General Notes

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Genealogy Of The Cleveland Family By E J Cleveland; P 2054
Alexander Cleveland , the ancestor of the Clevelands of Virginia origi
n, w as born, evidently in England, probably prior to 1620, and may have r
emain ed in England, but it is generally believed by his descend- ants th
at he c ame to America, and settled in or near Prince William Co. Virgini
a; the re is no record of his death, nor of his marriage; the name of h
is wi fe is unknown.  Had at least one child: Alexander Cleveland, born pr
obab ly about the year 1659, either in England, or, perhaps in Virginia. A
lexan der Cleveland lived in England, locality not discovered.
Concerning him no authentic record is found, and it is not definitely a
sc ertained which of the two was the immigrant ancestor from Englan
d, he or h is son Alexander; or whether they both came in company.  The ea
rly shippi ng lists or lists of emigrants to American ports do not menti
on the nam es of any Clevelands. It may prove that he was the Mr. Clevela
nd of Loughb oro, county Leicester, England, stated to have accompanied, p
rior to 162 9, the Skipworths of Cotes, and Henry Herrick, 5th son of S
ir William Herr ick of Beau Manor Park, Loughboro parish, from Engla
nd to Virginia as alre ady narrated in this Genealogy (See account of Mos
es Cleveland of Wobun r, Mass., p. 24-25).  If this was Alexander Clevelan
d, he evidently remain ed in Virginia while Henry Herrick journeyed to Sal
em, Mass., and was lat er a founder of the first church in Salem 1629.  Th
ere are Clevelands in V irginia from old times. So closely do the Southe
rn Clevelands in feature r esemble the New England Clevelands that they ha
ve been mistaken to be ne ar relatives of each other, and it is not unreas
onable to conjecture th at Moses Cleveland and Alexander Cleveland were br
others, or of at least n ear kinship.
Oliver Cleveland of Spring Valley, Albemarle Co., Va., in a lett
er to Ho n. Jesse Franklin Cleveland, May 10, 1893 said: "My father and Gr
andfath er were both names Alexander Cleveland.  My grandfather liv
ed to be 111 ye ars old, and my grandmother to be 103 years old.  My grand
father was an En glishman by birth" The descendants of Alexander Clevela
nd have taken a mo st important part in the history of our Great Republi
c. Genealogy of Cleve land Family by E J Cleveland; p 2054-2055