Surname Saturday: Chapple

It’s Surname Saturday and this series is intended to give genealogy bloggers a chance to discuss a family surname by giving details about its origin, its geographical location(s), and how it fits into their family research.

ORIGIN

According to Ancestry.com, the meaning of Chappel/Chapple is,

English: variant spelling of Chappell. French: from a diminutive of Old French chape ‘hooded cloak’, ‘cape’, ‘hood’, or ‘hat’ (from Late Latin cappa, capa), hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of cloaks or hats, or a nickname for a habitual wearer of a distinctive cloak or hat.”Even though the surname may suggest that Chapels may have been makers of cloaks or hats, I believe ‘my’ ancestors were more of what the nickname suggest — habitual wearers of cloaks or hats — because majority of the Chapel immigrants who were living in the United States during the 1880’s, and my ancestors in particular, were farmers.

VARIANT SPELLING

One of the challenges I’ve had with my maternal family research has been with the various spelling of the surname (Chapple, Chappell, Chappel, Chapel) in birth, census, death, marriage, and social security records. But what I have observed is that the variations in the spelling actually occurred with my ancestors around the the turn of the 20th century. They seem to prefer to spell the surname with an “e” at the end, instead of with the 2 (l’s) or 1 (l) as so many of my ancestors’ did prior to the 20th century.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION(S)

In the 1840’s, majority of the Chapels that were living in the United States (25% – 47%) were located in New York and Connecticut. But by the 1920’s, the largest number of Chapels (27% – 51%) were located in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Texas. So when exactly did my Chapple ancestors arrive in Texas? I have no idea – LOL! Finding out how and when “my” Chappel ancestors arrived in Texas will be my main focus this summer. So stay tuned . . . there’s more fact-finding and information to come!

MY PEDIGREE

1. Me

2. John Taylor (1927-2010)

3. Carrie Chapple Taylor (1928-2019)

4. Willie Taylor (1909-1985)

5. Louise Newsome (1909-1975)
   6. Jopseh Chapple, born 2 June 1902 in Eagle Lake, Colorado, Texas, USA; died 23 August 1966 in Houston, Harris, Texas, USA. He is the son of #12 – Louis Chappel and #13 – Carrie Blanton. He married Estella Smith on 23 May 1921; then he married Ethel Abram Thompson on 19 Jan 1939.

7. Estella Smith, born about 1903 in Houston, Harris, Texas, USA; died 3 Jul 1930 in Houston, Harris, Texas, USA. She is the daughter of #14 – Richard Snith and #15 – Mary Joyce White.

Children of Joseph & Estella Smith Chapple are:
Dorthey J Chapple – b. Sep. 10, 1921 d. Nov. 13, 1921
Ella Louise Chapple Marshall – b. Sep. 18, 1923 d. Apr. 2, 1969
Joseph Lee Chapple – b. Dec. 26, 1924 d. Jul. 5, 1994
Estella Chapple Thomas – b. Aug. 24, 1926 d. Aug. 30, 1954
Josephine “Josie” Chapple – b. Jan. 11, 1927 d. Apr. 24, 1928
Living Chapple
Richard Mary Chapple – b. May 9, 1930 d. Jun. 3, 1930
Child of Estella Smith Chapple is:
Altha Mae Banks Sheffield Scott – b. Dec. 27, 1919 d. Sep. 5, 1987

1. Luke Taylor (1885-????)
2. Birdie Green (1889-1977)

3. Henry Newsom (1869-1952)

4. Olivia Moten (1891-1967)

5. Charles Lewis Chappel (1883-1952)

6. Carrie Blanton (1883-1944)

7. Richard Smith (1865-1925)

8. Mary Joyce White (1868-1920)

Are any of my pedigree ancestors in your family tree? Yes?! Then, let me hear from you because . . .
I’m claiming kin!

Source Citation:

1. Ancestry. (n.d.). Chappell Family History. Ancestry.com. Retrieved June 2, 2012, from http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=chappell

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