John McCleave (1778 - 1846)

Born 21 Sep 1778 in Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Died 23 Nov 1846 at age 68 in Lawrence, Illinois, United States

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Biography

John was born in Maryland in 1778, the son of George Mccleave. He was married to Mary Benefiel. John passed away in Illinois in 1846^[1] and is buried in Lawrence County, Illinois.^[2]

His Father, George was born in 1751 in Armagh, Ireland. He married Johannah Notter on 2/27/1772 in Old Swedes Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died in 1824 in Harmony, Clark, Ohio. He was employed as a in Shoemaker, a trade he learned in Piladelphia.

George was a soldier in Revolutionary War. He was buried in Columbia St. Cemetery, Springfield, Clark County, Ohio. He was buried in Columbia Street Graveyard in Springfield, Ohio and later remains moved to Ferncliff Cemetery.

The McCleaves:

The following facts relating to the McCleave family are taken from Early Settlers and Early Times. By Samuel S. Miller, 1887:

"George McCleave, moved with his family from Maryland to Colerain, Ohio, on the Big Miami River, about 1790. He was tall and of good personal appearance; a shoe-maker by trade, which he learned in Philadelphia and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, participating in one of the greatest battles. He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Reddish, east of Springfield, Ohio and was buried in the Old Graveyard on Columbia Street in Springfield, Ohio in the year 1824.

From the information at hand, George McCleave had four children:

1) John 1778 - 1846

• Married Mary Bemneld, daughter of Col. John Bemfield, and had eight children, three of whom, George, Lucinda and Robert, were living in Lawrence County, Illinois, in 1887.

2) Elizabeth 1780 - 1849

• Married Samuel Smith and had thirteen children, named in genealogy, Benjamin (No record of marriage obtained). Mary, married Nathan Reddish. Early home near Springfield, Ohio. (No record of children).

3 & 4) The McCleave brothers, John and Benjamin, moved from their Ohio home on the Big Miami River to the southern part of the state of Illinois and occupied prominent positions in that locality.

The following account respecting their early life was furnished by George McCleave, the grandson of the elder, living (1887) near Lawrenceville, Illinois.

At one time when his father (John McCleave) was out hunting near Colerain, Ohio, a ball from an Indian's rifle cut a lock of hair from his temple. In his business of keel boating he had many adventures with the Indians on the Big Miami and Ohio Rivers.

About the year 1803, John moved from Colerain to Indiana to a place called Dry Forks of White Warer, from which place he removed to Illinois Territory in 1814. Locating in what is now Lawrence County. The Indians became so hostile that he had to move his family to Fort Allison, a few miles above Vincennes, Indiana. In 1815, after peace was made, the Indians came to that point by the thousands, and the McCleave boys had a big job ferrying them over the river to Vincennes where they had been sent to meet the government Indian Agent, Mr. Whitlock.

In 1817, John McCIeave's house, near the present location of Sullivan, Indiana, was burned down with its contents. He and his wife being away at the time visiting some Ohio friends at the home of his wife's father. It was about midnight when the parents saw the flames and they were in great suspense for the fate of their children who had been left at home. But on arrival they found them all safe standing out in the snow. Having lost house and contents this family moved into Illinois Territory again and settled in a sugar camp at the head waters of the Embarrass River. In 1824, they built a large log house which was still standing and occupied in 1887.

In 1819, Benjamin McCleave, John's brother, moved from Ohio to Illinois, and the father, George McCleave then advanced in years, went with him. After staying there about two years, working at his trade of shoemaking, the old gentleman became dissatisfied and decided to return to Ohio.

His grandson, in a letter written to the writer's brother, Samuel S. Miller, in the year 1887 (now in my possession) thus speaks of his departure: I remember him well; his sons, John and Benjamin, procured a horse, saddle and bridle for him and he rode through to Ohio by himself. I remember well seeing the old man start out on that long, lonesome journey, for there were then but few settlers between here and Ohio. I loved the old man dearly, for, being his namesake, he made a good deal of me and it made my young heart ache to see him leave us.

On his departure he gave his six-foot gun and powder horn to this grandson. He safely reached his destination (Clark County, Ohio), where he spent his last days at the homes of his daughters, Elizabeth (McCleave) Smith, near Donnelsville, and Mary (McCleave) Reddish, near Springfield. Descendants of the McCleave brothers, John and Benjamin, now (1921) live in Lawrence County, Illinois.

Sources

1. ↑ Stout, Evelyn Benefiel. "The Benefiel Families of Indiana and Their Descendants". Self-published, 1983. By Evelyn B. Stout, R.R. 1, Box 92, Cherokee, OK, 73728. Pages 86 - 87.
2. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 23 January 2020), memorial page for John McCleave (21 Sep 1778–1846), no grave photo, Find A Grave: Memorial #60634216, citing McCleave Cemetery, Lawrence County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by BjJ (contributor 46902476) .

• John is buried at the McCleave Cemetery in Lawrence County, Illinois, USA. His page lists and has links to 3 children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60634216/john-mccleave#add-to-vc

• John: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZS3-ZGL Lists his parents, 5 siblings, spouse, 11 children, 2 sources/notes.

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHB8-YN6 : 15 August 2017), Jno Mccleave, Lawrence, Illinois, United States; citing p. 177, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 63; FHL microfilm 7,643.

• Features John McCleave, page 373 - 374: https://archive.org/details/jstor-40187017/page/n7/mode/2up?view=theater