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Biography For the family of Joseph Jennings and Emeline Cleveland
Joseph White Jennings was born on 08 April 1811 in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York. He was the son of Lemuel B Jennings and Jane White. Emeline Cleveland was born on 04 June 1811 in Groveland, Livingston County, New York. She was the daughter of Abel Cleveland and Elizabeth Cooper. In some way, Joseph and Emeline met and married on 20 August 1833. (Note: I have no birth or marriage records at present for Joseph or Emeline. These dates were published in the Cleveland Genealogy book. The dates in this narrative appear to have been provided by their daughter Harriet and have been extremely accurate.). They moved to Lenawee County Michigan, with Emeline's parents sometime between 1835 and 1837. Emeline's mother appears to have died prior to the 1840 census. They appear first on the 1840 federal population census in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Listed is a male age 20-29 (Joseph), a male age 60-69 (probably Abel Cleveland), a female age 20-29 (Emeline), a female age 5-9 (Harriet), and 2 females under 5 (Eliza age 3 and Salome age 1). They were farmers. Apparently Abel Cleveland died in October 1848 at age 78. Then Emeline died on 28 November 1848 age age 37. Death records do not go back that far, but since they lived in the same house and died so close together, it would be logical to assume that they died on the same illness. I have not found a burial place for either of them yet. In 1850, the family is enumerated on the federal population census schedule, still in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. In the household is: Joseph W. Jennings, farmer, age 39 born in New York, value of real estate $1000; Harriet Jennings age 16 born in New York; Eliza Jennings age 10 born in Michigan; Saloma Jennings age 10 born in Michigan. In 1860, the family is still in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. By this time, daughter Harriet had married. So still in the household as reported by the census taker were: Joseph Jennings, age 45, farmer, born New York, value of real estate $800, value of personal property $40; Eliza J Jennings, age 22, born Michigan; Selma Jennings, age 21, born Michigan. On 21 July 1863, Eliza married Riley French in Lenawee County. They apparently stayed with Joseph and lived in the same household. Daughter Salome married sometime around 1864 and they moved into the neighboring Hillsdale County Michigan.
Then on the evening of 04 July 1869, Joseph was murdered. The story of the incident was written up in the local newspaper (a copy of which is listed on the sources page). Basically, Joseph was addicted to drinking and was frequently intoxicated. This night, he came home drunk and was in bad humor. He rushed upstairs to "go for French". French met him at the top of the stairs with a gun and shot him in the chest. It seemed to have no effect and French struck him with the gun, fracturing Joseph's skull and killing him. French gave himself up and was eventually sent to jail, as he is found in the 1870 census at the state prison in Jackson Michigan. Further research needs to be done on incident.
Joseph is buried in the Chapman Cemetery on US Route 12 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Joseph and Emeline had 3 known children, all surnamed JENNINGS:
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