Tuscola County MI Archives Biographies.....Cleaver, James W. 1832 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 5, 2007, 9:44 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

JAMES W. CLEAVER. One of the enterprising individuals of Almer Township, Tuscola
County is he of whom we write. He has not been exempt from the losses and
misfortunes of business life. He owned a gristmill in Caro, which was burned; it
had a capacity of one hundred barrels per day. He has also been largely
interested in lumber dealing. Mr. Cleaver was born in the township of Nelson,
Halton County, Ontario, July 15, 1847. He is a son of James and Jane (Watson)
Cleaver. Our subject's grandsire, David Cleaver, was of German extraction,
although a native of Northumberland County, Pa. He was largely interested in the
lumber business.

  Our subject's paternal grandmother was Charlotte Hughes in her maiden days;
she was born in Germany. She and her husband reared five children, all of whom
lived to a ripe old age—Rachel, Charlotte, Nancy, Mary and James. They were
Presbyterians m their religious belief. In 1811 they moved to Burlington,
Canada, and there resided until the decease of the head of the family. Our
subject's father was born in Pennsylvania, January 28, 1800. He became a farmer
and also had extensive lumber interests. He was well educated in Canada and was
a surveyor, receiving appointment as such from the Canadian Government. He drove
a team in the War of 1812. His decease occurred March 30, 1890 in Halton,
Canada. Our subject was reared under the religious teachings of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. His father was twice married, the first wife being Angeline
Demon, who bore seven children—Mary, George, Nancy, John, Rachel, Angelina and
Sarah. The original of our sketch is one of a family resulting from a second
marriage. His mother was Jane Watson and bore her husband eight children, whose
names are James W., William, Richard, Solomon, Charlotte, Thomas, Jenny and
Ellis. All the children received excellent educational advantages. John, Solomon
and Ellis graduated from the University of Canada. The two former are leading
ministers in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

  Our subject's mother was born in Devonshire, England; she was a daughter of
Richard and Hannah Watson, who came to America in 1836 and settled in Halton
County, Nelson Township. Her father was a merchant. Our subject was given a
common-school education and began life for himself at the age of twenty-two
years. In the summer of 1868 he came to Tuscola County and in the spring of 1869
moved his family hither and settled on section 3, Almer Township, which tract
his father gave him.

  Mr. Cleaver has cleared and improved two hundred and fifty acres of land. He
owns forty acres at Ellington and seventy acres near Caro, and aggregates in all
his possessions seven hundred and fifty acres. He is particularly interested in
raising stock of the finer grades. He breeds road and draft horses that find a
ready sale in home as well as metropolitan markets. He is a member of the
Farmers' Alliance in politics and has had but little disposition to ingratiate
himself with his party with the hope of receiving favors. He has, however,
served as Justice of the Peace.

  The original of our sketch was married February 10, 1870 to Miss Helen Black,
who is a native of Canada. She is a daughter of Hugh and Mary (Barnes) Black.
The former was a Highland Scotchman, a native of one of the Western Islands of
Scotland. He came to Canada in 1819. Hugh Black was a land surveyor. He reared a
family of nine children, of whom Mrs. Cleaver is one. He died January 19, 1854,
and his wife passed away October 27, 1875. Mrs. Cleaver was a teacher prior to
her marriage and in her work learned much of child nature that has been useful
to her as a mother. She has borne her husband six children, whose names are
Ellis, Colin, Leo, Scott, Myra and James. Our subject is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church while his wife is a Presbyterian. Mr. Cleaver is
highly respected and greatly liked in the community as is also his wife. His
father was a large landowner in Michigan, having at onetime six thousand acres.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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