A small number of Sapp’s appear to have migrated from Kent Co., Delaware to Kentucky around 1800 and from there into the neighboring Missouri counties of Lincoln and Pike around 1820. Although we do know a little about these Sapp’s who ultimately settled in Boone Co., Missouri and Pike Co., Illinois, how they are related remains a mystery.
The Migration to Kentucky
The Sapp’s who immigrated appear to be in one or two generation. They were Jacob and Nathan (born around 1760), Matthew (born about 1765), Daniel (born about 1770-4), and Levi (born 1775).
Nathan and Jacob (and, perhaps, another brother) traveled in the 1790’s from Delaware to Washington Co., KY. Here they lived the balance of their lives and raised their families. In the 1800 census, Nathan and Jacob are listed along with Elias. Elias is shown again in 1810. He would have been born between 1765 and 1784. Also listed in that age range is James. It is possible that these men were sons of Nathan and/or Jacob. Born after 1784 were Benjamin, Theodorius, and John.
Matthew and Daniel (probably brothers) traveled in the 1790’s from Delaware to Bourbon Co., KY. Daniel is shown in both the 1800 and 1810 census, while Matthew is only shown in 1810 census living near Daniel. However, it is recorded on Ancestry that Matthew’s children after 1795 were born in Bourbon Co. In 1810, Daniel and his wife (name unknown) have a daughter in the 10-16 group, a son in the 10-16 group, and 3 sons in the ‘under 10’ group. I believe that William, born in 1796, is the oldest son. James, born in 1802, is another son. The daughter, if living, would probably have married in Bourbon Co., KY. It appears possible that other children may have been born after 1810, but it is not known.
Meanwhile, Levi marries Trana Williams in 1802 in Kent Co., DE. In 1814, Levi also moves his family to Bourbon Co., KY. Unfortunately, the 1820 census missed our Bourbon Co. Sapp’s, thereby cheating us of valuable information.
The Migration to eastern Missouri
In about 1820, Jacob’s son John (born about 1783/4) migrates from Washington Co., KY to Lincoln Co., MO. In 1821, John was listed as a taxpayer in Hurricane Township along with his sister’s husband George Turnbaugh. This, however, does not preclude other Sapp men from having been there also. Two mystery ladies in Lincoln Co were Millinda Sapp, who married Samuel Lapp on 27 July 1826, and Perlina Sapp, who married Elijah Calvin on 25 December 1828. Were these sisters to John or daughters to another brother of Jacob? There is another Lincoln Co., MO mystery—Matthew born there is in 1822; married Elizabeth Watts there on 19 October 1842. John is apparently not the father to Matthew as his wife would have been 55 years old at his birth. Further, they moved to Pike Co., IL in 1827 without young Matthew. Perhaps Benjamin and/or Theodorius also moved to Lincoln with John. They are not shown in the 1830 or 1840 census; however, the mystery father may have died and his wife remarried. Perhaps even Millinda Sapp was the widowed mother.
In 1823, according to Levi’s descendants, he moved from Bourbon Co., KY to Pike Co., MO (Pike is just north of Lincoln Co). I assume that the entire Bourbon Co., KY Sapp group—Matthew, Daniel and Levi--moved to Pike Co., MO together. Only Daniel’s two sons, William and James are still found in the 1830 census of Pike Co., MO. In the fall of 1830, William purchased nearly 160 acres in Pike Co, IL and soon moved there. James remained in Missouri for the balance of his life.
The Final Moves
By about 1825, Matthew and Levi and their families moved on from Pike Co., MO west to Boone Co., MO. This was probably accomplished by traveling back down the river to the Missouri River (which is north of St. Louis) and continuing west by boat to Boone Co.
In 1827, John and his sister Nancy Turnbaugh and their families moved across the river from Lincoln Co., MO to Pike Co., IL. In one of the Pike Co history books, it says that Absalom McLane help Turnbaugh build a log cabin. Many southern immigrates moved to MO, as it was a slave state while IL was a free state. In the period 1827-37, many of those who had settled in MO, moved east to IL, settling in the Bay Creek country adjacent to modern Pleasant Hill. Upon arriving in IL, John’s three children soon married. On 20 August 1827, Barbara married William White. On 1 May 1828, Cynthia married Absalom McLane (who had helped build the Turnbaugh cabin). On 7 June1832, young Jacob married Nancy Miller.
I believe that Daniel moved from Pike Co., MO to Pike Co., IL at the same time. In 1830 census, Daniel and his lady are living in Pleasant Hill Township, Pike Co., IL near John Sapp. This seems to be more circumstantial evidence that the Washington Co., KY Sapp’s and the Bourbon Co., KY Sapp’s are closely related.
Elijah and Perlina Sapp Calvin moved to Pike Co., IL after their Lincoln Co. marriage in Dec 1828. By about 1840, Elijah and his family moved on to Boone Co., MO where they spent the rest of their lives.
Biographies
JOHN SAPP, born March 1783 in Kent Co., DE, came to Pike Co., IL via Washington Co., KY and Lincoln Co., MO. His father was Jacob Sapp born 1760 and his mother was Amah Williams. Father Jacob and uncle Nathan Sapp migrated to Washington Co., KY. in the 1790’s where Jacob died 17 Sep 1826. John and his wife and George and Nancy Sapp Turnbaugh are listed in 1830 Washington Co., KY deed of Jacob Sapp.
Susan McMillan, John’s wife, was 16 years senior to him. They were probably married in Washington Co., KY and probably in 1804 when John reached 21. She may have been a widow. In the 1810 census, they are shown with two young children. These are presumably Cynthia, born 1805, and Jacob, born 1807. Their only other known child was Barbara, born 1810. By this time, Susan was approaching her mid-forties. It appears likely that these three were their only surviving children.
John was a grocer in Pleasant Hill. In 1830 and 1840, the John Sapp household is full of unexplained people. Perhaps some of their children lived with them. In 1850, there was a 33-year-old George Gregory and his two small children there. Also a twenty-year-old Elija (sp?) Tolbert lived with them. Tolbert is a recognized in-law name from an allied Sapp family. John Sapp died 7 Nov 1861. His lady died 17 Mar 1866. It is assumed that they are interred in the “old Jackie Sapp cemetery†atop the high bluff east of Stockland.
DANIEL SAPP, born between 1770 and 1774, in Kent Co., DE, came to Pike Co., IL via Bourbon Co., KY and Pike Co., MO. His father and mother have not been determined. Daniel and his lady are not shown on the 1840 census. On 19 March 1844, son William and his wife Sarah sold 25 acres of their land in Sec. 6 Twp 7 Range 4 to his brother-in-law, John O’Neal. It is described in the deed as running south for enough to take in Daniel Sapp improvements. My assumption is that neither Daniel nor his wife were living at this time, but had built a house on land that his son had purchased in 1830.
MATTHEW SAPP, born between 1765 and 1770, in Kent Co., DE, migrated to Boone Co., MO via Bourbon Co., KY and Pike Co., MO. He married Elizabeth (last name unknown) in about 1790 in Delaware. Their first child Noah was born before they migrated to Bourbon Co. This was between 1791 and 1795. Although he is only shown in the 1810 census, he remained there until 1823 as he signed permission for Polly Sapp to marry in 1823. That year, Matthew moved with his family probably via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Pike Co., MO. He did not remain there long, but continued on the Boone Co., MO. He obtained a land patent in 1825 in Boone, MO “Plat 10-Township 46 N.†He died before 1840.
LEVI SAPP, born 5 March 1775 in Hollandsville, Kent Co., Delaware, migrated Bourbon Co., KY where he joined with Matthew and Daniel. Levi’s lineage is known. He is the son of Ephraim (Henry Jr., Henry, John, John). He married Trana T. Williams on 11 January 1802 in Kent Co., DE. They moved to Bourbon Co., KY in 1814 and then on to Pike Co., MO in 1823. Apparently, they did not stay long, but moved on to Boone Co., MO by 1825. Levi and Trana spent the rest of their lives in Boone Co. Levi died in Oct. 1860 and is buried in New Salem Cemetery.
Theories on the Relationship of these Four Men
The Sapp’s of Kent Co., DE descend from John, b. 1640.
· John (b 1640) has three known sons
· Frederick (b 1668) had two sons, Charles and Joseph. They went to New York. Chas went on to NC. Joseph went on to VA.
· William (b 1670) is reported to have gone to New Orleans.
· John (b 1672) has three known sons
· John (b 1700) who married Rachel Brown. One son Isaac stayed in DE, one son William to GA
· George (b 1705) had five sons-George, John, Jacob, Frederick, and Henry. All stayed in DE or moved to Ohio
· Henry (b 1698, d 1743) listed five sons in his will
· James (b 1723, d 1795) who married Rachel
· Edward (b 1729)
· Benjamin (b 1730, d 1790) who married Dorothy. They moved to NC.
· John (b 1735, d 1782) who married Elizabeth.
· Henry Jr. (b 1721, m about 1740, d 1772) who married Sarah.
· Ephraim (b 1740, m1769, d 1807)
· Elijah (b 1775) stayed in DE.
· Levi (b1775) moved to KY, MO.
It appears that the Henry line is the one that moved to Kentucky early. Given that the Levi pedigree is known, you may conclude that Jacob, Nathan, Matthew and Daniel were grandsons or g-grandsons of Henry—and that they were probably sons or grandsons of James and John. Unfortunately, James and John died without wills. I believe that it is reasonable to assume that these brothers and cousins grew up together in Delaware and were young men before they traveled south and west to Kentucky and beyond.
Family Ties have linked these Sapp’s through the next generation.
Matthew’s daughter Eliza married Jesse Claypoole, Jr. in 1811 in Bourbon Co. Daniel’s son William married Hannah Doan who was the widow of Jesse’s brother Jonathon Claypoole. After the death of Hannah, William married Sarah Oneal. William’s oldest daughter married Sarah’s brother William Oneal (and they moved to Boone Co., MO). William’s second daughter Sarah married Lindsey Tolbert. Sarah’s sister Elizabeth Oneal married William Tolbert. William’s third daughter Elizabeth married William Browning. Sarah’s sister Martha Ann Oneal married John Browning. William and Sarah’s son Lindsey married Margaret Long. William and Sarah’s daughter Paulina married Jackson Long (and they moved to Boone Co., MO).
Naming protocol does not offer many clues beyond the obvious.
· John (Jacob) named his only son Jacob who named his two sons John and Jacob.
· Matthew (old) named his sons Noah, Peter, and John. Noah named his sons Matthew, William, and Newton. His son Matthew named his sons John, Noah and William.
· Daniel (old) named his known sons William Henry and James. William named his first sons Daniel D. (presumably Doane), William and John. The second son died early. He had a daughter named Henrietta. His son Daniel had four daughters. His son John named his sons Henry, William, John. Daniel’s (old) son James who stayed in Pike Co., MO named his sons Joseph, James, John, Perry, and Henry.
· Matthew Sapp, born 1822, moved from Lincoln County to Pike Co., IL after his married in 1842. Presumably he was closely related to John, son of Jacob. However, he appears to be closer to the William Sapp family. I had hoped for a name clue among his sons, but they are James, Daniel, John, and William.
