The ancient family of Clapham
"There are four parishes in England today called Clapham, in south London, Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Sussex. As a surname it is far more common in the north of England than in the south. Many families whose name is Clapham claim a Yorkshire origin and believe that their name derives from Clapham, formerly in the West Riding, but now in the County of North Yorkshire, sometimes called Clapham-under-Ingleborough, which lies six miles west of Settle and twenty miles north-east of Lancaster. ... At the time of the Domesday Survey in 1085-6 the manor in Yorkshire was called Clapeham; but the three more southerly places appear as Clopeham." There is a persitent tradition that the Claphams were lineally descended from a King of France, and the six fleur-de-lis in their shield and the lion rampart as their crest bear witness that for centuries this was their belief. A medieval window at Hollen Hall was probably the oldest source of the ancient family of Clapham, which was believed to have been moved there, when the Claphams' principal residence, Beamsley Hall, was rebuilt after a fire at some time after 1541.
NOTE: Jennet Clapham of Beamlsey, eldest daughter of William Clapham (1443-1508) and Joan Scargill, was the "wyff to William Monntalta of Hollyng Hall".
Unlike the inscriptions in the windows of the 'Hollen Hall' near Beamsley tell of the history of the Clapham 
family, the College of Heralds reports that King Edgar of England (fl. 959-975) in 965 granted land in Surrey to Jonas, son of the Duke of Lorraine, who from then on was known as "Jonas de Clapham". The family should have remained in possession of the land until Jonas' 2nd great-grandson Arthur sided against William the Conqueror during the Norman invasion of 1066 and, losing the land, fled to the north, where the Clapham family remained thereafter, primarily in Yorkshire.
NOTE: Regardless of the first name of "the first Clapham" in England, both sources mention that he should have been a son of a Duke of Lorraine, even though only the window of 'Hollen Hall' names the Duke "Alphonsus". However historically speaking, no Alphonsus, Duke of Lorraine is known. At that time this first name was common rather further south, in Spain and Portugal. The Duchy of Lorraine was founded in 959 as a result of the division of the kingdom of Lotharingia in two separate duchies: Lower Lorraine and Upper Lorraine, both duchies forming the western part of the Holy Roman Empire. While Count Godfrey I of Hainault (d. 964 ) got granted the title of a Duke of Lower Lorraine, Upper Lorraine went to Count Frederick of Bar (c. 942-978). It is also not known whether one of the Dukes of Lorraine had a son who served at the court of King Edgar. For this reason, his identity remains questionable rather than clarified.
The name Clapa occurs amongst the witnesses to a charter of Canute; and he was Master of the Horse to Edward the Confessor (Remark: fl. 1042-1066). A daughter of this nobleman, named GYTHA, was married, it is said, in the preceding reign with great pomp to one Tovi the Proud, in a.d. 1042, and at the wedding feast the King, Hardicanute, was present. It is further recorded that, drinking to excess, he died suddenly of apoplexy, thus ending his reign of tyranny and indolence within three years of his accession to the throne. After the Battle of Hastings, Arthur Clapham fled before William the Conqueror, and founded a stronghold in Yorkshire on the brow of Ingleborough."
But whether the descent is fact or fiction, there is no doubt that Osgod Clapa mentioned above is an historical figure. He was a nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England during the reigns of Kings Cnut the Great, Harold Harefoot, Harthacnut, and Edward the Confessor. His name comes from the Old Danish Asgot, the byname Clapa meaning coarse, or rough, in Old English. He was described by a monk at the shrine of St Edmund (Remark: Saxon King of the East Angles, fl. c. 855-869) in Bury St Edmunds co. Suffolk as "proudly bearing armlets on both arms, his gilt-inlaid axe slung from his shoulder in the Danish fashion" proclaiming his heritage.Osgod Clapa was a major landowner in East Anglia during a period, in which no Ealdorman was appointed to the region. He held the post of staller, that is constable or master of the royal stables. In 1046 he was banished, and in 1054 he died.
(A depiction of St Edmund's shrine destroyed in 1539 during the English Reformation. According to a letter, which now belongs to the Cotton Collection in the British Library, the shrine was defaced, and silver and gold to the value of over 5000 marks was taken away. On 4 November 1539 the abbot and his monks were expelled and the abbey was dissolved.)
Osgod is found as a witness to charters from 1026 onwards, but he first appears in narrative accounts on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Gytha to his fellow-staller Tovi the Proud. It appears to be at these celebrations, on, or shortly before 8 June 1042, that King Harthacnut died suddenly. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles he "died as he stood at his drink, and he suddenly fell to the earth with an awful convulsion; and those who were close by took hold of him, and he spoke no word afterwards ..."
Edward the Confessor kept Osgod in his position of trust, and the reasons for his eventual outlawing in late 1046 are far from clear. It may be that it was related to the earlier exile of Cnut's niece Gunnhild in 1044. Gunnhild was first married to Håkon Eiriksson, son of Cnut's trusted ally Eiríkr Hákonarson, and later to Earl Harald, son of Thorkell the Tall, a trusted servant of King Harthacnut, which placed her in a prominent position among opponents of Edward the Confessor's 
kingship. Osgod appears to have gone to Flanders, where Count Baldwin V gave him refuge.
In 1049 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that after King Edward had dispersed most of the fleet he had gathered to support the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III in his war against the Count of Flanders:
"Then it was told the king that Osgod lay at Ulps with thirty-nine ships; whereupon the king sent after the ships that he might dispatch, which before had gone homewards, but still lay at the Nore. Then Osgod fetched his wife from Bruges; and they went back again with six ships; but the rest went towards Essex, to Eadulf's-ness, and there plundered, and then returned to their ships. But there came upon them a strong wind, so that they were all lost but four persons, who were afterwards slain beyond sea."
The Chronicle reports Osgod's death in 1054, "suddenly in his bed, as he lay at rest", apparently still in exile.
ARTHUR CLAPHAM is said to have built a strong tower under the brow of Ingleborough. The latter Clapham family resided in a manor house at Clapdale, sometimes called Clapdale Castle on the skirts of Ingleborough, of which the following account is given by Roger Dodsworth (1585–1654), an English historian and antiquary: "John Clapham, ye last of Clapdale, pa_t ytt to W'm Clapham of Beamesley, father of George, that sold it to Ingleby circa 40' amiis elaps'us. Clapdale Castle hath been very large and strong, and standeth on the skirt' of the high hill Ingleborrow, w'ch shooteth tow'ds Clapham, and was the desmayne' of ye Claphams in later times, but I think it was builded by Adam de Staveley, or o'e of his ancestors, who sold the chace of Ingleborrow to Roger Mowbray, temp. Jbh'is." In the seventeenth century an other antiquary described the manor of Clapdale pompously as "A great old castle, joyning on Clapham, the ancient demesne of the family of Clapham, who have lived here in good reputation till our fathers’ days." But it shall have been in fact only a small fortified manor-house with immensely thick walls.
"The fortune and position of the Claphams were maintained and increased by a succession of marriages with heiresses. The Clapham arms, which were confirmed by the Heralds included quarterly of six those of Clapham, Thornton, Sutton, Otterborne, Mauleverer and Moore. .... Factual informations about the activities of some early Claphams can be found in contemporary records."
There are many published versions of the ancient Clapham pedigree. There are some manuscript copies and there is also a pedigree written on a roll of vellum about ten feet long and profusely illustrated with coats of arms, which covers the period from Jonas, 965, to GRESHAM CLAPHAM, ESQ., who died 1602 and was probably compiled in the lifetime of the latter. The roll was found in an old box at Bexley, Kent, and is thought to have belonged to Christopher Clapham, who married Elizabeth Crispe of Quekes, Isle of Thanet, and lived at Bexley; he died in 1677 and is buried at Birchington. In 1944 the vellum pedigree came into the possession of Mr T. D. Clapham of Epsom, who spent much of his life on research into the Clapham family and examined a great number of original documents. Mr Clapham's papers and the Vellum Roll are at Wakefield Libraries Headquarters, now.
A comparison of the many pedigrees show that they can be divided into two groups down to the time, when Thomas Clapham married the Mauleverer heiress, Elizabeth Moore, and founded the family branch of the CLAPHAMS OF BEAMSLEY.
But the most informative is one compiled by William Dade (c. 1740-1790) in the late eighteenth century. Mr Dade was an English cleric and antiquary, Rector of Barmston in the County and of St Mary's Castlegate, within the City of York. He did a great deal of work on local history and when he died in 1790 he left many unpublished papers in the library of Burton Constable. Some of his work, including the Clapham pedigree in a tabulated form, was published by G. Poulson in "The History of Holderness", who recorded that in 1785 Mr Dade examined the original evidences and confirmations of the Clapham pedigree, which were in the possession of Mr Clapham of Burton Pidsea. Mr Dade also refers to a pedigree of Mr Clapham of York. The following is Mr Dade's version down to the Beamsley inheritance and is as he wrote it, except that some of the abbreviations have been extended and dates inserted in brackets.
Clapham
1. Jonas Clapham, 3rd Son of Alphonsus Duke of Lorayne which was the 6th Son of Faramundus King of France and came into England & had given him by a Saxon king Clapham near London & 2 hides of land there adjoining Lambet he married and had issue Jacob.
2. Jacob Clapham of Clapham near Lambeth married Editha a Dane, & had issue, Gooday
Clapham (= Osgod Clapham), married & had issue Arthur, he (Gooday) was a great Man in Hardicanutes time, whose Nephew married the daughter of Clapham at whose table & on the marriage day the said King died.
3. Manfrede Clapham son & heir of Jacob married & had issue Willm. & Jane married to Canutes nephew. Manfred died with excessive drinking at this daughters marriage.
4. William Clapham married & had issue Arthur.
5. Arthur A Clapham married and had issue William he fled at the conquest, lost his lands in ye south, came into Yorkshire, & built Clapham & a strong tower thereby.
A This Arthur had given and graunted by Siwaldus, Earl of Northumberland, under the great Seale, all suits & services of the said Manor of Clapham, with all manner of Royalties thereunto belonging as Felle, Floude, Waterfloude, Sheefloude, Stolidge, Poundage, warding or carrying or any other Service whatsoever is appertaining to the said Earle or his posteritie from his & his heires to the said Arthur, & his Heires for ever.
6. William x Son and Heir of Arthur married daughter of Arthington of do and had issue
Robert 1069. William the Conqueror gave to this William the Baronie of Sedberg &
Dennt 1072. Hee had given him also by the King certain Hydes of land nigh Camberwell,
besides Lambeth where he builded Clapham ate Clapham in the year of our Lord God
1066 — formerly called Clapha now Clapham & there he built a Chapel.
x This William took part with the Conqueror when he came into the north.
7. Robert Clapham Lord of Clapham Baron of Dent & Sedberge married the daughter of Tounsball of Thurland Castle & had issue Walthron 1094. Dorothy a sister of Roberts married Mr Davenport of Davenport, Marie married to Mr Morrice.
8. Walthron Clapham married daughter of Tempest & had issue Alborn 1134. Richard a 2nd son married Sir Arthur Meningis daughter of Cornishowe. Rafe Clapham married the daughter of the Baron of Stripworth ecleaped Barbara.
9. Alborn Clapham married daughter of Plumpton near Knasbury & had issue John & Thomas by ye daughter of Tunstall Esquire 1190. John son & heir died s.p. he rose in arms against the King in the Barons wars & was attainted & lost the Barony of Dent and Sedberge.
10. Thomas, Heir to his Brother John Clapham married the daughter & Heir of Sir John Butler Kt. on whose right he was Lord of Lundesdalex 1194 & had issue Sir John.
x Lonsdale according to Mr Clapham's pedigree.
11. Sir John Clapham Kt. married the daughter & Heir of Sir John SuttonA in whose right he was Lord of Kittsmore, he had issue Arthur 1220.
A Sir John Sturton per Mr Clapham's pedigree.
12. Arthur Clapham Esq. Lord of Clapham, Lund & Lundsdale married 1251 the daughter & Heir of Sir Ralf Osburn Kt. & had issue Robert.
13. Robert (living 2 Edward 1st) [1273-4] was a Kt. married the daughter of John Harrington of Hornby Com. Lincoln Esq. & had issue Arthur 1290.
14. Arthur Lord of Clapham, Lund & Kitsmore & Sitterborne was living in 33 of Edward 3rd [1359-60] & married the daughter & heir of Sir John Dranfield Kt. (he died 47 of Edward 3rd) [1373-4] & had issue Edmund, John & Robert. John 2nd son married the daughter of Mr Hescopp Com. Lancas. Robert married Mary daughter of Robert Townley of Townley from this Robert are descended the Claphams of Scotland, this Arthur in ye time of Richard 2nd lost all his estates for rising with the Barons against ye King.
15. Sir Edmund Clapham married 1327, the daughter of Sir William Redman of Harwood Castle, he died 17 Richard 2 [1393-4] & had issue Thomas.
16. Thomas Clapham of Clapham married & had issue Thomas 1400, his wife was Elizabeth daughter & heir of Mr William Moore in whose right they were Lords of Bethmysley, he died 1 H.5 [1413-14] she was heir of Sir Peter Mauliverer of Beamsley ...
17. Thomas Clapham of Bethmysley 2nd son married Margaret the daughter of William Caverley of Caverley Esq...." (N.B. The marriage covenant was dated 21 Sept. 1442).
Dade's pedigree continues until the 26th generation. Except some differences it corresponds closely with that prepared by T. D. Clapham of Epsom.