William Pitt Cleaveland	see FAMILY TREE
Born: 18 Dec 1770 Canterbury, Windham, CT Married: 1st: to  Mary Bacon 02 Feb 1796 Canterbury, CT 2nd: to Abby Richards 15 Jan 1806 New London, CT 3rd: to Sophia Richards Jun 1825 New York, NY     Died: 03 Jan 1845 New London, CT Original Burial: 2nd Congregational Church Yard New London, CT Reinterred: Cedar Grove Cemetery New London, CT	Forefront are the stones for William Pitt Cleaveland and his wife, Abby Richards Cleaveland.  Across the street is the Richards Plot. The tall stone at the left is of William Pitt Cleaveland and his last wife, Sophia Richards Cleaveland.  The two stone slabs have the names of  Mary Bacon Cleaveland, Abby Richards Cleaveland.

FATHER

Aaron Cleaveland

MOTHER

Thankful Paine

WIFE

1st: Mary Bacon

2nd: Abby Richards

3rd: Sophia Richards

CHILDREN with Mary Bacon

1. William Pitt Cleveland b. 14 May 1797

2. Caroline Cleveland b. 15 Aug 1799   

CHILDREN with Abby Richards

1. Harriet Lewis Cleaveland b. 02 Nov 1806

2. George Payne Cleaveland b. 27 Jul 1808

3. Jennette Richards Cleaveland b. 16 Aug 1809

4. Ellen Payne Cleaveland b. 28 Oct 1810

5. Eliza Crump Cleaveland b. 24 Jun 1813

6. Guy Richards Cleaveland b. 24 May 1815

7. Abbie Cleaveland b. 22 Sep 1817

William Pitt Cleaveland
by Chase Brooke
Feb 2021

William Pitt Cleaveland was born in Canterbury, CT, 18 Dec 1770, the 8th child born to Aaron Cleaveland and Thankful Paine. (1) His father died when he was 15 years old and when he was 18 he became the ward of his older brother, Moses Cleaveland. (2) He attended Yale and graduated Phi-Beta-Kappa in 1793 at the age of 23. (3)  The next year he went to the Litchfield Law School, in Litchfield, CT, graduating in 1794.  This was the first law school in America. (4) After law school  he was the Quarter Master For the 5th Regiment of Cavalry, as recorded 17 Aug 1795. (5) There had been only 11 students in his law class, one of which was an Asa Bacon who William Pitt had known back in Yale, as they graduated in the same class. On 2 Feb 1796, William Pitt married Mary Bacon, a younger sister of Asa Bacon. (6) William Pitt Cleaveland and Asa Bacon continued their study of law with William Pitt's older brother, Moses Cleaveland, in Canterbury, CT.
By 1800 he had moved to New London, CT. He and Mary had two young children.  Mary may have been expecting a third.  She died 27 Jan 1801 in New London. (7) William Pitt Cleaveland was a single father of two young children for the next five years.  He didn't remarry until 15 Jan 1806 when he married Abby Richards. (7) He and Abby had 7 more children, two of which died in infancy.  Then Abby died on 10 Jan 1824. (9)  William Pitt was once again a single father with young children, the youngest of which was 7 years old. He remarried to Abby's sister, Sophia Richards, in June of 1825. (9)
By this time William Pitt Cleaveland was a prominent citizen of New London.  "From 1825 to 1835 he was president of the Union Bank of New London; and from 1829 to 1832 he held the office of chief Judge of the County Court by annual appointment of the Legislature.  He served as a deacon in the First (Congregational) Church from 1830 until his death." (10)
William Pitt Cleaveland wrote his will in 9 Oct 1843 and it was probated in Feb 1845.  He named his wife Sophia and daughters Harriet L Whiting, wife of Rev. Joseph Whiting, Jennette R Cleaveland and Abby McEwem wife of Wm B McEwen.  He also bequeathed to Eliza, daughter of his deceased daughter Elisa C Kirkland and the four children of his deceased son, Wm. P Cleaveland. (11)  He died 3 Jan 1845 and was buried in the 2nd Congregational Church Yard, New London, CT. Later he was reinterred: to Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London, CT. (12)

Sources

(1) Canterbury CT Vital Records fhl 1378163 image 342

(2) Connecticut Probate Records (Plainfield District, image 225)

5 May 1789    Capt Moses Cleaveland of Canterbury exhibited a certificate that "Pitt Cleaveland, a minor of about eighteen years of age & son of Aaron Cleaveland late of Canterbury" and heir of the late Major Cleaveland to be his guardian.

(3) Catalogue of the Connecticut Alpha of (Phi-Beta-Kappa) BK, Yale, pg. 9 

       William Pitt Cleaveland 1793

(4) Litchfield Historical Society "William Pitt Cleaveland was the son of Colonel Aaron and Thankful (Paine) Cleaveland.  After attending the law school, Cleaveland settled in New London, CT around 1800.  He married Mary Bacon, the sister of his law school class mate Asa Bacon.  She died only five years later.  He married again in 1806 to Abby Richards who died on January 10, 1824.  Cleaveland then married Abby's sister, Sophia Richards in 1825.  He seved as President of the Union Bank of New London, CT from 1825 to 1835.  He died in New London, CT." He is listed as a graduate of the Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, CT in 1794   The town was the home of the first law school in the United States.

Litchfield Law School, first Law School in the United States

(5) Windham Herald August 1795
609. WH Sat Aug 22, 1795: State of Connecticut, August 17, 1795. Brigade Orders for the fifth Brigade. By the General. For the 5th
Regiment, Newman Sumner, is appointed Adjutant. For the 11th, the Rev. William Graves, Chaplain, in the room of the Rev. Noahdiah Russell, resigned. Amos Payne, Quarter-Master. Noadiah Russell, jun, Pay-Master. For the 12th Regiment, Asa Dutton, Pay-Master. For the 21st Regiment, William Pitt Cleaveland, Quart. Mast. For the 5th Regiment of Cavalry, John Newcomb, Adjutant. And they are feverally to be obeyed accordingly. By Order of the General, John M’Clellan, Brigade-Major.
 
(6) Canterbury CT Vital Records fhl film 1378163 image 337

(7) New London CT Vital Records fhl film 1312157 image 650

(8) CT, Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices

(9) Rhode Island Vital Extracts

(10) Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Yale College VOL. V pg. 65  William Pitt Cleaveland was from the class of 1793
"William Pitt Cleaveland, a son of colonel Aaron Cleaveland, of Canterbury, Connecticut, and brother of Moses Cleaveland (Yale 1777), was born in Canterbury on December 18, 1770
He studied law after graduation with his brother Moses, in Canterbury, and began practice there. Later, about 1800, he moved to the adjoining town of Brooklyn, and thence after a few months to New London, where he became a prominent citizen.
From 1825 to 1835 he was president of the Union Bank of New London; and from 1829 to 1832 he held the office of chief Judge of the County Court by annual appointment of the Legislature.  He served as a deacon in the First (Congregational) Church from 1830 until his death.
He died in New London on January 3, 1845, in his 75th year.
He married on February 2, 1796, in Canterbury, Mary, the eldest sister of his classmate, Bacon, who died in New London on January 27th, 1801, in her 25th year.
He next married, on January 15, 1806,

Abby, eldest daughter of Guy and Hannah (Dolbeare) Richards, of New London, and a sister of Guy Richards (Yale 1807).  She died in New London on January 10, 1824, aged 48 years; and he married, in New York City, in April, 1825, her next younger sister, Sophia, who died in New London on February 11, 1861, in her 80th year.
By his first marriage he had one son (Yale 1816), besides a daughter who died in infancy.  By his second marriage he had five daughters, besides two sons who died in infancy; one daughter married the Rev. Flavel Bascom (Yale 1828)."

(11) Wills and Probate Records New London Vol 9-10 fhl film 1312228 image 523

(12)