Cleaveland (whaling family)

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The Cleavelands were a family of whalers from Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts, living from the 1600s to the 1800s. They were connected to many other local whaling families, like Mayhew, Athearn, Coffin, Look, Luce, and Pease.

The family name comes from Moses Cleaveland, born September 1, 1651, in Woburn, Massachusetts, and who died October 30, 1717, in Southold, New York. He was a soldier, mariner, and farmer. He fought in King Philip’s War (1675–1678). In April 1691, when Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, formed a militia company, he became second sergeant.

Moses Cleaveland is an ancestor of two famous people: General Moses Cleaveland, who helped plan the first layout of Cleveland, Ohio (the city was named after him), and Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

Other Cleavelands include:
- Ebenezer Cleaveland, born in 1708 in Edgartown and died September 10, 1794, on Nantucket. He was a whaling captain.
- Sylvanus Cleaveland, born February 25, 1775, in Tisbury, who died at sea on March 27, 1807, and was a whaling captain.
- Henry Cleaveland, born September 23, 1799, in Tisbury, who died September 8, 1878, in Tisbury. He captained the whaler Niantic, which brought many passengers to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush in 1849. Some Niantic artifacts are in the San Francisco Maritime Museum. Henry retired after this voyage.

James Cleaveland, Henry’s son, was the first mate on Niantic when she reached San Francisco. After Niantic was sold, he bought the smaller brig Mary Wilder. With a small Vineyard crew, he sailed from San Francisco, bringing lumber from the Columbia River and goods from China to meet San Francisco’s growing demand. He later returned to whaling.

During the Civil War, James avoided an encounter with the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. After many years of whaling, he turned to farming and served as selectman for Tisbury. He died in 1907 in West Tisbury, Massachusetts. His home is today known as The Cleaveland House.