Family Name History Clapperton
The Surname Clapperton Is Toponymic In Origin, Being Derived From The Place Where The Original Bearer Once Dwelt. In This Case The Surname May Indicate Either " One From Clapperton " or " One From Clapton ". The Latter Toponym Is The More Usual, Being Bourne By Several Villages Taking Their Name From The Old English " Clop Tun ", Meaning " Farm On The Hill ". There Is No Longer Any Record Of A Village Of The Name Clapperton In England, But It Is Likely That There Was Once A Medievil Hamlet Or Farm Of The Name. Indeed, The Surname Is Particularly Numerous In Stirling And Edinburgh In Scotland Thus It Is Likely That These Bearers Took Their Name From Some Locality In The Lowlands Of Scotland. The Toponym Clapperton Would Derive From The Old English " Clapper Tun ", Meaning A " Farm By The Clapper Bridge ", A Rough Or Natural Bridge Across A Stream. The Surname Is Documented In The Twefth Century; One Turstan De Cloptuna appears In The Records Of The Abbey Of Bury St.Edmunds In 1154, While One Alan De Clapten Is Noted In Early Charters Of Yorkshire In 1185. In 1546 One George Clapartoun Was Sub-Dean Of The Chapel Royal Of Stirling And Provost Of The College Of The Holy Trinity In Edinburgh Between 1558 And 1573. One John Clapperton Of Neatoune Appears In The Registry Of Lauder In 1655 While One James Clapperton And His Thirteen Year-old Son, William Clapperton, Of Banff Were Jacobites Captured At Carlisle And Transported To Maryland, In America, in 1747.
I have found this history of the name Clapperton on a web site. I left it written as it was. (c.mill)