Claphams of Beamsley
The Beamsley line is the best known and best documentated branch of THE ANCIENT FAMILY OF CLAPHAM. The old hall at Beamsley became the seat of the CLAPHAMS OF BEAMSLEY for about three hundred years, when Thomas Clapham, the first to be called of Beamesley settled there after his marriage to his wife Elizabeth Moore.
The manor of Beamsley belonged originally to the fee of the family Mauleverer. On 22nd May 1399 Richard Mauleverer, son of SIR PETER MAULEVERER, issued a declaration that his manor of Beamsley and Gargrave and other lands on his taking journey with the king to Ireland should be restored on his return, and if he did not return held by his mother for life, with remainder to his right heirs. He died without issues and his sisters, Alice, who was married to Sir John Midelton of Stockeld and Thomasine, became co-heiresses of their late brother. Thomasine for her part married William Moore of Otterburne, whose daughter and co-heir, Elizabeth, married Thomas Clapham, the ancestor of this family branch. In 1456, by deed of gift, John de Midelton gave to Thomas Clapham and his heirs for ever all that half part of the manor of Beamesley. Thomas was now indeed lord of the manor and was a considerable landowner. Within the manor of Beamsley everthing belonged to the lord. He had the legal privilige of exacting certain agricultural dues from his bond tenants and held regular manorial courts to collect rents, levy fines and deal with minor criminal offences.
More informations about the Beamsley estate can be found in Inquisition post mortem, which were surveys to ascertain the value of the deceased's property and to enable the Exchequer to calculate the amount payable by heir on succeeding to the estate; and the age of the heir had to be established. The Inquisition taken in 1517, some years after the death of William Clapham, who was married to Joan Scargill, states that he owned the manors of Beamsley, Gargrave and Lund, also 18 messuages, 240 acres of land, 80 acres of medow, 100 acres of pasture and 10 acres of wood in Burton-in-Lonsdale and Kettismore. The Inquisition of his son, Christopher Clapham, taken in 1541 gives details about the house, which show that it was the old type oh hall-house, but with recent additions. The Inquisition refers to "his hall of Beamsley divided through the midst with the chief chamber and other chambers and cellar to the same." There is mention of a bovary, garden, orchard, dovecote, malting house, chapel and the Great Gate. There were over 80 acres of land round the hall, and the manor also containing 24 messuages, 6 tofts, 10 cottages, a water mill and a grain mill and more land nearby, also common of pasture for about 500 beasts. Christopher still had the manors of Gargrave and Lund and by his father also those of Overland, Kettismore, Hawkswick and land in Otterborne.
There are evidences that Thomas Clapham did not inherit the manors of Clapham and Clapdale, although he inherited the manor of Lund in Thornton-in-Lonsdale, aprt of the property of the old family. When in 1442 Thomas drew up a Deed Poll about the marriage of his son to the daughter of Walter Calverley, the name of William Brearey of Menston, York is mentioned as party to the deed. About six months later William Clapham of Clapham, gentleman drew up an agreement for the marriage of his daughter Catherine to Richard, son of the same William Brearey. As Thomas and William Clapham must have moved in the same social circle it can be assumed that both were probably cousins.
As Beamsley belonged to the caput manor of Bolton Abbey many family members were traditionally buried there. 
At the East end of the North aile of Bolton Priory Church was a chantry belonging to Bethmesley Hall, and a vault, where, according to tradition, the Mauleverers and Claphams were interred upright. The reason for this strange burial custom was said to be the pride of the Mauleverers, who refused to bow down to any man. In the early 19th century Mr Hustwick, then custodian of the Abbey, decided to investigate and to look for the vault and the coffins. He said: "I knew nearly where the vault must be, so I got some men to dig. We did not strike the vault at once, but after a while we found it, opened it, and there were the coffins sure enough, standing upright, just as the old folk used to say they were."
William Wordsworth wrote about Thomas Clapham's son, John Clapham, a great General in the War of Roses (Remark: several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487):
"A vault where the bodies are buried upright!
There, face by face, and hand by hand,
The Claphams and Mauleverers stand;
And, in his place, among son and sire,
Is John de Clapham, that fierce Esquire,
A valiant man, and a name of dread,
In the ruthless wars of the White and Red ,
Who dragged Earl Pembroke from Banbury church,
And smote off his head on the stones of the porch'."
John Clapham was named after his grandfather, who made his last will on 01. Jan. 1400, proved 12. Jan. 1402, and who also already bequeathing his body to be buried in the abbey of Bolton. He had four brothers: Thomas, who married Margaret Calverley; Richard, who is said to have been hanged in Southampton 1470 under circumstances of great brutality; Laurence and Nicholas, who were both married and had children. Nicholas'grandson, James Clapham, was Master of Trinity College, Pontefract, where there was an oil portrait of him.
[Source: The Publications of the Surtees Society established in the year M.DCCC.XXXIV (1834), Vol. CXLVI (146) for the year M.CM.XXXII. (1932)]
Thomas and Margaret Clapham had four sons (see above) and also three daughters, Anne, Elizabeth and Thomasine. In 1466 a convenant was drawn up for the marriage of Elizabeth to Richard Metheley, son and heir apparent to Thomas Metehely, Esq. In 1468 William, the eldest son, married Joan, daughter of William Scargill of Lead Hall. Richard married twice and his son, Thomas Clapham, leased Exley Manor in Keighley from his brother-in-law and started a flourishing branch of the family in Keighley. John married a daughter of Lord Hume of Scotland and his son, David 'The Translator', achieved fame as scholar. He left several children, and his eldest son, Thomas lived at Helpston in Northamptonshire. From him descended the Claphams of Devonshire. Thomas' and Margaret's son Christopher married a daughter of the Lord Mayor of York. There are many references to him as he found favour with Henry VII. In 1501 the king made a grant to Christopher Clapham, one of the gentlemen ushers of his chamber, of the office of porter of Berwick-upon-Tweed. In June 1505 Christopher of 'Barwick' was made additionaly general receiver to the king of a great number of castles, manors and lordships in the north, including Sheriff Hutton, Middleham, Richmond and Wakefield; and he was responsible for upon Hull. Besides he was involved in the negotiations over the marriage of the king's daughter, Margaret to the king of Scotland. In 1513 Christopher was captain of Norham Castle, near Berwick, and in the same year he fought at the battle of Flodden Field, when the English defeated the invading Scots and James IV of Scotland was killed.
Christopher Clapham, eldest son of William and Joan Clapham, was described in his father's Inquisition as of 'Carleton-in-Craven' near Skipton; he was twenty-four years old at the time of his father's death, which would have made him born c. 1484. He had five sons and four daughters. His eldest son, William Clapham, Esq. was born c. 1516/17 as Dugdale's Visitation of reports that he was 24 at his father's Inquisition PM on 30. September 1541. He died at some time between 1579 and 1588. On the one hand he is still mentioned hisself directly in the Yorkshire Fines 1579 (Easter Term): "... vs. William Clapham, esq., and George Clapham, his son and heir ...", but on the other hand it is refered to him only indirectly in the Yorkshire Fines 1588 (Trinity Term): "... Gressam, and his heirs, and against the heirs of William Clapham, his grandfather." According to Barbara Clapham he was still alive in 1584, which would restrict his year of death to between 1584 and 1588.
William Clapham was married to Margaret Middleton, daughter of SIR WILLIAM MIDDLETON, knight and his second wife, Isabella Deighton of Stockeld belonging to the MIDDLETONS OF STOCKELD.
Additional remarks:
1. GEORGE CLAPHAM of Beamsley, Esq. (c. 1537-30. Apr 1612)
& Katherine Thwaites, daughter of SIR WILLIAM THWAITES and LADY ANNE SAVILE. Both were the parents of GRESHAM CLAPHAM, Esq. of Beamsley and some other children.
& Mary Elizabeth Morgan of Herefordshire, Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I. (fl. 1558-1603)
NOTE: Traditionally, a queen regnant had eight maids of honour, while a queen consort had four. A maid of honour was a maiden, meaning that she was unmarried, and was usually young. Maids of honour were almost always in their sixteenth year or older. Under Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I, maids of honour were at court as a kind of finishing school, with the hope of making a good marriage. As not 'every girl' was able to become a maid of honour, and got the chance to attend the royal court Mary Elizabeth Morgan must have belonged to an influential family connected to the court of Queen Elizabeth I. in the one way or other. Such familiar connection might have existed by Anne Morgan, Baroness Hunsdon (picture), whose parental family was seated in Arkestone, Herefordshire. Although it cannot be verified, Anne Morgan could have well been Mary Elizabeth Morgan's aunt or something like that. Anne Morgan herself was married to Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526-1596), who was either a cousin or half-brother of Queen Elizabeth I. as he was the son of Mary Boleyn, elder sister of Anne Boleyn, and Sir William Carey or - like assumed by many historians - King Henry VIII.2. Peter Clapham, gent. & Alice Procter, daughter of Anthony and Barbara Procter (Proctor)
NOTE: [23. Apr 1569 - 26. Jul 1571] Plaintiff: Alice Clapham (nee Procter), daughter of Anthony Procter - Intervening parties: Peter Clapham - Witness: William Clapham, gent., 58, Malinscales, Clapham, Anne Clapham, 37 his wife and others (Cause paper CP.G.827 - Matrimonial; annulment - minor) and [Yorkshire Fines 1591] Christopher Foxe and Roger Fowler vs. Peter Clapham, gent., and Alice his wife --- 2 messuages in Burton in Lonesdale.
3. Marmaduke Clapham, gent. (born c. 1545) married to Miss Alsop
NOTE: [31. Jul 1565] Edward Walker vs. Dorothy Vavasour (Walker) and Henry Vavasour; witness: Marmaduke Clapham, gent., age 20 of Chester (Cestren): diocese
4. Francis Clapham was in all probablity the father of Francis Clapham of Newall, Otley (c. 1586-1658), who married Elizabeth Lamb at All Saints, Otley on 14. May 1605. According to UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 he was a General in 1658.
5. Anne Clapham was married three times, but it does not seem to be quite clear, who she married at first. The pedigree above shows Thomas Thwaites of Marston, others give John Thwaites of Marston instead, and others again say that it was William Thwaites of Lund.