A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Clapp, William
CLAPP. (Lieutenant, 1825, f-p., 21; h-p., 17.)
William Clapp, born 10 Aug. 1796, is eldest son of the late J. Clapp, Esq., Solicitor, of Topsham, co. Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 June, 1809, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Tisiphone 20, Capt. Wm. Williams Foote, guard-ship at South Yarmouth; accompanied the same officer, as Midshipman, in Jan. 1810, into the Partridge 26; and, on his return from the West Indies in the following July, joined the Rover 18, Capt. Justice Finley, with whom he continued uninterruptedly to serve until Aug. 1815. During that period he witnessed the fall of St. Sebastian and of Santona, assisted at the bombardment of Guteria and the destruction of several batteries on the coast of Spain, was in numerous skirmishes with the American enemy on the Potomac, and took part in the unfortunate attack upon Baltimore. Having passed his examination 4 Oct. 1815, and been intermediately employed on board the Tay 20, Capt. Sam. Roberts, and Childers 18, Capt. Rich. Wales, in the former of which ships he was wrecked, off the Alacranes, in the Gulf of Mexico, 11 Nov. 1816, we find Mr. Clapp, in Jan. 1819, appointed Admiralty-Mate of the Tribune 36, Capts. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby and Gardiner Henry Guion. With the exception of a few months in 1823, during which he appears to have been employed on board the Gloucester guard-ship at Chathain, and Pioneer gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Favell, fitting for the West Indies, the subject of this sketch continued to be employed in the Tribune, on the Irish, Jamaica, and Mediterranean stations, until transferred, in July, 1824, to the Superb 76, Capt. Sir Thos. Staines. After again visiting the West Indies, as also Bermuda and Lisbon, he was at length officially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 13 Dec. 1825. He subsequently held a command in the Coast Guard from 23 Jan. 1835 until the close of 1837; and since 4 Jan. 1845, has been serving in the Ocean 80, Capt. Rich. Arthur, guard-ship at Sheerness.
Lieut. Clapp married, 19 Feb. 1838, Mary, only daughter of John Scobell Paige, Esq., of Rimpston House, near Kingsbridge, Devon, by whom he has issue three children.