Clopton

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The Clopton surname descends from an area of land or hamlet once called Cloptunna, probably an old Anglo-Saxon division or holding before the Norman conquest of 1066, located near the present town of Wickhambrook, County Suffolk, in what was East Anglia.  Wilhelmus Peccatum (Guillaume Peche in French) was recorded in Domesday records (completed in 1086 ) as the under-tenant of this and many other holdings in Essex and Suffolk, as well as other areas of England, for a member of the Royal House of Normandy and cousin to Duke William (William the Conqueror), named Giselbert (Richard Fitz Gilbert, progenitor of the house of Clare). Early deeds show that William de Cloptunne was in possession of this land and later his son, Walter de Cloptunne, in King Stephen's time (note:some sources show these deeds to have actually been recorded about 120 years after this time). William de Cloptunne may have been Guillaume (William) Peche himself, taking the name de Cloptunne to confirm his connection and possession of Cloptunna, or his first son and heir William. There appears to be a Thurstan de Cloptunne who actually witnessed known deeds for Richard FitzGilbert in 1154.

The relationship between Guillaume Peche (and thus the Cloptons) and Richard Fitz Gilbert apart from the land holdings is purely speculative. It could have been a family relationship (and most likely was), although we have no documented proof. Possibly a family relationship through Richard's wife Rohese Giffard, or a cousin of Duke William's wife Matilda and thus connected to the Counts of Flanders. It appears that these very early Clopton's may have already lived in East Anglia prior to the Conquest and married to Anglo-Saxon wives (this could make their antecedents Norman, Fleming, Briton, or even Franks). It is hoped that this DNA study may help us find these roots as well as our ancient European heritage.

The banner background for this project is a photo of Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, occupied from 1375 to about 1661 by the Clopton family descended from Sir Thomas Clopton and his wife Katherine Mylde. This photo was taken March 30, 2019 during lambing season.

Some 15 generations later, William Clopton, Gent. the son of Rev. William Clopton of Eastwood, County Essex, and his wife Elizabeth Sutcliffe, came to Virginia as a young man in about the year 1671. William, along with his wife Ann Booth, are the progenitors of the American Cloptons. William and Ann are both buried at St. Peter's churchyard, New Kent County, Virginia. The Clopton Coat of Arms found on their tombs is that of the same Clopton family of ancient Suffolk.

This very old and established family was closely aligned with some of the highest echelon of English noble families yet not exactly prominent in many places where English history is taught . In many cases Clopton daughters married into the highest noble families, losing the Clopton name (Johane Clopton daughter of William Clopton was the great grandmother of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII, the progenitor of the Tudor dynasty). Other Clopton family members simply chose the wrong political side at the wrong time (John Clopton chose the losing Lancastrian side in the War of the Roses, finding himself later in the Tower of London, all of his companions beheaded, and he later released).

The Clopton family line found itself nearly extinct as a surname on several occasions, during a turbulent English history. Many surnames of the great Baronial and even Royal English families did not survive in the direct male lines into our present day. Internecine warfare, political events, the dreaded "Black Death", all took their toll. Landed families were militarily pledged to the King, and their sons were most often on the front lines of gruesome battles.

It is my belief, that our surname has a unique place in DNA studies for this very reason. Documented surnames over 900 years old are not common, and along with DNA can possibly assist in resolving some important historical questions, not to mention our own family heritage.


For more information:   "The Clopton Family", Gene Carlton Clopton, 1988.
                                "The Visitation of Suffolk", William Hervey, 1561
                                "The Autobiography and Correspondence of Sir Simonds D'Ewes, 1626
                                The Many Web Research Pages and Clopton Chronicles by Suellen Clopton Blanton et al
                                The Clopton Family Organization (www.cloptonfamily.org)
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