FATHER

William Pitt Cleaveland

MOTHER

Abby Richards

HUSBAND

Joseph Whiting

CHILDREN

1. William Pitt Cleveland Whiting b. 09 Jun 1829 Cheshire, New Haven, CT

2. Abby Sophia Whiting b. 01 Feb 1831 Cheshire, New Haven, CT

3. Joseph Whiting b. 16 Apr 1833 Cheshire, New Haven, CT

                            d. 22 Mar 1834

4  Anna Bu  ckingham Whiting b. 26 Jan 1836 Cheshire, New Haven, CT

5. Charles Augustus Whiting b. 20 Dec 1837 Cheshire, New Haven, CT

6. Henry Herpaine Whiting b. 20 Oct 1839 Niles, Berrien, MI

7. Ellen Bascom Whiting b. 16 Mar 1841 Niles, Berrien, MI

8. Josephine Whiting b. Jun 1845 Niles, Berrien, MI

                                 d. Oct 1845

Harriet Lewis Cleaveland
by Chase Brooke
Feb 2021

Harriet Lewis Cleaveland was born 02 Nov 1806 in New London, New London, CT. (1) She was the first born child of William Pitt Cleaveland and Abby Richards. Harriet married Joseph Whiting on 14 May 1828 in New London. Their first five children were born in Cheshire, CT, two of whom died before the family moved to Michigan in 1839.  Their last three children were born in Niles, Berrien, MI. The youngest died at the age of 3 months old in October 1845, and two months later her husband, Joseph Whiting, died.  She was 39 years old, a widow with five children, the youngest of which was only 4 years old. Her husband had been one of the first two professors at the University of Michigan.  Her son, William Pitt Cleveland Whiting, was a student at the University from 1844-1848.
In 1855 they were all in Buffalo where WPC Whiting was married and working as a lawyer.    Harriet and her daughter Ellen were living with her sister Abby who was married to William B. McEwen in 1838. (3)  Her other children, Henry and Anna were living with their brother, William Pitt Cleaveland Whiting, near Buffalo. (4)   In 1860 Harriet was still living with her sister, Abby in Buffalo.. Her children, Anna and Ellen, were also living in the same household. (5)  In 1870 Harriet is living with her married daughter, Anna Spencer, wife of Lebbeus Spencer, in Spencerport, Monroe, NY. (6) Five years later in 1875 Harriet was still living in Spencerport with her daughter.(7) Her son, WPC Whiting, had died in San Francisco on 2 Jul 1874.  Two months before the death of her son, she wrote a will leaving everything to her two daughters.
She died in 1877 and her son-in-law, Lebbeus Spencer, was made executor of the estate.  According to law in most states, if there are living relatives who might otherwise be entitled to part of an estate, they must be notified about the will, so Lebbeus notified all heirs in 1883.  These heirs listed are: Mrs. Anna B. Spencer, Spencerport, NY, Mrs. Frances W. Moore, Rochester, NY, Mrs. Ellen B. Campbell, Boone, Iowa, Mrs. Elizabeth E. Requa, San Francisco, CA, Mrs. Janette C. Carpenter, San Francisco, CA and Henry H. Whiting, San Francisco, CA, (8)
A brief obituary was published in the Rochester Union and Advertiser April 28, 1877. (9) She was buried Fairview Cemetery, Spencerport, NY. (10)

Sources

(1) Vital Records of New London, CT fhl film 1312157 image 650

(2) Connecticut Mirror, Hartford, Monday, May 26, 1828

(3) 1855 State Census for Erie, NY

(4) New York Erie County Census 1855

(5) 1860 United States census fhl film 803748 image 255

(6) 1870 United States census fhl film 4275079

(7) 1875 Monroe Co,  NY State census

(8) Will dated 15 April 1874 leaving everything to her two daughters, Anna and Ellen
fhl film 833804 Probate Records Monroe County

Will of Harriet Lewis Cleaveland Whiting Monroe Co NY Will BK 34 fhl film 1004318 image 136-138

Monroe Co NY Letter of Testamentary Vol 7 fhl film 1004161 image 118

Listing of heirs courtesy of Dick Miller [email protected]

Inventory of estate taken in 1883 courtesy of Dick Miller [email protected]

"April 25th 1877 at the residence of her son-in-law L. F. Spencer, Spencerport, NY
 Mrs. Harriet L. Whiting aged (?) years widow of the late Prof. J. Whiting of Michigan University. "

(10) Buried: Fairfield Cemetery, Spencerport, Monroe Co., NY

Harriet L. Whiting

Backside of the Headstone "our mother"