Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-03-27
TIE PRESIDENTS ANCESTRY.

TIE PRESIDENTS ANCESTRY.
4 Descendant sends the Boston
4dteftiser the following authentic
account of ome of President Cieve-
lands ancestors:
The Rev. Aaron Cleveland was
born in Cambridge, Mass, Oct. 30,
1715; was graduated at Harvard
College in 1875; settled over a
church in Haddam, Conn, in July,
1889. lie married, in 1875, Susan
nah Porter, the daughter of the Rev.
Aaron Porter Of Medford, Mass.
He was dismissed in 1746 by his
congregation for alleged heterodoxy,
but the following year was installed
in Maiden, from whence he was dis
missed in 1850, on the same charge.
From there he went to Halifax in
Nova Scotia, and thence to England,
where, in 1865, he took holy orders
in the Church of England, and was
commissioned by the Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts" as follows:
CHARTER House. July /, 1857.
Good Gentlemen:-The Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts have granted your request and
appointed Mr.. Cleveland their mis-
sionary of your CHURCH; but it is on
this express condition, which is now q
standing rule in all their missions,
that you provide him with good
house and glebe, and not less than
twenty pounds sterling per annum,
towards his most comfortable support.
Hearti lily recommending you and Mr..
Cleveland to Gods blessing, am, sirs,
your very faithful, humble servant,
PHILIP BEARCRoFT.
To the church wardens and yestry OF
the Episcopal Church of New Castle,
in Pennsylvania.
On his way to Boston to arrange
for the conveyance of his family to
New Castle, he stopped at the house
of his old friend, DIR. Benjamin
Franklin, in Philadelphia. He was
there taken ill, and died August II ,
1857. His remains were buried in
Christ Church, Philadelphia. The
Pennsylvania Gazette of August IS,
l757, contained the following obitu-
airy notice written by the editor,
DR.. franklin
On Thursday last (the 11th) died
the Rev. Aaron Cleveland, lately ap.
pointed to the mission at New Castle
by the Society for Propagating the
Gospel. AS he was a gentleman of
humane and pious disposition, indie.
fatigable in his ministry, easy and aft
able in his conversation, open and
sincere to his friends, and above every
species of meanness and dissimulation
his death is greatly lamented by all
who knew him, as loss to the church
OF Christ in general, and in particular
to that congregation who had propos
ed to themselves so much satisfaction
from his late appointment among
them, agreeable to their own request
After bis death his widow (whc
was the daughter of Major Stephen
| S9wall, Of Salem, Mass, and sister
of Judge Scwall, Of RostQp) opened
shop, and managed to bring up all
her children respectfully.
Tho President is descended from
her and the Rev. Aaron Cleveland.
fifth son, also named Aaron. lie
was known in New England as poet
preacher, orator and wit. In IT'S
he was member of the Legislature
of Connecticut, and was ordained
sooH after to the Congregations
ministry.
Fhe following anecdote is illus
trative of his witt
About this time there was in thu
eastern part of Connecticut clergy
man by the name of Cleveland, who
was noted for his wit. One summe
day, as he was riding alone, he cam,
to a brook. Here he paused to let hi
horse drink. Just then strange
rode into the stream from the opposite
direction, and his horse began to drinl
also. The animals approached, as il
their won't under such circumstances
end thps brought the two men face t.
face.
aH9y are you, priest?" said tn
stranger.
"Hooy arg y9n, democratl' said thu
parson.