My Genealogy Hound

CLENDENIN. like nearly all family names, varies in its spelling. That preferred by the branch whose history is here written is Clendenin, although on the early records it is frequently written Glendenning, Glendinning and Clendining. The family is of Scotch ancestry, and in an old Bible in the possession of John Waugh Clendenin, of Wichita, Kans., it is recorded that three brothers, John, Charles and James, born in Dumfries, Scotland, came to America some time between 1730 and 1750. One of these was among the earliest settlers of the Cumberland Valley. In January, 1743, some of the inhabitants of “ye township of Pennsborrow” petitioned the Court of Lancaster for a road, and among the names appended to this petition was that of “Jno Glendinnen.” Pennsborrow township then included all of the valley lying between the Big Spring on the west and the Susquehanna river on the east. John Glendenin, then, was an inhabitant of that part of the valley as early as 1743, and may have been there earlier. Cumberland county was formed in 1750, in January, and among the taxables of East Pennsboro township that year was John Clendenin. East Pennsboro then included all of the county lying between the Stony Ridge on the west and the Susquehanna river on the east. After this John Clendenin appears regularly among the taxables of East Pennsboro at every assessment.

The first partition of East Pennsboro township was made in 1762, when Allen township was taken from it, after which John Clendenin continued on the tax list of East Pennsboro. In 1825 Silver Spring township was formed out of East Pennsboro and after that John Clendenin was assessed in Silver Spring. He was located in the extreme northwest of Silver Spring, in the angle formed by the Stony Ridge and the mountain. His land is now included in two adjoining farms owned respectively by B. F. Garman and Leonard Zeigler. John Clendenin made his will in August, 1783, and in it occurs the following passage:

“I being in possession of a piece of land held whereon I have lived for some time and made considerable improvement. I give and bequeath the same to my two sons, John and Samuel.”

According to this he held the land by possession and the improvements he made upon it, and not by warrant or patent. The records show that the parts, as designated in his will, were surveyed to his sons, John and Samuel.

In 1750 Samuel Huston appears on the tax list of East Pennsboro as a freeman. In 1752 he took out a warrant for 200 acres of land, not far removed from John Clendenin. It is strongly probable that the presence of John Clendenin in that locality induced Samuel Huston to settle there, as they were brothers-in-law, John Clendenin being married to Janet Huston, a sister of Samuel Huston. John and Janet (Huston) Clendenin had children as follows: John, William, Margaret, Jennie, Annie, Mary, Katie, Isabella, Samuel and James. Margaret, Jennie and Katie died unmarried and while yet quite young. Annie married a man named Bradshaw, and moved to French, N. C. Mary married a man named Calhoon. Isabella married John Rankin. Samuel married Polly McBeth, of Wellsville, Va., now W.Va. James married Isabella Huston, who was his first cousin, a daughter of Samuel Huston.

When John Clendenin and his family lived in that part of the country hostile Indians yet abounded, and at one time the settlers, for their protection, erected a block house on John Dickey’s land, the tract adjoining John Clendenin’s on the south. This blockhouse is spoken of in the early annals as “Dickey’s Fort.” It afforded some comfort to the inhabitants, but it neither frightened nor pacified the Indians, and they continued to make their stealthy raids in the settlements. In the woods along the foot of the mountain, not far removed from the Clendenin home, there flowed a spring which the young men of the neighborhood would salt and by that device would attract deer and make their capture easy. Upon one occasion, while they were lying in ambush waiting for the deer to come, they were discovered and fired upon by a roving band of Indians. William Clendenin, the second son of John and Janet (Huston) Clendenin, was one of the young men, and was mortally wounded. The rest of the party tried to get him home, but finding it difficult, and fearing that the Indians would follow and kill all of them, they hid their wounded comrade in a fallen tree top and covered him up with branches and leaves. The next morning, reinforced and armed, they returned for him, but found him cold in death. The exact date of this incident cannot be fixed.

The first John Clendenin died about 1797, at the age of ninety-three years; his wife, Janet Huston, died three weeks before her husband, and their remains are interred in the Pine Hill graveyard, on the farm which was first owned by Samuel Huston, the brother of Janet Huston.

John Clendenin, the eldest son of John and Janet (Huston) Clendenin, married Elizabeth Caldwell, who is said to have been a sister of John C. Calhoun’s mother. He lived upon and farmed the land bequeathed to him by his father, and in time acquired other lands in the same vicinity, and was always a prominent and enterprising patriotic citizen. He served in the war of the Revolution with distinction. He was a member of the 6th Company, 3d Battalion, of Cumberland County Associators, and on July 31, 1777, was commissioned first lieutenant in James Semple’s Company, Col. William Chambers’ Regiment. Col. Chambers’ regiment was a part of Gen. James Potter’s brigade, which was one of the most active and efficient brigades in the different engagements about Philadelphia. It was in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Chestnut Hill, and when Washington withdrew from White Marsh to Valley Forge it was sent to the west side of the Schuylkill river to protect the left flank of the army against attack from Lord Cornwallis. He rose to the position of captain, and among the members of his company whose names frequently occur on the early records of Cumberland county are Thomas Anderson, Adam Calhoun, Patrick Davidson, Christopher Huston, Richard Parkinson, John Poorman and Thomas Wharton. The sword, blue coat and big hat he wore in the service he bequeathed to his son John. On April 3, 1798, Gov. Mifflin appointed him justice of the peace for East Pennsboro township, which position he held until his death. He died in August, 1802. There is no record as to when his wife died. Their remains are buried in the Pine Hill graveyard.

John and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Clendenin had the following children: John, William, Nancy, James, Isabella, Polly, Jennie, Elizabeth, Kate and Samuel. James, Elizabeth and Kate died young. Nancy married Samuel Huston. Isabella married Francis Eckels. Polly married John Patterson. Jennie married John Woodward. Samuel married Cynthia Vassar. William, the second son, began farming in 1814, upon a farm lying along the State road in Silver Spring township, which was afterward long owned by Daniel Fought and his heirs. This farm was bequeathed to him by his father. With the exception of three years, during which he was in poor health, he lived here for the rest of his life. Along with his farming he also kept a tavern. known as the “Green Tree Hotel.” On March 7, 1816, he married Marv Wallace, who was fifteen years younger than he. He died in January, 1835, and was also buried in the Pine Hill graveyard. For two years after his death his wife continued to keep the hotel. In the spring of 1837 she sold it and removed to New Kingstown, and two years afterward to New Castle, Mercer Co., Pa., where her children married and settled. Mary (Wallace) Clendenin was a woman of remarkable memory and executive ability and among her relatives and friends was known as “Aunt Polly Clendenin,” and is still spoken of by that title. Many of her descendants throughout western Pennsylvania and Ohio have become prominent in business and professional life.

John Clendenin, the eldest child of John and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Clendenin, was born Sept. 28, 1782, on the Clendenin ancestral homestead in East Pennsboro, now Silver Spring, township. He grew to manhood in the district in which he was born and never resided outside of its bounds. His father, during his latter years, had acquired a farm a short distance down along the mountain, which afterward was long owned by Emanuel Neidich. This farm he bequeathed to his son John, and upon it he lived for many years, engaged in farming, tanning and raising hops. He had no special educational advantages in his youth, but possessed rare qualities of mind and great strength of character. He early became interested in public affairs, and on March 2, 1813, Gov. Snyder appointed him a justice of the peace for East Pennsboro, which office he continued to hold while he lived. He had much to do with settling estates and acting as trustee for estates, and in business of this nature his name occurs upon the public records more frequently than any other in the lower end of the county. On March 11, 1847, Gov. Shunk commissioned him an Associate Judge, which office he filled the balance of his life, and in history he is distinguished from the other Clendenins as “Judge John Clendenin.” He was a deeply pious man, was a member of the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, for many years an elder and one of the most punctual attendants. It is said of him that on Sunday mornings he would walk from his home at the North Mountain to the church, a distance of over four miles, and sweep and make the fires in time for morning services. In December, 1825, he moved to Hogestown, abandoning the tanyard on the farm. He was a man of the strictest integrity and respected and honored by all who knew him for the exemplary life he led.

On Dec. 31, 1807, John Clendenin married Martha Waugh, Rev. Robert Davidson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlisle, performing the ceremony. Martha Waugh was born May 7, 1787. She was a daughter of John Waugh. who lived in the same locality in which the Clendenins for three generations had lived. John Waugh was a son of James and Mary Waugh, and a member of an old and worthy family at one time numerous in Cumberland county. To John and Martha (Waugh) Clendenin the following children were born; John, Elizabeth, Martha, Catherine, Mary Ann, Caroline, Agnes, James and Cynthia. Elizabeth, Mary Ann and Caroline died unmarried and are buried in the cemetery of the Silver Spring Church. Martha married Dr. Alexander Young. Catherine married Henry Little, of Somerset county, Pa. Agnes married George Swiler. James married a Kiefer. Cynthia married Jeremiah Senseman. Judge John Clendenin died Aug. 23, 1852. His wife, Martha Waugh. died July 14, 1859, and their remains are also interred at Silver Spring.

John Clendenin, the eldest child of John and Martha (Waugh) Clendenin. was born Oct. 11, 1808, on the farm at the North Mountain which he left when he removed to Hogestown. He was the fourth John Clendenin in line, and, like his father, and also his grandfather, never lived outside of the township in which he was born. He followed in the footsteps of his father and engaged in the business of tanning for a vocation. He did not receive much scholastic training, but was naturally of a bright mind, and through reading and associating with people of intelligence he acquired a great fund of general knowledge and was considered a well-educated person. He was an active, energetic business man, and prominent in all the various spheres in which a citizen of his section was called upon to act. While yet a young man he joined the local military company, and his zeal and efficiency gradually advanced him until he reached the rank of colonel of the Battalion, which he held for a long time, and the title “Col. Clendenin” serves to distinguish him. After the death of his father he was elected justice of the peace and re-elected as his term expired so long as he lived. Being the third “Squire Clendenin” in line between 1798 and 1870, the student of the records is often puzzled as to which one is meant. In his own township he was a central figure in politics, during the entire period of his activity, holding the office of school director, assessor, and other places of responsibility almost always. In 1870 he was elected an Associate Judge, and in this particular also followed in the footsteps of his father. This distinction he was not permitted long to enjoy, as he died on June 2, 1872. Like his ancestors for generations before him he was a Presbyterian, and for fifteen years was an elder in the Silver Spring Church.

On Nov. 30, 1842, Col. John Clendenin was married to Susan Swiler, of Hogestown, Rev. Joseph A. Murray, of Carlisle, performing the ceremony. Susan Swiler was a daughter of Matthias and Margaret (Seidle) Swiler, and a member of an old family mentioned elsewhere. John and Susan (Swiler) Clendenin had the following children: Calvin, Milton A., Clara E., John Waugh, and William C. Clara E. married John M. McDowell; John W. married Mary E. Meigs, and William C. married Bell Jennings.