Fayette County PA Biographies

Dr. Milton Harlan Cloud

Taken From Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical and Personal History; Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County Pennsylvania, Vol II; Genealogical and Biographical; Cloud

Transcribed and Donated by Sara Hemp

Nicholas, in "The Norman People and Their Descendants," says: "Cloud is a form of Cloet allied to Clouard , Clouet , etc." Roger Cloet came to England from Normandy between 1185 and 1190 , Peter and William Cloet coming later.

A branch of the family settled in Wiltshire, England, members of the Society of Friends, but as the Wiltshire monthly meeting records none of their marriages or births it is adjudged they became members after they were in elder years. William Cloud, of Calne, in Wiltshire, was the founder of the Pennsylvania family. He was a member of the Friends' meeting at Calne, and while attending a meeting there May 16, 1660 , the meeting "was broken up by a party of soldiers, who came with swords drawn and pistols cockt and violently haled out those that were met, and when asked for their warrant showed their swords, saying: 'This is our warrant." On December 7, 1680, he attended a meeting at Marlborough, but in 1682 seems to have fallen under the censure of the Friends. On September 8 and 9, 1681, William Penn granted to William Cloud five hundred acres of land laid out in Pennsylvania. It is probable he came to America either in the latter part of 1682 or early in 1683. This land was surveyed and laid out to the southward of Naemans creek, but was afterward discovered to be in New Castle county, Delaware. He does not appear to have lived on this land, his home being in Concord township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Chichester meeting, was a contributor to the fund toward the erection of a meeting house and the cost of a graveyard about 1685. The minutes indicate attendance at two meetings in 1690. He died about 1702. His will, proved August 25, 1702 , is recorded in Will Book B, page 244, in the register's office at Philadelphia. He does not mention a wife, she having probably preceded him to the grave. Children: William, Jeremiah, Joseph, John, Robert and Susannah .

(II) Jeremiah, son of William Cloud, died 1717, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He probably came to Pennsylvania with his father. In 1713 he was selected by his brothers as the one to whom the new patent for the five hundred acres originally purchased by their father should be confirmed to. On February 15, 1715, he conveyed two hundred acres to his brother John. It is not clear where he first settled, but later he was a resident of Rockland Manor, New Castle county, Delaware, and his will, proved December 21, 1717, is on file in that county. He married, in 1685, Elizabeth Baily, who possibly was a second wife. Children: Jeremiah (2), of whom further; William, Daniel, John, Mordecai, Hannah, Sarah and Elizabeth.

(III) Jeremiah (2), son of Jeremiah (1) and Elizabeth (Baily) Cloud, died in 1748. He settled in the eastern part of East Marlborough, now Pocopson township, Chester county. He married, in 1710, Ann Baily. Children: Elizabeth, born 1711, married Thomas Underwood; Joel, of whom further; William, born 1718, died 1791, married 1739, Mary Pierce; Jeremiah (3), born 1725, died 1817, married (first) Lydia Harlan, (second) Hester Henry; Benjamin, born 1727, died young; Mordecai, born 1729, married (first) Ann Harlan, (second) about 1786, Agnes Morrison ; Rachel, born 1733, died young.

(IV) Joel (1), son of Jeremiah (2) Cloud, was born 1715, died 1746; married 1741, Esther Stubbs. Children: David, Joel (2) and Daniel.

(V) Joel (2), son of Joel (1) Cloud, was born about 1744. He married Hannah Pyle, and left five children.

(VI) Jeremiah (3), son of Joel (2) Cloud, was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, September 3, 1797. He, as all his forbears in America had been, was a member of the Society of Friends, and a Whig. He was a hatter by trade, also a miller, distiller and farmer of Greene county, Pennsylvania, having settled at Carmichaels, Cumberland township, in that county. He married Jane Morgan; children: Milton, Annie, Marion, Sarah, Ellen, Morgan, Elma and Thomas C.

(VII) Thomas C., son of Jeremiah (3) and Jane (Morgan) Cloud, was born January 10, 1826, at Carmichaels, Greene county, Pennsylvania, died June 8, 1898. He was a farmer and a teacher for several years. He was a Republican in politics and a member and deacon of the Baptist church. He married Ann Eliza Hartley, died September 4, 1885, daughter of Josephus Hartley, a farmer of Greene county. Children: 1. Milton Harlan, of whom further. 2. Minor Alonzo, born March 16, 1858, died August 6, 1885. 3. Josephus, born May 22, 1859, died May 30, 1859. 4. William Mesterzatt, born June 24, 1860; married Laura, daughter of Miles Anderson, of Old Frame. 5. Albert Edwin, born January 6, 1863, died June 8, 1896. 6. Sarah Jane, born April 4, 1864; married Edgar Hewitt; lives at Pittsburgh. 7. Jeremiah Morgan, born September 20, 1865, died 1891. 8. Elma Lora, born October 27, 1869, died 1878. 9. Ellen Mora, twin of Elma Lora, died 1878. 10. Marion Edgar, born 1874, now living in Philadelphia. 11. Otho Edmund, twin of Marion Edgar, now living in Philadelphia .

(VIII) Dr. Milton Harlan Cloud, son of Thomas C. and Ann Eliza (Hartley) Cloud, was born near Carmichaels, Greene county, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1857. He was educated in the public schools of Greene county, Greene Academy, at Edinburgh, and the State Normal School of Erie county. He entered the Miami Medical College in 1882, and was graduated in 1886 with the degree of M. D., after reading medicine with Dr. A. J. Gibbons, of Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. For twenty-six years he has been building up a practice in Masontown, and now is at the height of popularity and prosperity. His practice is large and lucrative and steadily increasing. His professional aid is always at the service of anyone, irrespective of wealth or position, and many are the stories which might be told of his deeds of mercy and charity. In the business life of Masontown he is also prominent and active, being vice-president of the Masontown Brewery, director of the Masontown National Bank and director of the Masontown Glass Company. For twelve years as a Republican he served the town in the capacity of school director, but resigned to become councilman and he is also an ex-treasurer of the borough. Dr. Cloud 's fraternal orders are Colfax Lodge, No. 565, A. F. and A. M., the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Loyal Order of Moose. His professional societies are the Medical Society of Fayette County, Medical Society of Pennsylvania and the American Medical Association.

He is a land owner of Greene county, owning two hundred and three acres richly underlaid with coal, although as yet none of it has been mined. He was formerly a Baptist, but now attends the Methodist church. One of Dr. Cloud 's greatest pleasures comes from the possession of good trotting horses, and he has in his stables some of the best stock in the state. He owns three valuable sires, and has lately purchased two trotters - "The Roman," time 2.19 1/4, from George Smith, of Chillicothe, Ohio, and "Kentucky Joe ," 2.24 1-2, in Danvers, Massachusetts. Dr. Cloud occupies a prominent place in the social, business, political and professional life of the town, and has risen to this position through professional skill, industry, perseverance and pluck.

He married, September 15, 1886, Lolo Zoe Provins. Children: 1. Gladys Winifred, born August 13, 1889, died June 19, 1892. 2. Olive B., born April 13, 1891; married Sherman Gabler; they have two children, and live in Salem, Ohio. 3. Silas Randall, born April 21, 1894, died December 30, 1911.

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