Richard Falley Cleveland

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Richard Falley Cleveland (June 19, 1804 – October 1, 1853) was an American Congregationalist and Presbyterian minister. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut, the son of Margaret (née Falley) and William Cleveland, a watchmaker. His maternal grandfather, Richard Falley Jr., fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. At birth his parents hoped he would become a minister. He studied at Yale College, graduating summa cum laude in 1824, then worked as a teacher in Baltimore while continuing his theological studies, including a brief stint at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Cleveland was ordained on October 18, 1829. He served as pastor in several communities: Windham, Connecticut; Portsmouth, Virginia; Caldwell, New Jersey; and Fayetteville, New York, where he helped grow the church. In 1850 he became district secretary for the American Home Missionary Society, a job that required extensive travel and worsened a gastric ulcer. He finished his ministry with a brief appointment in Holland Patent, New York, where he preached one sermon before his death in 1853 at the age of 49.

He married Ann Neal on September 10, 1829, and together they had nine children, including Grover Cleveland, who would become the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, and Rose. Cleveland lived a frugal, devout life, keeping strict Sabbath observance and focusing on his family. After his death, Grover spoke warmly of his father’s godliness and devotion, and later named one of his sons Richard Folsom Cleveland after him. Rose served as First Lady briefly at the start of Grover’s presidency before his marriage to Frances Folsom.