Rest CRAPO

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 07 Mar 1748, Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Francis married Patience SPOONER on 13 Feb 1736 in Dartmouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Patience (daughter of Nathan SPOONER and Patience ?) was born on 13 Feb 1717/8 in Dartmouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; died on 11 Apr 1794 in Rochester, Plymouth County, Masssachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 20 Mar 1718, Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Pierre
• Birth: Abt 1668, Isle d'Elvire, France

Notes:

According to "Mayflower Families Through 5 Generations Vol. 13 - William White": Tradition says that as a lad Peter was shipwrecked on Cape Cod about 1680 and given the name of Pierre Crapeau. He lived with Francis Coombs in Middleboro.

Excerpt from "Certain Comeoverers": "The tradition which your great grandfather Henry Howland Crapo preserved of his great great grandfather Peter the First was taht as a young lad, the only survivor of a French vessel from Bordeaux, he was cast ashore somewhere on the coast of Cape Cod. Subsequently, very likely through the action of the public authorities, since he was clearly a public charge, he was "put out" to one Francis Cooms, who brought him up. This tradition is corroborated from an independent source. Judge Coombs, the cashier of the Bedford Bank, and the grandfather of George Coombs, a schoolmate of mine) was familiar with a tradition of his family that they took in a little French boy, called him Crapaud, cared for him and reared him.
Another similar tradition preserved by Philip M. Crapo of Burlington, Iowa, who derived it from the Albany Crapos, who in turn derived it from Philip Crapo, a distinguished lawyer of Providence in the last century, was to the effect that the boy Piere was left with Francis Coombs by his brother, the commander of a French man-of-war wrecked on the coast of Cape. Cold. the brother (he is called Nicholas in this tradition) promised that when he returned to france he would send for the lad. He was never more heard from.
Similar traditions varying in detail have been preserved in several Crapo families in Dartmouth and Rochester. They all agree in making our common ancestor a young boy, French by nationality, and the survivor of a wreck. In several of these traditions a brother appears, sometimes as Nicholas and sometimes as Francis. If there was, indeed, such a brother, he must have died or disappeared, because all the known Crapos were easily traced back to our Pierre. It is fair to assume that the date of the wreck was not long before 1680. It would be interesting to try to discover by the shipping records whether any merchant vessell bound for some port in America c;eared from Bordeaux about that time was never more heard from. It would seem that the loss of a French man-of-war in those days might possibly be traced in the archives of the naval history of France. It is not inconceivable that should you devote the time and labor to look into the matter yhou migth discover what your name really is, and who were the people that little cast-away boy called father and mother.
Sarah Tappan Crapo always pretended to claim that Pierre was the "lost Dauphin" and consequently that she was rightfully Queen of France. Chronology sufficiently disposes of this fantasy. The poor little fellow known as the "lost Dauphin" was Louis XVII of France, a son of Marie Antoinette, born in 1785 and died (probably) in 1795 in the prison from which his father and mother were taken to the guillotine. Sa Vie, son Agonie, sa Mort (M.A. de Beauchesne, 1853) tells the story of this unfortunate little prince which is even more thrilling that the somewhat similar history of the two princes in the Tower of London. No less than twenty persons claimed aafterwards to be the lost Dauphin, tailors, shoemakers, a Jewish music teacher of London, and most distinguished of all, the Rev. Eleazer Williams, a issionary to the Oneidas, who lived in Hogans burg, New York, and who cut a great figure in Paris for a time with his pretensions. It is fortunate that we are not of these.
A much more probable theory has been advanced by those learned in such matters that our cast-away was from one of the numerous bands of Huguenots who fled to New England at the end of the Seventeenth century. The tradition that he came from Bordeaux is partially corroborative evidence. It was at Bordeaux that Richelieu encountered the most stubborn revolt of heretics that vexed his wondrous reign. The Rounsevells and the Demoranvilles and the Volottes, all well known Rochester and Freetown families, are currently supposed to have been of Huguenot origin. That Pierre Crapaud, who ws subsequently closely connected with several of these families through the marriages of his children, may have originally been in some way associated with the Huguenot refugees is not improbable. Mr. William T. Davis, the historian of Plymouth, some years ago suggested to me that Pierre may possible have been on that somewhat famous ship wrecked on the coast of Cape Cod in 1694, on which Francis le Baron, the "nameless nobleman," was either a passenger or an officer. The tradition of Pierre's somewhat dramatic entrance on the scene by means of a wwreck would make this plausible, yet I am inclined to think that if he was "a boy" when he was cast ashore 1694 is rather too late a date for his advent. Moreover this explanation of Pierre's arrival would preclude his association with Francis Coombs, as to which the tradition is quite as persistent as that he was French, a boy, and the survivor of a wreck.
After all it matters not so much whether this little chap was a son of a smug bourgeois of Bordeaux, the brother of an aristocratic commander of a french man-of-war, the persecuted companion of a nameless nobleman, or, even, by the grace of God eldest son of the King of France, Dauphin of Viennois,--as it does matter that he was a sturdy, thrifty pioneer of New England who "made good".
Frances Coombs was a son of "Mr. John Combe," a Frenchman, who appeared in Plymouth prior to 1630 and died prior to 1648. He married, 1630, Sarah Priest, daughter of Degory Priest. Her mother was a sister of Asaac Allerton of the Mayflower and had first married John Vincent. Degory Priest, her second husband, died in Keyden and just before crossing in the Ann in 1623 his widow married Cuthbert Cuthbertson. Mr. Cuthbertson and his wife brought with them a boy, Samuel, and two little girls, the children of Mrs. Cuthbertson and her husband Degory Priest. The children are afterwards erroneously described in the Plymouth records as the children of Cuthbert Cuthbertson. One of these daughters of Degory Priest married Phineas Pratt and the other, Sarah, married "Mr. John Combe.: John Combe, whose name soon became corrupted to Coombs, acquired some little property in Plymouth and is mentioned on the records in connection with land grants and minor municipal employments. He died prior to 1648 at which time his wife went back to the old country, deserting her children, who came under the faithful care of William Spooner, an ancestor of yours, whom John Coombs had indentured when he was a destitute young lad. One os these children was Francis, who took a somewhat prominent part in the affairs of Plymouth, acting as officer in various town matters, and being closely associated with Thomas Prence in several real estate deals, amoun which was the purchase of "Namassakett," later known as Middlebury and still later as Middleboro. In 1667 Francis Coombs was living in Plymouth but probably removed to Middleboro soon after its purchase. He was a selectman of "Middlebury" in 1674 and 1675. In 1675 he was associated with Lieutenant Morton in settling the estate of Governor Prence. He was one of a committee of two who distributed in Middleboro the funds sent by devout Christians in Ireland to alleviate the distress caused by King Philip's War. In 1678 he petitioned the court at Plymouth for a minister to be estqablished at "Middlebury," and the same year he was licensed by the Court "to keep an ordinary." This ordinary was probably situated at the "Green," some miles north of the present main village, and for a century and a half it continued to dispense hospitality to travellers. It was to this public house that little Pierre Crapaud went under indenture to Francis Coombs about 1680. How old he was at that time we cannot know. The traditions from various scources unite in disignating him as a mere boy. In 1682 Francis Coombs died. The ordinary was carried on by his widow, who received a license therefor in 1684. Francis Coombs had first married Deborah MOrton, and by her had several daaughters, but no son. His second wife and widow was Mary Barker Pratt, a daughter of Samuel Pratt, his cousin. Soon after 1684 Mary Barker Pratt Coombs married David Wood of Middleboro and continued for a time, at least, to carry on the ordinary. Whether "Anthony" Coombs, who may have been a brother of Francis Coombs, was ever associated in the management of this inn I have not been able to ascertain. There seems to be some trafition to that effect. Some seventy-five years ago this same tavern was still in existence, kept by one Abner Barrows and a portion of the building at that time was thought to be a part of the "old Coombs ordinary." It was here doubtless that Pierre Crapaud grew up, working as chore-boy and assistant.

Will:
In the name of God Amen---this 20th day of February A.D. 1756 I Peter Crapo of Rochester in the County of Plimouth Yeoman do make this my Last Will and Testament first I Recommend my Soul to God who Gave it, & my body to the Ground to be buried in decent Christian Buriall @ the discretion of my Esecr. wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me, I give and Dispose of the same in the following manner and form. Imprs. I give and Bequeath to my Loving wife Ann Crapo all the Household Goods and Stuf She brought to me @ time of Marriage, and also I give her a Sutable maintenance both in Sickness and in helth to be Provided for her by my three Sons hereafter Enjoyned to the Same and said Meantenance and Support to be what may be for her Comfortable Subsistance in every Respect according to her age & Quality.
Item -- I, Give to my son Frances Crapo and to his Heirs and assigns forever, the Dwelling House and Land he now lives on being in Rochester aforesd, Being all my Lnads on the Easterly Side the Ditch or Brook runing out of the South West corner Sniptuit Pond having sd. Pond on the north, Nicholas and Seth Crapo's Land on the South, the Long Pond So called, and other mens Land on the East Together with my Tow Islands in said Sniptuit pond, he paying so much of the Bond I have on him to four of my Daughters Hereafter named as I shall assign within twelve Months after my decease.
Item--I Give to my Three Sons Peter, Crapo, Junr., John Crapo and Hezekiah Crapo, and to their Heirs and assigns forever in Equall Shares all my other Estate both Real and Personall not before Disposed off, in this my will nor by Deeds Excepting the Bond abovesaid on my son Francis, they Paying my Just Debts and Funerall charges, and Providing for their said Hond. Mother, in Law my Wido, as abaove Expressed, and after my decease Deliver to her the Household Goods and Stuf She brought to me @ time of Marrage.
Item --- I Give to my son Nicholas Crapo five Shillings Money and that with what I have already given him, to be his proportion of my Estate.
Item--- I Give to my four Daughters, vix. Susannah Samoranvill, Mary Spooner, Elizabeth Luke, and Revecca Mathews Twenty Dollars to each of them, to be paid them by my said son Francis Six months after my decease, and it is to be in full discharge of the Bond aforesaid, and if either of my said four Daughters shall dye before payment then to be Payd to their Heirs---
Furthermore it is my Will That what I have herein given my Son John Crapoo, is to be accouanted in full Discharge of any and all demands he may make on my Estate for anything contracted before the Date hereof. Finally I do hereby Constitute and appoint my Son Hezekiah Crapoo Sole Executor of this my Last will and Testament and I do hereby Revoke and Disanull all former Wills by me heretofore made Ratifying and Confirming this and no Other to be my Last will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal the day and Year first above writen.

Peter Crapoo (Seal)

Peter married Penelope WHITE on 31 May 1704 in Rochester, Plymouth, Mass.. Penelope (daughter of Samuel WHITE and Rebecca GREEN) was born on 12 Mar 1687 in Rochester, Massachusetts, Plymouth, County; died before 23 Nov 1738 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts; was buried in Rochester Cemetery, Rochester, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Nathan married Patience ?. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: Between Mar 1729 and Apr 1731

Notes:

Samuel White of Rochester was before the court Sept. 1720, March 1723-1724, December 1729 and March 1729-1730 for not attending public worship (taken from "Mayflower Families Through 5 Generations Vol. 13 - William White)

Excerpt from "Certain Comeoverers": The earliest list of freemen in Rochester in 1684 gives the name of Samuel White. He was of the first board of Selectmen in 1690. On October 15, 1689, he took the oath of fidelity under Governor Hinckley. In 1709 he is named in a list of seventeen male members of the First Church of Rochester. In 1722-1723 Samuel White and Timothy Ruggles examined one Mr. Josiah Marshall and "did approve of him as a fitt person quallified as the law directs" to be a schoolmaster. He married Rebecca, who died June 25, 1711, aged sixty-five years.
Samuel White and his wife Rebecca had eight children of whom your several times great grandmother Penolope was the seventh. She was born March 12, 1687, married Peter Crapo May 31, 1704, and was a great grandmother of Jesse Crapo.

Samuel married Rebecca GREEN about 1686 in Massachusetts. Rebecca was born on 13 Mar 1646 in Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; died on 25 Jun 1711 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Excerpt from "Records of William Spooner, Second Generation": As early as Oct 16, 1669, John Spooner was one of a jury apppointed by the Court of Assistants "to lay out a highway, a county road from Middleboro, Bridgewater, and other places toward Boston." - establishes the fact, that at that date he was a man of consideration, and esteemed by the Court as of sound judgment, - such services were then only confided to men of known worth and intelligence, and usually of mature years.
He further served the Colony as Grand Juror, in 1702; and, his townsmen as Surveyor of Highways, 1686, 1699 and 1700, and was a member of the Town Council 1690. It is recorded that John Spooner was elected, may 18th 1710, to represent Dartmouth in the General Court, but on reference to the published list of officers as complied by Mr. Whittemore, it is not seen that he took his seat as Representative.
It is believed that John married twice, but the names of his wives are unknown.

John married Rebecca PECKHAM. Rebecca (daughter of John PECKHAM and Eleanor ?) was born in 1658 in Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]