William CLOPTON Gent

  Noted events in his life were:

• Biography: Notes on William CLOPTON. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bartlett/clopton-mary-hester.htm
64. William CLOPTON.⁵⁸ It appears that he emigrated from England to York County, Virginia by 1673 and made at least three trips from England. In 1682 he was constable of Hampton Parish in that county. A 1682 deed of gift included "a negro man named Peter and one Black Cow named Blackbird with all her increase" to "my well beloved Daughter Ann Clopton" and "one Bay Mare named Tib, with all her increase and one Brindled Cow named Strawberry, with all her increase" to "my wellbeloved daughter Elizabeth Clopton." By May 1694 William and Ann were in St. Peter's Parish, New Kent County, Virginia, where he was vestryman. He may have continued as such for more than thirty years, for in April 1728 he declined the offer of vestryman "being very aged and not of ability to attend on Vestrys." He was dead by 12 Jul 1733, when his heirs made a claim to an estate left William by William Hammond in England. "Gent." often appeared after his name, indicating that he was of the gentry. The Clopton family has been described as of artisan stock in England that rose to be part of Virginia's "upper elite" of the late Seventeenth and early Eighteenth Centuries.⁵⁹ He was buried in Saint Peter's Church, New Kent County, Virginia. He was born circa 1655 in County Essex, England. He died between 1728 and 1733 in New Kent County, Virginia.

source
58. Gene Carlton Clopton, The Ancestors and Descendants of William Clopton [etc.], above, pp. 86-91 (citing York Co., Va. Records; Wm. & Mary Q. Mag., vol. XI, p. 71).

• Biography. (2) The Clopton family first settled in Hampton parish, York county. The register of the Vicar- General of the Archbishop of Canterbury shows that a license was issued June 4, 1668, to Isaac Clopton of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, citizen and haberdasher, bachelor, about 24 [years], to marry Miss Martha Hill, of the same, spinster, about 21 [years]; consent of her guardian, Thomas Hill, of Cambridge University, gent (her parents being dead), to be married at Brantford, Middlesex. Was this Isaac Clopton the one sworn "according to Rt. hon'ble the Governor's order," justice of York county, Va., January 24, 1675-'76? He married in Virginia, Mary-----, who married, first, Thomas Bassett, who died before 1660, leaving a son William (probably by an earlier marriage) under 18 years. This son moved to New Kent. She married, secondly, William Fellgate, skinner of London, brother of Capt. Robert Fellgate, of York county, Va. William Fellgate died on Fellgates's Creek, York county, in 1660, and his widow married, thirdly, Capt. John Underhill, formerly of Worcester, England. His will was proved October 24, 1672, and he had, by his wife Mary, John, Nathaniel, Jane, and Mary. His widow then married Dr. Isaac Clopton, by whom no issue; they were both dead by January 25 1678/9, when her will was proved. "Mr. William Clopton" was constable of York-Hampton parish in 1682. January 23, 1682/3, he executed a deed of gift to his daughters Anne and Elizabeth. The following from the records of York shows that he was born in 1655: The deposition of William Clopton aged about thirty Yeares sayth That coming to the ffrench Ordinary in the Nynth of March last he happened to meet wth Mr. Thos: Watkinson who asked yor Depont to give him a morning's draught. I told him if he had no money I would. In drinking of which hee asked yor Depont why he was so unkinde to attach his wife's silver Cup. I answered I had done nothing but what I did by the court's order; then he sd the court had done more then they could answer and that he would Justifie and further yor Depont sayth not. William Clopton Aprill ye 24th 1685 Sworn to in York Court and is Recorded Test Wm. Maltyward c [symbol?*] ord. cyr. [* symbol looks like a cursive "V" with a circle around the middle of the letter] Mr. Clopton turns up next in New Kent, where he was one of the justices. There is an original deed dated July 22, 1710, from"John Bacon of St. Peter's Parish and New Kent Co yeoman to Wm. Clopton jun of same parish and co. yeoman," with arms of Clopton on a wax seal opposite the name of John Bacon. These arms are the same as on the tomb of Anne Clopton and agree in Burke with arms of Clopton, of co. Suffolk, 1586: Sa, a bend erm. betw. two cotises dancettee or. Crest\emdash A wolf's head per pale or and az. On the tomb the bend has a mullet for difference, indicating a third son. More will be said of the Cloptons in next issue.
[Wm. and Mary Quarterly, V. 5, No. 2
ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/newkent/cemeteries/tombs000.txt]

• Occupation: constable : York County, VA.

• Cemetery: Saint Peter's Church, Betw 1728 and 1733, New Kent County, VA.

William married Ann BOOTH, daughter of Dr. Robert BOOTH and Frances GIDEONS, about 1677-1678. (Ann BOOTH was born in 1647 and died on 4 Mar 1716 in New Kent County, VA.)