USA > Ohio > Harrison County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 88
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 88
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Sarah DeFrance, the great-grandmother of Mrs. Ella Black Clendening, was the daughter of John and Jane (Caldwell) DeFrance. The DeFrances in France were a titled family and this branch of the family were early settlers about Fort DuQuesne, near the present site of Pittsburgh. There is a family legend that at one time one of the DeFrances traded the land now occupied by Pittsburgh for a horse, saddle and bridle. John and Jane (Caldwell) De- France had issue as follows: Sarah, married John McCarty; John; Jane, married John De- France; Hugh; Allison, married Pattie Alender ; Rebecca, married Robert DeFrance.
The maternal great-grandfather of Mrs. Ella Clendening on her mother's side, was Wiliam Boyd (1794-1868). His father, John Boyd, came from Ireland about 1812, and settled in Freeport Township, Harrison County, Ohio, and entered the northeast quarter of section 25 under date of November 6, 1915. John Boyd died on this same farm in 1832, leaving two children, Samuel and William.
William Boyd (1794-1868), was born in Ire- land and came to America with his father. In 1823 he married Annie White, born in Ireland in 1802 and died at Freeport in 1879. During his early life William Boyd kept a store in Westchester, Tuscarawas County, but soon after his father's death he returned to the homestead farm and continued to live there until his death. Eleven children were born to their marriage, as follows: John (1824-1863), married Sarah, daughter of William and Mary (Moore) Fulton ; Hannah (1825-1905), married Dr. W. H. Will- iams; George (1827-1914), married Eliza Markee; Eliza (1829-1880), married William Fulton; Mary (1830-1856), married James Ful- ton; William (1832-1898), married Mary Phil- lips; Anna Boyd (1834-1857) ; Melancthon (1838-1862) ; Margaret Boyd (1840-1865) ; Be- linda (1842-1894), married James Kerr; Martha (1845-1871), married Rowet K. Niblock. Nearly all the members of the Boyd family are buried on the old home farm in Freeport Township in what is known as the Boyd Cemetery.
The maternal great-grandmother of Mrs. Ella Clendening on her mother's side, Annie White (1802-1879), was a daughter of Hanah White, who died in Cadiz, Ohio, in 1849. She was born in Ireland in 1774 and continued to live there until the death of her husband. These children were born to them: John; George; Eliza (1800- 1872), married Robert Holliday; Annie (1802- 1879), married William Boyd; and Margaret White (1809-1892). During the War of 1812 the Widow White left Ireland with her family and emigrated to America. While on the At- lantic they were intercepted by a British man of war and all able bodied men were drafted into the British service. John, being a young man, was pressed into the service against the country of his adoption, and the passenger ship was diverted to Nova Scotia, where the passen- gers were landed. The White family continued there for some two years when they had an opportunity of getting to America, and soon
after landing settled at Cadiz, Ohio, and were soon thereafter joined by the son John.
James Fulton, grandfather of Mrs. Ella Clen- dening, was a son of Wiliam and Mary (Moore) Fulton. William Fulton (1792-1871) and Mary Moore (1803-1882) were married in 1823. This union resulted in these children, viz. : William, James, Robert and Sarah who married John Boyd. William Fulton was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. When he first came to Ohio he located for a time in Green Township, Harrison County. Later he moved with his family to Washington Township and entered the southeast quarter of section 23, just north of Tippecanoe.
James Fulton was born September 10, 1826, in Washington Township, Harrison County, and was united in marriage to Mary Boyd, born in Freeport Township, Harrison County, in 1853. To this union two children were born: Eliza, born December 23, 1853, married B. H. Black ; and Albert, born April 6, 1855. Soon after their marriage the entire foregoing Fulton connec- tions moved to Illinois and located near Bloom- ington. Mrs. James Fulton died there in 1856, and later Mr. Fulton again married and con- tinued to live near Bloomington until his death. William Fulton and wife also were buried at Bloomington.
Sarah (Moore) Fulton, the great-grandmother of Mrs. Ella Clendening, was the first child of a family of thirteen children born to William (1779-1847) and Sarah (Coroy) Moore (1783- 1863). William Moore was born in Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania, and came to Harri- son County, Ohio, about 1808. Sarah Corey was born in New Jersey. They were married in Westmoreland County in 1802. Nancy (1809- 1881), a sister of Mary (Moore) Fulton, was married to William Birney in 1830, and soon after their marriage moved to Washington Township, Harrison County, near the Fultons, and soon thereafter began preaching under very peculiar circumstances. Every two weeks on Sundays after doing the usual morning work she would be compelled to go to bed and soon sank into what was then called a "trance." She was usually attended by her husband, who sat by the bedside and would wipe away a froth that would work out of her mouth, and also wipe away great drops of perspiration that would raise on her forehead. At about 10:30 o'clock a. m. she would ask to be raised up to a sitting posture in the bed. With eyes closed and apparently unconscious to the surround- ings, she would begin a religious service, by first offering a prayer, and then take a text of Scripture and begin to preach and expound the Scripture in a most intelligent manner and to the astonishment and amazement of the hun- dreds of people who would often congregate for the service. The service would last for about an hour. At the conclusion she would fall back to a reclining position and show signs of physi- cal exhaustion, but without signs of being con- scious of her surroundings. She said she had no recollection of anything she had done or said. Her physical condition was supposed to be a peculiar form of catalepsy. Her dis- courses were reported as being quite logical
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and interesting. This condition and program continued for thirty years or more, every two weeks on Sundays at 10:30. During the earlier years of this phenomenon people came from miles to these services, largely as a matter of curiosity, probably, but went away deeply im- pressed. The place on many, many occasions had the appearance of a country picnic. Many of the older people about Tippecanoe are still living to testify to these facts.
OLIVER LENTZ CLENDENING. The Clendening family has been actively connected with Harri- son County history since the year 1844, when William Clendening, the grandfather of our subject, with his family, moved from Jefferson County, Ohio, to Nottingham Township in Har- rison County, and located on what became their homestead farm of 240 acres on the Deersville and Freeport road, at a point midway between the towns which for many years has been known as Clendening cross roads. Later a postoffice was established called Clendening. E. D. Clen- dening acted as postmaster for many years until the establishment of rural mail routes. The farm continued in the family name until 1916. After the purchase of this tract Mr. Clendening later added an additional quarter section to his land holdings, which was later transferred to Israel B. Clendening, a son, and the same con- tinues to this day in the name of a grandson, Denver C. Clendening.
William Clendening was the son of James Clendening, who was born and married in Ire- land, and was a weaver by trade. Early in his married life he immigrated to America and lo- cated for a number of years at or near Hickory, Pennsylvania. He had four children, William, James, Margaret and Nancy. About 1830 the latter daughter became the second wife of Hugh Birney, to which union two children were born who are located in the western states. She was born in 1794 and died in 1854.
William was born in 1789 and was thirteen years old when the family immigrated to America. While in Pennsylvania he received quite a good education for his time and was considered a man of more than average talent. Early in 1800 he and probably other members of the family moved from Hickory, Washing- ton County, Pennsylvania, to Jefferson County. Ohio, where he acquired quite a tract of forest lands which he continued to hold until about the time he moved to Harrison County. De- cember 19, 1833, he was married to Elizabeth Birney, daughter of William and Elizabeth Birney, of Deersville, Ohio. They began their married life at Knoxville. Jefferson County, Ohio, and continued to live there until 1844. To this union six children were born: James (1834-1871), married Arminda Holliday: Israel B. (1837-1915), married Sarah Wages; John W. (1839-1918) : Ebenezer D. (1841-1904), married Metta Burris: Elizabeth J., married W. F. Laf- ferty ; Oliver D. (1849-1884), married Mary Hanley. The father, William Clendening, died September 15, 1867.
Elizabeth Birney, his wife, and the paternal grandmother of Oliver Clendening, was born in Green Township, Harrison County, March 23,
1813, was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Letchworth ) Birney. William Birney and his three brothers, John, Hugh and Robert, came from Ireland to this country about the year 1800, first locating near Brandywine, Pennsyl- vania. William Birney was born in Ireland in 1782. In 1814 he and his brothers John (1777- 1854) and Hugh (1779-1861) emigrated from Pennsylvania to Green Township, Harrison County, Ohio, and located near Cadiz Junction, and were among the early settlers of Harrison County. With their help Bethel Church, one of the first in the county, was established. Soon after they came to Ohio, they were joined by their brother, John, and the early religious sentiment of the communities was the result of their influence.
William Birney was married to Elizabeth (Letchworth) while they resided in Pennsyl- vania. She was a daughter of a Quaker preacher, of old Philadelphia. In 1825 they moved from Green Township to Franklin Town- ship and located on a quarter section of land joining the town of Deersville, on the west, which land continues in the family name. Quite an acreage of the land entries of Harri- son County were originally made by these brothers. At one time William Birney owned more than 1,200 acres. To this union eleven children were born, John, Israel, Letchworth, Ebenezer, Oliver, Jane, married John Baker; Mary, married Hiram Palmer; Debora, married Phillip Bartlett; Isabelle, married Samuel Moore: Rachel, married Zontz Bonnett; and Elizabeth, married William Clendening. Eliza- beth Letchworth, wife of William Birney, was born in 1787 and died at the old Clendening homestead in 1871. Her daughter, Elizabeth Clendening, wife of William Clendening, died at the same homestead September 7, 1885.
John W. Clendening, third son of William and Elizabeth Clendening, and father of our subject, was born August 23, 1839, and was reared to manhood on the home farm and re- ceived a practical business education in the common schools. In 1863 he entered the mer- cantile business in partnership with his brother James at Freeport, Ohio, continuing a prosper- ous business until 1869, when his health re- quired his retirement from the business. Soon thereafter he purchased 320 acres of land in Nottingham Township which has since been known as his homestead farm, and is regarded as one of the best stock farms in this section of the county. For many years prior to his death in 1919 he was known as one of the most extensive live stock growers in Harrison County, and was recognized as having a place at the head of the progressive business men of the county, and always foremost to assist in enter- prises for the advancement of the public weal. He was one of the organizers of The Fourth National Bank, of Cadiz, Ohio, and a member of its first board of directors and continued in such connection until his death.
June 2, 1868, he was married to Sarah Nib- lock, a daughter of John and Matilda Kerr Nib- lock, of Freeport Township. To this union there was born two children, Oliver Lentz, March 29, 1869, and James, December 4, 1871.
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John Niblock, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of Irish descent, and was born March 29, 1807, on Wall Street, New York City, a son of John and Jane (Taylor) Niblock. To this union six children were born, Jane, James, Robert, John, Julia and William. When John was six years old the family moved by wagon from New York to Tuscarawas County. Ohio, and such was the condition of the roads that the family were compelled to walk nearly the entire distance. In 1846 the father died and was followed by his widow in 1870. In early life John Niblock was apprenticed to a mill- wright and during his young manhood followed this trade. He was a man of very strong characteristics. After his marriage he turned his attention to agriculture and soon was rated one of the best farmers of this section. For many years his farm in the southern part of the township was highly improved as for that day and was reputed one of the best farms in the township. In 1829 while he yet held a resi- dence in Tuscarawas County he was married to Sarah Grewall (1808-1840). Soon thereafter he removed to the vicinity of Freeport. To this union three children were born: Mary (1832- 1892) ; Nancy Green (1835-1911) ; Caroline Johnson (1838-1888). In 1840 he was again married to Matilda Kerr, daughter of Rowet and Susan Stewart Kerr. To this union was born Sarah Clendening, born July 11, 1841; Rowet K., deceased : Margaret, who died young ; William Albert; James, deceased ; Henry A., also deceased; Susan J. Bear: Dorcas B. Alex- ander. In 1889 John Niblock married Margaret Porter, daughter of James Porter of Cadiz Township.
Matilda Kerr Niblock (1816-1881), the ma- ternal grandmother, was a daughter of Rowet and Susan Stewart Kerr. Rowet Kerr (1772- 1869) was a native of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and there married Susan Stewart (1775-1871). He was a son of John Kerr, and had two brothers, John and Robert. His father, John Kerr, was a Revolutionary soldier and lost his life during that war by being blown from a war vessel during a storm and drowned. Rowet Kerr, with his family, emigrated from Pennsylvania to Freeport Township with his brother-in-law, James Stewart and family, about 1816, and they jointly entered the north- east quarter of section 34, for many years locally known as the John Niblock farm. The first year they were on this tract after their crops were nearly mature, an alarm was given that the Indians were on the war-path against the settlers. The neighborhood settlers at once thronged to the fort at Freeport for protection. These two families gathered together such stuff as they could carry on their horses and came to the fort, but instead of returning after the alarm had been proven false, they continued back to Pennsylvania and spent the following winter there, leaving their crops to be harvested by their neighbors. the Davidsons on Crab- orchard. The following spring they returned and became permanent settlers thereafter. To this union of Rowet and Susan Kerr the follow- ing children were born: Mary McCullough ; Margaret Mccullough; Rachey Leeper (1801-
1869) ; Matilda Niblock (1816-1881) ; Sarah, James (1820-1894), married Belinda Boyd (1842-1894). Susan Stewart Kerr's grandfa- ther, Andrew Stewart, was a native of Ireland, County Tyrone, where he married and had two sons, Andrew and Daniel. Daniel immigrated to this country from Ireland when thirteen years of age, coming with a family by name of Gibson, leaving behind his brother, Andrew, who later died there. It was reported that a large for. tune was willed to his brother in America but so far as known it was never received by either him or his posterity. Daniel Stewart, father of Susan Stewart Kerr, was married to a Miss Perry, who was of French descent, and who was a cousin of Com. Oliver H. Perry, who in 1812 engaged the British squadron on Lake Erie, forcing it to surrender. Daniel Stewart had twelve children, nine boys and two girls besides Susan.
Mrs. Sarah Niblock Clendening, widow of John W. Clendening, is living at this date, 1921, at the age of eighty years, in their commodious Freeport residence, which was built but a few years before the death of her husband, and is given every possible comfort and care by her son, our subject, Oliver Lentz.
The early life of Oliver Lentz Clendening was largely spent on the old homestead farm of 320 acres of excellent pasture land. His education was acquired at the common schools supple- mented by a college course at Oberlin College. The old homestead has come to him from his father's estate, and he continues to keep the same fully stocked in much the same manner followed by his father. He is a Presbyterian in his church connection, thus following the admonition of a saintly mother. The Clenden- ing generations have been democrats in their political affiliations, but since 1896 John W. Clendening has been as ardent an advocate of republican principles, and his sons are follow- ing in his footsteps.
The foregoing line of ancestors are buried at the following cemeteries: Greenmont Cemetery, Freeport Ohio John W. Clendening (1839- 1918) ; Israel B. Clendening (1837-1915) : Ebe- nezer D. Clendening (1841-1904) ; John Niblock (1807-1893) ; Sarah (Grewell) Niblock (1808- 1840) ; Mary Niblock (1832-1892) ; Nancy (Nib- lock ) Green (1835-1911) ; Caroline (Niblock) Johnson (1838-1888).
Presbyterian Cemetery, Freeport Ohio-Rowet Kerr (1772-1869) ; Susan ( Stewart) Kerr (1775- 1871) ; Rachel (Kerr) Leeper (1801-1869) ; Sarah Kerr.
Old Deersville Cemetery-William Clenden- ing (1813-1867) ; Elizabeth (Birney) Clenden- ing (1813-1885) ; James Clendening (1834- 1871) ; Arminda ( Holliday) Clendening (1835- 1874) : William Birney (1782-1865) ; Elizabeth (Letchworth) Birney (1787-1871).
Londonderry U. P. Cemetery-Matilda ( Kerr) Niblock (1816-1881) ; Margaret Niblock : Henry A. Niblock.
Bethel Cemetery, Green Township-Hugh Birney (1779-1861) : Nancy (Clendening) Bir- ney (1794-1854) ; John Birney (1777-1854) ; Robert Birney (1795-1871).
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DENVER C. CLENDENING. Some of the best farms in Ohio are located in Harrison County, for. not only is the land unusually fertile and the drainage excellent, but the agriculturists understand their work and take a pride in im- proving their property, with the result that banner crops are here grown and the land- owners are becoming wealthy men. One of the prosperous farmers of the county who has proven his worth as a factor in its agricul- tural life and also as a citizen, is Denver C. Clendening of Freeport, owner of 238 acres of valuable land in Nottingham Township.
Mr. Clendening was born in Nottingham Township. November 3, 1875, a son of I. B. and Sarah (Wagers) Clendening. I. B. Clendening was born in Jefferson County, Ohio. April 4. 1837, and his wife was born in Franklin Town- ship, Harrison County, Ohio, February 11, 1836, a daughter of Nathan Wagers. Until 1895 I. B. Clendenning lived on his farm in Nottingham Township, but in that year moved to Freeport. and resided thereuntil his death, which occurred December 25, 1915. His wife had died April 6. 1909. Both were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and very active in religious work. Their children were as fol- lows: Edwin M., who was born October 1, 1850, died January 9, 1889: John F .. who was born December 30, 1860. died November 29. 1861; Otis C., who was born September 20. 1863, died February 20, 1866; William, who was born Sep- tember 28. 1865, died November 1, 1865: Wilmer, who was born November 21, 1866, died February 22, 1867: Farl, who was born May 21, 1868. died April 9, 1908: and Denver C. who is the youngest and only survivor.
Denver C. Clendening was reared on his father's farm and sent to the district schools of Nottingham Township. He remained with his parents as long as they lived and inherited the homestead of 238 acres of valuable land on which he is carrying on general farming and stock-raising, although he resides at Freeport. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church of Free- port. A Mason, he is a member of the Blue Lodge of Freeport and the Chapter of Uhrichs- ville.
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SALATHIEL M. HAMILTON. With a fine farm of 380 acres, in Moorefield Township. Harrison County, Mr. Hamilton has secure prestige as one of the substantial and representative agri- culturists and stock-growers of his native county, where he stands also as a representa- tive of a well known pioneer family, his father, Andrew Hamilton. having here passed his en- tire life and having been a successful farmer. He was in the very prime of his useful man- hood at the time of his death. in 1865. when his son Salathiel L. was about two years of age. Andrew Hamilton chose as the wife of his young manhood Miss Maria Kennedy, who was born in Moorefield Township. a daughter of Re- turn Matthew Kennedy, who was one of the honored and influential citizens of Moorefield Township at the time of his death. June 16, 1888. Mr. Kennedy was born at Georgetown, District of Columbia. March 15, 1803. a son of Matthew and Christina ( Hines) Hamilton,
whose marriage was solemnized in the District of Columbia. Matthew Kennedy was born in Scotland, in 1767, and was there reared to man- hood. He was a young man when he immi- grated to America and he remained near George- town, District of Columbia, until 1806, when he came with his family to Jefferson County, Ohio, whence he came to Harrison County in 1811. He took up 160 acres of Government land in Moorefield Township, and in 1814 he removed thence to a tract of 320 acres which he entered in section 13 of that township. There he passed the remainder of his life. as one of the sturdy and industrious pioneers of the county and as an influential representative of the democratic party in this locality. He was the father of a fine family of seventeen children. of whom two died in infancy.
Return Matthew Kennedy was eight years old at the time when the family home was established in Harrison County, where he was reared to manhood under the conditions of the early pioneer period. On the 19th of February, 1824. he married Miss Jane Moore, who was born September 20. 1792, a daughter of Robert and Margaret ( Armstrong) Moore, and of this union were born six children-Mary A., How- ard, Robert. Jackson, Maria and Salathiel. Mary A. and Howard died young. About 1828 Mr. Kennedy removed to Tuscarawas County, but in 1849 he returned to Moorefield Town- ship. Harrison County, where he passed the remainder of his life. His first wife died Sep- tember 25. 1866, and later he married Martha McCollough, who survived him by several years.
Andrew and Maria (Kennedy) Hamilton be- came the parents of seven children: Matthew (deceased). Rebecca Jane (died at the age of eleven years). Evelyne, Robert. Adam (de- ceased ). Salathiel M. and Daniel. After the death of Mr. Hamilton his widow became the wife of John G. Moore, no children being born of this union. She died in Kansas.
Salathiel M. Hamilton gained his youthful education in what was locally known as the Irish Ridge District School, in Moorefield Township, and as a young man he initiated independent enterprise as a farmer in his na- tive township. Here abundant success has crowned his well directed endeavors, and he is now the owner of one of the large and val- uable farm properties of this township. as noted in the opening paragraph of this review. His birth occurred in Moorefield Township on the 9th of December. 1862. He has taken loyal interest in community affairs but has had no desire for public office. His political support is given to the democratic party and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Moorefield.
In 1884 Mr. Hamilton wedded Miss Ella J. Moore, daughter of Allen D. and Mary ( Haines) Moore, and of this union have been born eleven children : Evaline (the wife of Frank Toole) : Robert A. (married Miss Orpha Abbott and now a resident of the State of Oregon) ; How- ard M. ( mentioned on other pages of this vol- ume) : Ada B. (Mrs. Hugh A. Sproull ) ; Charles ( married Miss Ollie Knight) : Harry Craig ( married Miss Anna Dickerson) : Jennie ( wife
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of Sherman W. Mckibben) ; Ernest B .; John W. (died when about two years of age) ; Luella Bertha, and Oscar Ross.
HOWARD M. HAMILTON has found in his native county ample scope for successful achievement in his chosen field of enterprise and is one of the representative farmers of the younger gen- eration in Nottingham Township, Harrison County. He was born in Moorefield Township, November 27, 1889, and due review of the fam- ily history is given on other pages, in the sketch of the career of his father, Salathiel M. Hamilton.
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