Individual Notes

Note for: Thomas Chittenden, 6 JAN 1729/30 - 25 AUG 1797 Index

Occupation:
     Date:   BET 1791 AND 1797
     Place:   First Governor of Vermont

Burial:
     Place:   Old Williston (Thomas Chittenden) Cemetery, Williston, Vermont

Individual Note:
     Thomas Chittenden (1730-1797) — of Vermont. Born January 6, 1730. Father-in-law of Matthew Lyon and Jonas Galusha; father of Martin Chittenden. Governor of Vermont, 1778-89, 1790-97; died in office 1797. Died August 25, 1797. Interment at Old Cemetery, Williston, Vt. Chittenden County, Vt. is named for him.

Vermont Governor Thomas Chittenden

Born: January 6, 1730
Died: August 25, 1797
Birth State: Connecticut
Family: Married Elizabeth Meigs; ten children

Periods in Office: From: March 13, 1778
     To: October 13, 1789
     From: October 20, 1790
     To: August 25, 1797

Relation to Another Governor:
Father of Vermont Gov. Martin Chittenden

Military Service: Army

THOMAS CHITTENDEN was born in East Guilford (now Madison), Connecticut. He became a Justice of the Peace in Salisbury, Connecticut and served as a member of the Colonial Assembly from 1765 to 1769. He rose to the rank of Colonel in Connecticut's 14th Regiment, in which he served from 1767 to 1773. In 1774 he moved to the New Hampshire Grants (now Vermont), engaging in land speculation. And in 1776, he was a member of a convention that considered independence. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and in July 1777 was a delegate to the convention that framed the Vermont Constitution. He was then chosen president of the Vermont Council of Safety and was elected governor in 1778. With the exception of 1789, he went on to be reelected annually by popular vote until his retirement due to ill health. Consequently, he was the first to be chief executive when Vermont achieved statehood in 1791. Chittenden's gubernatorial administration was marked by his efforts to protect Vermont's independence from New York and New Hampshire and to establish a state government where none had existed.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. 8. New York: James T. White & Company.

Individual Notes

Note for: Elizabeth Meigs, 17 OCT 1731 - 17 OCT 1817 Index

Burial:
Place: Old Williston (Thomas Chittenden) Cemetery, Williston, Vermont

Individual Notes

Note for: William Chittenden, MAR 1593/94 - 1 FEB 1660/61 Index

Immigration:
     Date:   ABT 10 JUL 1639
     Place:   New Haven, Connecticut

Individual Note:
     William Chittenden:
Came from the parish of Cranbrook, Kent, thirty-five miles southeast of London, bapt. March 1594, in the parish of Marden: died February, 1660-61, at Guilford, Connecticut: son of Robert Chittenden of Kent, England: was one of the twenty-five signers on 1st June 1639, of the covenant subscribed to by the company who sailed from England to America, 20th May 1639, in a ship of 350 tons and arrived in New Haven, about 10th July: the deed of purchase for their settlement Guilford, from Shaumpishuh, the sachem squaw of Menunkatuck is dated 20th September 1639: was one of the four, Robert Kitchell, William Chittenden, John Bishop and William Leete who received according to the record “full power and authority to act, order and dispatch all matters respecting the public weale and civile government of the plantation, until a church is gathered amonge us,” on the gathering of the church 19th June 1643, these four magistrates resigned their trust: William Chittenden was the principle military man and magistrate of the plantation, bearing title of Lieutenant, and a man of much ability, influence and importance in the Colony: he had been a soldier in the Thirty Years War in the Netherlands, and had reached the rank of Major: married while in England, Joanna Sheaffe, daughter of Dr. Edmund and Joanna Sheaffe of Cranbrook, Kent, England, she married (2d) Abraham Cruttenden of Guilford. (From “Chittenden Family History,” by Dr. Alvan Talcott)

William Chittenden, Major: 1593-1660,


    Guilford, Conn. In 1643 elected principle military man of New Haven, Colony. Magistrate of the Plantation. Deputy. 1643, et seq. Segt., 1648, Kieut. 1653 (Whittemore, Pg. 87) “William Chittenden of Guilford, Conn., came from East Guilford, in County Sussex, adjourning Rye, on the British channel, near the border of Kent, with wife Joan, daughter of Dr. Jacob Sheaffe, of Cranbrook in Kent, and sister of Jacob Sheaffe, and of the wife of Rev. Henry Whitfield, with whom they cam to Boston, 1638. He soon went to New Haven, was the founder of the church at Guilford, Conn., 1st Jun 1639, and trustee of the land purchased from the Indians for the settlement. He had been a soldier in the Netherlands and reached the rank of Major. Here he was made Lieutenant of the force of New Haven Colony, and a Magistrate for the rest of his days. He was a representative to the General Court for 27 sessions between 1643 and 1661, and died in February of that year. His children were Thomas, Nathaniel, John, Joanna, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph and Hannah (twins) and Deborah.”

(Chittenden Watson notes) “Baptized Mar 1594, Cranbrook, Kent,England, died Feb 1661, Guilford, Conn. Married Joanna Sheaffe, born 1613, Cranbrook, Kent, England, died 16th Aug 1668, Guilford, Conn, daughter of Rev. Edmund Sheaffe and Joan Jordan. William came from East Guilford in County Sussex, adjoining Rye on the British Channel near the border of Kent, or perhaps from Kent, with his wife a sister of Jacob Sheaffe, and of the wife of Rev. Henry Whitfield: and in 1639, he and his brothers-in-law took up their residence at Guilford. He was one of the founders of the church there on 1st Jun 1639. He was a representative at 27 sessions of court between 1643 and 1661, and a magistrate until his death. He was one of the six persons selected to purchase the lands in Guilford from the Indians, also one of four who received “full power and authority to act, order and dispatch all matters respecting the publick weal and civile government of the plantation until a church is gathered amonge us”. He was the principle man in the plantation. He had been a soldier in the English army in the Netherlands in the Thirty Year’s War and had reached the rank of Major. Here he was made lieutenant of the force of New Haven Colony. Joanna married (2) 31st May 1665, as his second wife, Abraham Crutenden of Guilford, Conn. died Jan 1683 (ref Talcott, pg 167, 260: Flagg, pg 295, 341: Savage. Vol 1, pg 382: Torrey, pg 151).

Individual Notes

Note for: Joanna Sheafe, 1613 - 16 AUG 1668 Index

Immigration:
     Date:   ABT 10 JUL 1639
     Place:   New Haven, Connecticut

Individual Notes

Note for: George "Sanford" Clow, SEP 1836 - 1905 Index

Burial:
     Place:   Virden Cemetery, Macoupin Co., Illinois

Individual Note:
     The 1900 Federal Census lists Sanford Clow, 63 (b. Sept 1836) and his family living in Virden Twp., MacOupin Co., Illinois. Living with him are his wife, Elizabeth, 63 (Aug 1836); son, Edward, 26 b. Apr 1874; daughter, Lulu Pittman, 25, b. Mar 1875; granddaughter, Leotta, 1 yr. b. Dec 1899; grandson, Alva P. Pittman, 3 months, b. Mar 1900.

Individual Notes

Note for: Elizabeth Jane Byers, 6 AUG 1835 - 24 APR 1916 Index

Burial:
Place: Virden Cemetery, Macoupin Co., Illinois

Individual Notes

Note for: Joshua Clough, MAR 1775 - 1826 Index

Alias: Joshua /Clow/

Individual Note:
Joshua Clough and Sarah Walker Clough
now spelled Clow…in Ohio

After Chaney Clough was hung, the story goes, our family line left the Delaware area, changed the spelling of the name to Clow and his son Joshua, that’s our grandfather, moved to Ohio. We have a marriage certificate of Joshua and Sarah Walker being married in Kent Co. Delaware, Oct 2, 1794 but can’t explain how Joshua’s son Edward, our grandfather, was born 1794 in Virginia, the same year and in a different state. Wrong date somewhere...

Joshua Clow, with a new name and a new place, died in Harrison County Ohio.

Individual Notes

Note for: Cheney Clow, 1734 - 1788 Index

Alias:   Cheney /Clough/

Religion:
     Place:   Methodist

Individual Note:
     Cheney was a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War.
Lived in Kent Co., Delaware
Death: by Hanging

Cheney Clough and Elizabeth Clow…
The son on Nathaniel and Susannah Clough
in Maryland

The story about our 6th Great Grandfather Cheney Clough begans with the Revolutionary War. Cheney Clough, son of Nathaniel Clow of Queen Ann County Maryland, made a big mistake that would eventually cost him his life. He chose to fight for the King instead of the colonist.

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War about a third of the colonist had no desire for independence from England but in Kent County Delaware, where Cheney Clough was living, the Loyalist were greatly outnumbered. Cheney choosing to support the King of England, having been a British Officer earlier, he now found himself a Tory. As the war progressed the Tories constantly created terror by raiding and plundering the colonist, supplies to the British, robbed the mails, plotted against the life of Washington, and generally became very disliked by their neighbors.

During the War, in 1778, the colonist past a law requiring all male citizens over the age of 21 to take an "Oath of Allegiance." A Tory would be pardoned if the Oath was given, if not he would suffer the confiscation of all his land and possessions. When it became time for Cheney's Oath he refused. He also refused to pay taxes to Delaware claming he was living in Maryland. His farm was on both sides of the state line but the house sat in Delaware. One morning, April 18, 1778, the Sheriff of Kent County, John Clayton, went out to arrest Cheney Clough. This attempt erupted into a gun battle and one of the Sheriff's men, named Moore, was killed.

When the battle was over Cheney Clough wife, our Grandmother who was helping him load rifles, was wounded and Cheney was arrested and taken to jail. This action 200 years later would be known as “The Cheney Clough Rebellion.”

At this point the townspeople wanted his head, they wanted blood, they wanted him charged, and executed for treason. For four years he sat in prison. On December 12, 1782 Cheney Clow was brought to trail, was found not guilty of treason but authorities kept him in prison. It seemed that Cheney hadn't taken the Oath and therefore could not be charged with treason. Keeping him in prison, they charged him with burglary and murder, later the burglary charge was dropped for the lack of evidence but he had to stand trail on the murder charge.

At the trial, even with testimony from the Sheriff, that the man shot at the time of the arrest was shot in the back, and not from Cheney’s gun, but probably from one of the Sheriff’s own men behind Moore. This did not sway the jury. The jury found him guilty and sentenced him to be hanged by the neck until dead.

It now fell on the governor to set the time and place for the execution. The Governor wishing he could pardon Clough but did nothing, in fact he did nothing for six years. A new Governor came into office. More petitions for pardon was filled by the family but still to no avail, Cheney's wife and children finally gave up their long fight.

In 1788 a final letter from Cheney Clough, having been in close confinement for 10 years, the letter addressed to the new Governor requested that a pardon be granted at once or that a warrant be issued without delay for his execution. The pardon was not granted and Cheney Clough "went bravely to his death, singing a hymn as he walked to the scaffold." The war was long over and ideas were changing, but all too late for Cheney Clough. Everyone agreed that Cheney Clow had fallen victim to the ill-judged violence of party feelings.

No date was ever recorded for the execution, Cheney had no will, and there is no record of the disposition of his estate. After they hanged Cheney Clough the family took his body and buried it in a secret place. Many think the grave was near the house but unmarked.

In January 1790 the eldest daughter, Arrana, petitioned the State of Delaware to settle the estate of Cheney Clow and to distribute such among his heirs. The petition was "ordered to lie on the table" and on the table it remained...

From the State of Delaware - an historical marker has been erected near the intersection of Routes 300 and Route 44 at Everett's Corner near Smyrna, Kent County.
CHENEY CLOW’S REBELLION

During the American Revolution many Delawareans remained loyal to the British Crown. In 1778 a group of Loyalists under the leadership of local resident Cheney Clow constructed a fort near this location. Concerned that they would march on Dover, a detachment of Delaware militia commanded by Lt. Col. Charles Pope was sent to investigate. Arriving on April 14, the party exchanged fire with the fort’s occupants. Returning two days later with reinforcements, Pope found the post abandoned and destroyed it. Clow was arrested in 1782 following a gunfight in which a man was killed. Charged with murder, Cheney Clow was executed in 1788.

Individual Notes

Note for: Nathaniel Clough, 1710 - 1748 Index

Individual Note:
Nathaniel Clough and Susannah Clough…
in Queen Annes County, Maryland

Our oldest known Clow family members are Nathaniel Clough and his wife Susannah. They lived in Queen Annes County, Maryland, owned their own farm of unknown acres but was said to have been considerable. Land recorded in 1744, 50 acres was named “Clough’s Hope.” In 1747 another 50 acres was recorded and it was called “Boon’s Hope.” Boon’s Hope cost Nathaniel and Susannah 2,100 pounds of tobacco, which was a common practice in the early colonies, paying for items with tobacco off your own land.

Nathaniel Clough died in 1748, his estate papers and will are filled in the courthouse in Annapolis. He wanted his estate divided equally among his wife and children. The children were John born 1732, Mary born 1733, Cheney born 1734 this is our line, Susannah born 1737, Rachael born 1738, James born1740, Sarah born 1742, Rebecca born 1743 and Ann born 1749.

Susannah Clough, Nathaniel’s wife died before 1756 exact date is unknown.

Individual Notes

Note for: Dwight Thomas Pitman, ABT 1925 - 16 SEP 1944 Index

Religion:
     Place:   Catholic

Burial:
     Place:   Ft. McKinley, Manila, Phillipine Islands

Individual Note:
     Grave #: a 8 148
Purple Heart Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Additional Navy-Marine Corps Awards

Individual Notes

Note for: Leotta Pitman, DEC 1898 - Index

Alias: Leola /Pittman/