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Compiled by Kimberli Faulkner Hull
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A bundle of letters written by members of the Clapp family of Massachusetts between 1871 and 1902 was purchased in Plymouth, Massachusetts in December 2022. The letters are from and/or to members of the Richard and Eunice Clapp family of Massachusetts.
Additionally, the Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst holds letters written by Charles Wellington Clapp, the son of Richard and Eunice Clapp.

The Clapp Family
Deacon Richard Clapp, son of Eliphaz and Charlotte Gunn Clapp, was born on 29 Nov 1819 in Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts.1 Eunice Amelia Slate, daughter of Capt. Joseph Slate and Sylvia E. Webster, was born 4 November 1820 in Bernardston, Franklin County, Massachusetts.2 Richard and Eunice married on 7 October 1847.3 Deacon Richard Clapp died on 2 August 1907 and Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp died on 13 July 1910.4



Richard and Eunice Clapp’s children
Dr. Cornelia Maria Clapp was born on 17 March 1849 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 31 Dec 1934 in Mount Dora, Lake County, Florida.5
Richard Leighton Clapp was born 21 March 1851 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 20 November 1932 in Montague.6
Harriet “Hattie” Clapp was born on 28 July 1853 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 9 January 1937 in Lake County, Florida.7
Mary Elizabeth Clapp was born on 26 January 1856 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 20 May 1940 in Mount Dora, Lake County, Florida.8
Walter Clapp was born on 6 April 1858 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 11 June 1859 in Montague.9
Charles Wellington Clapp was born on 4 January 1863 in Montague, Massachusetts, and died on 5 March 1947.10






Letters
Date | From | To | Location | Item |
7 Aug 1871 | Richard [Richard Leighton Clapp (1851-1937)] | Father [Richard Clapp (1819-1907] | Montague, MA | Letter |
5 Aug 1871 | E. [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Husband [Richard Clapp 1819-1907] | Montague, MA | Letter |
16 Aug 1871 | E | R | Montague, MA | Letter |
26 June 1872 | E. [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Husband [Richard Clapp 1819-1907] | Montague, MA | Letter |
5 Dec 1872 | Mother [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Montague, MA | Letter |
17 Dec 1872 | E. [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Husband [Richard Clapp 1819-1907] | Montague, MA | Letter |
31 Dec 1872 | Mother [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Montague, MA | Letter |
21 Feb 1874 | Ruth | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | East Abington, MA | Letter |
23 Apr 1874 | Ruthie (your loving friend) | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Rockland, MA | Letter |
16 Apr 1875 | Mother [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Brattleboro, VT | Letter |
27 May 1875 | Mary [Mary Elizabeth Clapp (1856-1940)] | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Brattleboro, VT | Letter |
14 Jun 1876 | Cornelia [Dr. Cornelia Clapp (1849-1934)] | Brother | Letter | |
23 Oct 1877 | Mother [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Hattie [Hattie Clapp (1853-1937)] | Iowa City, Iowa | Letter |
4 Aug 1881 | E. A. [Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Husband [Richard Clapp 1819-1907] | Montague, MA | Letter |
28 Sept 1894 | Sarah, classmate [Sarah A. Clark, New Haven, CT, class of 1879 Mt. Holyoke] | Mrs. Charles Clapp, Evie [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Turners Falls, MA | Postcard |
25 Mar 1895 | Lou ? Providence, RI | Mrs. Charles Clapp, Evie [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Turners Falls, MA | Letter and envelope |
20 Sep 1895 | Lou, friend Tarrytown, NY | Mrs. Charles W. Clapp, Evie [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Greenfield, MA | Letter and envelope |
21 Dec 1895 | R. C. Metcalf Providence, RI | Mrs. Charles W. Clapp, Evie [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Greenfield, MA | Letter and envelope |
24 Dec 1895 | Maggie Boylan Providence, RI | Mrs. Clapp [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Greenfield, MA | Letter and envelope |
12 Apr 1896 | R. C. Metcalf New York | Mrs. Charles W. Clapp, Evie [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Greenfield, MA | Letter and envelope |
6 May 1902 | M. Helen Keith | Mrs. Clapp [Evelyn A Metcalf Clapp (1860-1902)] | Greenfield, MA | Letter and envelope |
No date | Mother [most likely Eunice Amelia Slate Clapp (1820-1910] | Not addressed | Detroit, MI | Letter |
Item Description and Acquisition
Item: Bundle of Clapp family letters, 1871-1902
Item acquisition: Plymouth, Massachusetts, December 2022
Relationship: None known.
Endnotes
1. Birth date and location and parents listed in the obituary.
“Montague, Dea. Richard Clapp,” obituary, Gazette and Courier (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 10 Aug 1907, p. 9, col. 6.
Also, Montague, Franklin County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Standard Certificate of Death, no. 384, Richard Clapp, 2 Aug 1907. Married. Age: 87 years, 8 months, 4 days. Birthplace: Montague, Massachusetts. Parents: Eliphaz Clapp and Charlotte Gunn, both born Montague, Massachusetts. Burial: Montague Locust Hill, 4 Aug 1907.
2. “Montague, Would Have Been 90 in November,” Eunice Slate Clapp obituary, Gazette and Courier (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 16 July 1910, p. 6, col. 5.
Also, Montague, Franklin County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Standard Certificate of Death, no. 412, Eunice A. Slate Clapp, 13 July 1910. Widow. Age: 89 years, 8 months, 8 days. Birth: 4 Nov 1820. Birthplace: Bernardston, Massachusetts. Parents: Joseph Slate and Sylvia E. Webster, both born Bernardston, Massachusetts. Burial: Montague, Massachusetts, 15 July 1910.
3. “Married, Mr. Richard Clapp and Miss Eunice A. Slate,” newspaper notice, The Recorder (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 2 Nov 1847, p. 3, col. 4.
4. Montague, Franklin County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Standard Certificate of Death, no. 384, Richard Clapp, 2 Aug 1907.
Also, Montague, Franklin County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Standard Certificate of Death, no. 412, Eunice A. Slate Clapp, 13 July 1910.
5. Dr. Cornelia Maria Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1848-1850 Births Register, p. 20, no. 45, Cornelia Maria, female, 17 Mar 1849.
“Dr. C. M. Clapp,” obituary, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 2 Jan 1935, p. 2, col. 6.
“Mt. Holyoke Co-Builder Dies at 85,” Dr. Cornelia H. Clapp obituary, Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut), 2 Jan 1935, p. 4, col. 1.
“Dr. Clapp-Revealer,” obituary, Greenfield Daily Recorder-Gazette (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 9 Jan 1935, p. 13, col.2.
6. Richard Leighton Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, Births Register, p. 246, no. 18, Richard Leighton Clapp, male, 21 Mar 1851
“Richard Clapp, Montague Dies,” obituary, The Brattleboro Reformer (Brattleboro, Vermont), 22 Nov 1932, p. 5, col. 6.
7. Harriet “Hattie Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1853 Births Register, p. 277, no. 18, Harriet Clapp, female, 28 July 1853.
Place of birth: Montague. Parents: Richard Clapp, born in Montague, and Eunice A., born in Bernardston. Father’s occupation: Farmer.
Umatilla, Lake County, Florida State Board of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 1118, Miss Harriet Clapp, 9 Jan 1937. Age: 83. Birth: 28 July 1937, Montague, Massachusetts. Burial: 10 Jan 1937, Montague, Massachusetts.
“Miss Harriet Clapp,” obituary, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 10 Jan 1937, p. 2, col. 6.
8. Mary Elizabeth Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1856 Births Register, p. 300, no. 22, Mary Elizabeth Clapp, female, 26 Jan 1856.
Place of birth: Montague. Parents: Richard Clapp, born in Montague, and Eunice A., born in Bernardston. Father’s occupation: Farmer.
“Miss Mary Clapp,” obituary, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 23 May 1940, p. 4, col. 5.
9. Walter Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1858 Births Register, p. 86, no. 31, Clapp, male, 6 April 1858.
Place of birth: Montague. Parents: Richard Clapp, born in Montague, and Eunice A., born in Bernardston. Father’s occupation: Farmer.
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1859 Deaths Register, p. 209, no. 27, Walter Clapp, male, age 1 year 9 months, 11 June 1859.Parents: Richard and Eunice Clapp.
10. Charles Wellington Clapp
Montague, Franklin County, Massachusetts, 1863 Births Register, p. 273, Charles W. Clapp, male, 4 Jan 1863.
Parents: Richard, born in Montague, and Eunice A., born in Bernardston. Father’s occupation: Farmer.
Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons Membership Cards 1733–1990, Republican Lodge, Charles Wellington Clapp.
Birth: 4 Jan 1863, Montague. Death: 5 Mar 1947. Occupation: Civil Engineer. Residence: Greenfield.
“Charles E. Clapp, Street Railway Engineer, Dies,” obituary, Greenfield Recorder-Gazette (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 7 Mar 1947, p. 1, col. 4.
Citing this page: Kimberli Faulkner Hull, compiler, “Clapp Family letters, 1871-1902, Montague, Massachusetts,”
Cool Adventures (https://cooladventures.com/collection/clapp-family-letters-1871-1902-montague-massachusetts/ : published 2023); privately held by the Faulkner–Hull Collection.