in Welton, Yorkshire, England, on Christmas Day, 1793. He was an Illegitimate child of Mary Clapham. He was raised at his grandfather’s place and was probably the closest thing to a father he had. Around 1815, Joseph and a young lady, Sarah Hudson fell in love. Word of mouth family history indicates that the Hudsons opposed her relationship with Joseph, and some suggest that they struck her name from their family bible. Sarah Hudson was born August 1, 1797, to Thomas & Elizabeth Hudson of Welton, Yorkshire, England. Sarah was christened August 27, 1797, in St Helen’s Church of England at Welton.

King George the 3rd was on the throne, Napolean Bonaparte had been defeated at waterloo, and the war of 1812 was over. The economy in England was anything but good. This was especially true if one was a commoner. Joseph Clapham & Sarah Hudson made the decision to emigrate to America. First however, there was the matter of marriage.

Bond was obtained, and marriage license was purchased on March 31, 1818. On the license, Joseph gave his age as 24 years, and Sarah 21 years. She lacked only a few months to be 21 years old, but waiting for her 21st birthday would mean sailing the North Atlantic in the Fall and arriving in America in the winter. That in 1818 would not be wise. Their marriage took place in the parish of the Holy Trinity on the first day of April 1818, in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. It was witnessed by a George Howe and Ann Hudson, Sarah’s sister.

Hull is on the mouth of the Humber River and was the departure point. After their marriage, they set sail immediately for America, a journey that was to last 8 weeks. The ship, according to Lloyd’s register of shipping, in 1818, was built at Maryport in 1726. It was designed for trade in the Baltic Sea. The ship was rebuilt in 1817 and the sides were sheeted. It had a single deck with beams and weighed 226 tons. When loaded it had a draught of 13 feet. The owners were Gregson & Company, and its home port was Hull. The ship, with Captain Walter Bilton in command, left the harbor at Hull and sailed SouthEast, passing Spurn Head Peninsula and continuing into the north sea.

In addition to cargo common to merchant vessels, there were a hundred or so souls, including Joseph, Sarah, and their young son Joseph Jr. The ship’s manifest indicates that their baggage consisted of a bed, bedding, four boxes of clothes, and other items which are illegible. One of those other items was their wedding china. A cup, and a plate from that set survive to this day, and are in the safe keeping of Mrs. Carlene (Clapham) Cotton, descendant of Joseph and Sarah, through their son John. Carlene Cotton was kind enough to send a picture of the cup, plate and also a picture of the bonnet Sarah wore at her wedding. Carlene Cotton also possesses a pair of Joseph’s driving gloves.

The weeks passed, and finally land was in sight. They sailed past Cape May and into the Delaware Bay. After eight weeks at sea, tending a two year old, and Sarah was pregnant with a second child, the relief was surely immense. Their excitement of seeing for the first time the land on which they would spend the rest of their live was no doubt something we can only imagine.

Arrival in America

They docked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday, May 28, 1818. Joseph Clapham and his family left immediately for Lycoming Pennsylvania where Joseph found work as a teamster. They were on the frontier, and more than once, Sarah was frightened by Indians. Their second child, George Clapham, was born a few months after their arrival.

In 1823, five years after their arrival in America, they moved to Blendon Township, Franklin County, Ohio. They lived upon the farm then owned by John Snow, of Worthington, known as "The Shrock Place." Seven years afterwards he bought a hundred acre farm on Big Walnut creek, one mile north of the present location of Central College, where they resided until their death. Joseph Clapham became a citizen on the first day of October 1833. The decree required him to forever renounce allegiance to all foreign powers, and especially William the Fifth King of Great Britain, a one dollar fee was paid to the clerk of court.

Joseph & Sarah became members of the Presbyterian Church and at one point in time, Joseph became a Deacon. He was not active in politics, but his convictions were those of an anti-slavery Whig. He also supported the Republican Party. He served terms as township trustee.

Joseph & Sarah were the parents of nine children, Joseph Jr, George, Mary Ann, Thomas, John, Sarah Jane, Charles, Elizabeth, and Martha. Joseph married Candace Wilcox, George married Malvina Coe, Mary Ann was single, Thomas married Polly Ann Page, John married Harriet Nutt, Charles died as a child, Elizabeth married Niles R. S. Strong, and Martha married Elijah Snyder.

Sarah died January 23, 1872, and Joseph died September 4, 1874. They are both buried at Blendon Central Cemetery, Westerville, Franklin County, Ohio.

Sources

• History of the City of Columbus, Ohio
• History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio
• http://www.genealogybug.net/FrankPic/rigal.txt