Claypool (Claypole), Norton

  General Notes:

OF Sussex County, Delaware
With Norton Claypoole we arrive at the first Americ an colonist
in tracing the direct line of descent. Norton was c. on Oct. 16,
1640 in London, England to Sir John Claypoole and Mary Angell.
He married Rach el about 1670 and arrived in America on the ship
"Bachelor's Delight" via Barb ados on Feb. 22, 1678. His wife
Rachel joined him coming from London in 1681. Norton had spent
three years while in transit with his brother Edward in
Barb ados. Norton and Rachel had six children: John in London in
1672 who died youn g; James 1673 in London; Mary 1682 in Lewes;
Robert in 1683; Jeremiah in 1685; and Elizabeth in 1687. James
Claypoole, older brother of Norton, was a Quaker and close
associate of William Penn and arrived in the American colonies
abo ut four years after Norton. A number of letters exist between
the two brothers in Delaware and London before James's arrival
in Philadelphia. The descendent s of James Claypoole include
Betsy Ross and Alfred Vanderbilt. The Plantagenet ancestry,
largely unkown to the descendents of Norton Claypoole, was well
kno wn to the descendents of James Claypoole in the 19th century.
Norton Claypoole owned 2000 acres in Delaware and was elected to
the State Legislature in 1686 . Norton died at Lewes on May 15th,
1688. Rachel remarried Nehemiah Fields and died Jan. 24, 1718.
As no record of their marriage in 1670 is found, Rachel's maiden
name is not known. In researching this area, I have a theory
that she may have been a Rachel Joyce born in London to Robert
and Rachel Joyce. To da te I have not found any conclusive proof
of Rachel's maiden name. With this ge neration, we end the
American portion of the direct line of descent and contin ue the
remaining generations in England.
Source: Bruce N. Morrison --
http://community-2.webtv.net/BBmorrison/PlantagenetAncestry/

Norton left London for Barbados and then to Delaware with money loaned by brother James (the Quaker leader). This part of James' hope to establish additional sugar operations as brother David had done in Barbados. He left (in 1672?), settling in now Sussex county Delaware. James housed Rachel until she finally left (perhaps on the ship Elizabeth & Mary), landed at Perth Amboy, with their son James, and was collected by Norton. They had another son Jeremiah and daughter Elizabeth. After Norton died she married Nehemiah Field. James' letterbooks do not mention Rachel's family name.
Source:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?norton,rachel::claypool::629.html
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²

Norton married Rachel Scott about 1670.

  Marriage Notes:

Alternate Date 1663 (Obtained from LDS Website --Pin #97401