I am submitting this to the list in hopes that it might reach someone who has heard a similar tradition. We are of the Nebraska branch of the Sapp family. I have also submitted this to Robert F. Sapp to add to his website if he thinks it would be of help. BTW for those of you who have not found this great site, you should look. It is: http://members.aol.com/sapps/genpg/index.html I obtained this story from my cousin Craig Svaboda of Manito, Illinois, with permission to pass it to you on the internet. I hope it will perhaps bring out other traditions or furnish a lead to the origin of the Sapp family. Our relationship to John Sapp (1640)* is through the line of George W. Sapp b 1840 in Portage Co., OH and who moved to Brownsville, Nemaha, NE and then to Techumseh, Johnson, NE> Isaac Sapp b 1809 Cumberland, Allegany, MD> John Sapp b abt 1786 Cumberland, Allegany, MD> Henry Sapp b abt 1766 of Allegany Co. MD> George Sapp b abt 1705 of Kent Co. Delaware> John Sapp b abt 1675 of Allegany Co, MD> John Sapp b abt 1640 of Allegany Co, MD* The following is the story told to Dr. Svaboda by his grandfather, Walter R. Sapp of Techumsech, NE : " "My grandfather (Walter R. Sapp) and his brothers related a story to me of our origins several years ago which stated that the Sapp family originated in England but that following the development of religious intolerance to their beliefs, the family moved to the Netherlands to pursue their long-standing trade as carpenters. According to this story, the family lived in Holland for several years and accumulated a sum of money from the development of a unique wood milling apparatus. The head of the family reportedly became upset that their children were growing up as Dutch speaking and thinking peorple and forsaking their native culture and so made the decision to sell out and move to America by way of England. According to Walter, the family that moved to America at that time consisted primarily of 3 brothers who used their pooled moneys to purchase a shipload of fine woods and sold these in America to obtain their initial grubstake which they then used to buy land and establish themselves. Also, according to my grandfather (Walter R. Sapp), the original Sapps were reported to have found work building the early plantation homes of the old South." I hope that his is of help to someone. If it furnishes any leads, I hope that someone will let me know. Marge Mickelson Sapp IRPotter@aol.com PO Box 303 Laramie, WY