Three Cloward Sisters - All indentured after the Death of Their Father

 

Full YouTube Episode on Cloward Sisters

I just uploaded the video I made about three sisters, our Cloward cousins, who had to be indentured out after the death of their father, John Cloward. Him and Mary Mellon had only been married for thirteen years, when he passed away. They had a son according to the 1840 US Census, between 0 -10 years old. I have found nothing more on him. Their three daughters all had to be indentured, I'm supposing that Mary had no way to care for the girls. They were indentured out one by one. Mary Jane, their second daughter was indentured first at nine years old. Then Matilda followed the following year, also at nine years old. In 1832, Catherine Ann, the oldest at 13 was also indentured. Matilda ended up being indentured twice, and both times, her master passed away. The terms of their indentures; they were to be taught "The art, trade, and mystery of housewifery" Who came up with that mouthful? They were to receive some education, one was detailed enough to say that it would be one year, the others did not specify. At the end of their indentures, each said they would receive two suits of clothing "suitable to her condition" and one of them spelled out, that just one of the two outfits had to be new... that's it! Watch the video to find out what happened to Catherine Ann and Mary Jane. I'm still looking for elusive cousin Matilda. I have not found her in any census records. I searched the 1840 Census in Delaware for any women named Matilda. There were two; one came from an entirely African American family, and the other one, I found her marriage record, listing her maiden name, wasn't our Matilda. I will keep you posted when I figure anything else out. 

The Indenture Book Index

Mary Jane, the first to be indentured at nine years old

                                            Matilda's first indenture record also at nine years old

                             

                                                        Mary Jane's second indenture at 13

Catherine Anne's indenture at 13

Mary Jane's marriage record

Mary Jane with husband Francis, daughter Martha, and her sister, Catherine Ann is living with them at the time of the 1850 US Census in Philadelphia

Newspaper clipping for the death of Mary Jane, Philadelphia, just one year after this US Census

This newspaper clipping was for a newspaper in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was from

Death Record for Catherine Ann, just three years later, 1854, in Blockley Almshouse, Philadelphia 

More to Come and some YouTube Videos I Made

 I'm going to work on being better at updating this blog regularly. Also, I decided to start a YouTube channel not long ago. I have my intro video, and first episode up, that i will post links to here in case you are interested. I will be making videos of the Cloward family, the first one will be up hopefully this weekend or the first part of next week. It will be about the Thomas and Margaret Cloward family, who had to indenture at least one of their children, (that's all I've found so far, it seems unlikely to me that they would have only had to indenture one child...and he was eight years old! Then their son John passed away young, and his wife had to indenture three daughters, two at the age of 9 and one of them at 13! Those were tough times...I will post here as soon as that episode is live. This is the introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Xrv_GhoME  and this is the first episode about my Grandpa Palmer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbwgb25tqxU

I found this newspaper clipping on Alceus Day and his property from the coal mine and his home being sold in a sheriff's sale. It's heart breaking to read this. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45202964/

William Cloward, Indentured Servant?

William Cloward, Indentured Servant?
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2389520/william_cloward/#
Check this out! The Pennsylvania Gazette dated May 13, 1762,  tells of a William Cloward who had escaped his master, having been given the responsiblity of driving a wagon from Lancaster to Philadelphia and never returned. Could this be our William? Could he have headed to Maryland, become a landowner, and raised a family there? In those days indentured servants were sometimes treated poorer than slaves. Indentured servants were under contract to their master for 7 years and at the end of those 7 years, the master would relinquish ownership and give the indentured servant a parcel of land. So...if the indentured servant didn't survive, the master didn't need to give him anything. So this makes William's desire to escape and start a new life pretty plausible.
What do you think? Does anyone out there know otherwise?

UPDATE:I know it's been a while. Found out that this record does not mean that William was an indentured servant. I'm looking for documentation to tell more about this story. Will update as soon as I have more information. 

Grateful

I have been watching a DVD series that I purchased last week from Deseret Book entitled History of the Saints, Gathering to the West.  It tells the story of the "Mormon" pioneers (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) I have learned so much watching these DVD's and the stories that they share have more meaning for me knowing that our ancestors were a part of this time period. My interest in the Cloward family in particular is that my husband and I actually share this family line, DeeRay's great, great, great grandmother is Charlotte, Jacob and Ann Clowards second oldest child, and my great, great grandfather is Jacob and Ann's fifth child, Thomas Poulsen.  The Clowards joined the Mormon Church around 1842, my records show that Catherine Ann Pluck Cloward was baptized in June of 1842, Thomas was baptized on August 1, 1842,(a letter in his own handwriting that I have a copy of says he was baptized in 1844 by William A. Moor) and his sister Charlotte joined the church in June of 1843. Even though  I can't find a baptismal date for Jacob Cloward, their father, he obviously was baptized around this same time, as church records show he was sealed to his wife in the Endowment House in 1861.  I am assuming that they lived in Delaware at the time that they joined the church as they had their last few children in this area.  Jacob Cloward had a brother, Thomas, who lived in Wilmington, Cecil, Delaware at that time, and some of his descendents still live in that area.  I was able to contact them a few years ago and we had tried to coordinate meeting, but it didn't work out.  I'm hoping to make another trip out to that area and hopefully hook up with them.  According to Thomas Poulsen Cloward's own writing, his family came to Nauvoo in 1844. 

Kendall Children

This is the Kendall family. They are the great grandchildren of Thomas Cloward and Eliza Jane Cloward (b. DuShane). Thomas lived in Delaware, is the brother of Jacob Cloward, and the son of William Cloward.

These children's parents are Ruthella Moore Kendall (b. Day) and Rev. Oren Edwin Kendall (Baptist minister). Their grandparents are Ella Mary Day (b. Cloward) and Alceus Ballou Day and their great grandparents are Thomas Cloward and Eliza Jane Cloward (b. DuShane)

Kimberley also shared that "The Cloward family must have been close to the Day, Kendall and Rolleston families. As I mentioned, my grandmother's sister Ella was given the surname as her middle name "Ella Cloward Kendall". Ella was very proud of the fact that she was an honours graduate of Colombia University. (she was clever ! and her son was a judge in Canada, also clever !) Ella had 6 fingers and 6 toes (fully functional). This is a reoccurring birth defect with the Kendall line" 

Photo Collection of the Cloward Family

On Monday, Kimberley Walsh contacted me through this blog and shared that she had photos!! So these are photos that she has shared with us. These are part of the private collection of Kimberley Walsh, 4 x great granddaughter of Thomas Cloward and Eliza Jane DuShane Cloward. This Thomas Cloward would be a nephew to Jacob Cloward and cousin to Thomas Poulsen Cloward. Thank you so much Kimberley for sharing these photos with all of us!! 

Thomas and Eliza Jane DuShane Cloward
Thomas is the son of Thomas Cloward, Jacob Cloward's brother

Thomas and Eliza Jane with their children, William Henry, Ella Mary, and Emma

This was on the back of the photograph just above

Ella Mary Cloward, daughter of Thomas and Eliza Jane

Ella Mary Cloward

Alceus Day, Ella Mary's husband

Ella Mary Cloward

Inscription written on the back of the above photo by Ella Mary Cloward

Alceus Day, Kimberley shared with me that "Alceus Ballou Day founded the Red Cross although he did not get credit  as he was an alcoholic and his reputation was tarnished. Clara Barton got credit for starting the Red Cross. Alceus and Clara worked together"

The house that Ella Mary Cloward and her husband Alceus Day lived in while he worked as the manager of a mine.
The inscription on the back of the photo is just above

Ruthella Moore Day Kendall, wedding photo, daughter of Alceus and Ella Mary Cloward Day

Wedding Photo of Ruth Kendall Rolleston,
Kimberley's grandmother, granddaughter of Alceus and Ella Mary Cloward Day

Ruthella Moore Day Kendall, Alceus and Ella Mary's daughter

Kimberley is not sure who this man is, if anyone sees this and happens to know, please comment on the blog!

Unknown who these people are either, any help would be appreciated.

Same family it looks like with the parents included,
again, if you have any idea who these people are, let us know