Clopton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England-Alt
• England

Clopton is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that is derived from Osgoode Clapa a nobleman of Danish or Saxon origin. As a man of noble worth he attended the Court of King Cnut. Another possible origin of the surname Clopton may be an extension of the Old English Clop which meant lump. It was often applied as a nickname to someone who was large and ungainly. It was adopted in England as a surname only after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Early Origins of the Clopton family

The surname Clopton was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat. The name is claimed to be descended from a Danish noble who attended the court of King Canute, Osgod Clappa. Although the name was found in the late 13th century in Oxford, the Cheshire dating places Turstan de Cloptuna there in the year 1154, and succeeded by Alan de Clapeton in 1185. In its migration south, the name seems to have been transformed into Clopton, which gave rise to the village of Clopton in Suffolk, which became the family seat. There is much historic interchangeability between the records of the two spellings.

The church in the village of Long Melford, Suffolk "contains many interesting monuments, among which are, one to William de Clopton, dated 1446; one to John de Clopton in 1497 and numerous brasses to the families of Clopton." ^[1]

Important Dates for the Clopton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clopton research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1441, 1455, 1487, 1389, 1483, 1501, 1614, 1662, 1733, 1412, 1359, 1366, 1388, 1400, 1440, 1496, 1491, 1497, 1450 and 1474 are included under the topic Early Clopton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clopton Spelling Variations

Clopton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Clopton have been found, including Clapton, Clappton, Clopton, Clapeton, Cloptun, Cloptone, Clotton, Clapperton and many more.

Early Notables of the Clopton family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Walter de Clopton (d. 1412?), an English judge, the fourth son of Sir William de Clopton of Newnham Manor, Ashdon, Essex. "The seat of the family was Suffolk, and Sir William de Clopton appears as commissioner of array for that county in 1359. Having, however, purchased Newnham Manor in the following year, he permanently established himself there, and it remained in his posterity for some generations. For some reason, which the writ does not disclose, he and his sons Walter and Edmund were enjoined in 1366 not to leave the country on pain of forfeiture...
Another 117 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clopton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clopton migration to the United States

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Cloptons to arrive on North American shores:

Clopton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• William Clopton, who settled in Virginia in 1698
• William Clopton, who arrived in Virginia in 1698 ^[2]
• William Clopton, who landed in Virginia in 1698 ^[2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Clopton (post 1700)

• William H. Clopton, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, 1894-98 ^[3]
• John Clopton (1756-1816), American Democrat politician, Member of Virginia State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1795-99, 1801-16 ^[3]
• Donald Clopton, American politician, Independent Candidate for Presidential Elector for Alabama, 2004 ^[3]
• Denise Clopton, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 2004 ^[3]
• David Clopton (1820-1892), American politician, Representative from Alabama 3rd District, 1859-61; Representative from Alabama in the Confederate Congress 7th District, 1862-65 ^[3]
• Major Walter Clopton Wingfield MVO (1833-1912), Welsh army officer, inventor of Lawn Tennis in 1874, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997
• Guy Clopton Dorsey, American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from White County, 1945-48, 1951-52 ^[4]

Citations

1. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
2. ^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
3. ^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
4. ^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html