2018 Mendenhall, Pennsylvania Cloud Family Gathering
The Cloud Family Association had its bi-annual Gathering in Mendenhall, Pennsylvania September 21-23. The events were held in the Mendenhall Room at the The Inn at Mendenhall near Kennett Square.
If you didn’t attend the 2018 Gathering, we missed you. Click to see pictures from it.
The 2018 Cloud Family Gathering will be September 21-23, 2018 at the Inn at Mendenhall, in the Brandywine Valley area of Pennsylvania, the original home of the Clouds when they came from England.
We would love to see you there! The Gathering / Reunion is a bi-annual event sponsored by the Cloud Family Association.
Any Cloud family descendant, relative or friend is welcome to attend (and we hope you will want to join the Association).
CFA Vice President Wendy Wise will be acting as host of the 2018 CFA Gathering. Wendy, Jim and the CFA Board invite you to attend and enjoy the wonderful setting of the historic Brandywine Valley, with lots of opportunities to see your “roots” and find new relatives. Following is information that you will need to plan your trip. It is not too soon to begin making your plans.
For more information, contact:
Registration Fee for the Gathering: Adults – $70 | Children – $60
Registration Fee includes the following:
As you register, we would like to know how many will attend and the age range:
To help us prepare name tags beforehand, please fill out the registration form, naming all members of your party, not just the primary member’s name and information.
Mail your registration form with the total amount of your party’s fees to our Treasurer:
— Linda Boose, 508 Crestwood Dr., Eastland, TX 76448
Hotel website:
https://www.choicehotels.com/pennsylvania/mendenhall/ascend-hotels/pa501
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Inn at Mendenhall, Mendenhall, Pa (near Chadds Ford). The block of rooms is reserved from September 21 to September 23, 2018. Three additional days may be booked at the special rate for those who would like to come early or stay an extra day or two.
The special room rate will be available through August 20, 2018. The room rate is $125.00+ tax per room, per night, double occupancy. Each additional adult in a room is $20.00+tax per person. There is no charge for children 12 and under. This rate is good for 1 to 5 nights, but must all be booked at the same time. Ask for the Cloud Family rate.
Reservations should be booked by telephone: 610-388-2100
Group Name: | Cloud Family Gathering |
Check-in: | Sept. 21, 2018 after 3:00 PM (Hotel check-in at 4:00) |
Check-out: | Sept. 23, 2018 by 11:00 AM (arrangements can be made for luggage during tour) |
Hotel Name: | The Inn at Mendenhall |
Hotel Address: | 323 Route 52, Kennett Pike, Mendenhall, PA, 19357 |
Phone Number: | 610-388-2100 |
Room rates include full hot breakfast each morning.
Our meetings will be in the Mendenhall Room at the hotel on Saturday, and the Winterthur Room on Friday evening.
3:00-7:00 PM | Registration, member exhibits (dinner on your own – light snacks available in Winterthur Room) |
7:30-9:00 PM | Introductions; Speaker: Chris Densmore, Swarthmore College – Clouds & Quakers in Pennsylvania. |
7:00-8:30 AM | Breakfast in hotel |
8:30 AM | CFA business meeting |
9:15 AM | Speaker: Loraine Lucas, Volunteer at the Kennett Underground Railroad Center |
10:00 AM | Break |
10:15 AM | Speaker: Update on the Cloud DNA Project |
10:45 AM | Speaker: TBA |
12:00-1:30 PM | Luncheon & speaker Michael Harris, author The Battle of Brandywine |
1:30 PM | short break |
2:00-4:00 PM | Break-out sessions:
|
4:00 PM | Dinner on your own. Winterthur Room and lobbies available for small groups to meet, visit, etc. during the evening. |
7:00-8:45 AM | Breakfast in hotel |
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Meet in Lobby for Bus Tour of Brandywine Valley and sites associated with the Cloud Family in the 1600-1800’s. |
Bus Tour with the Kennett Underground Railroad Center (about $20), Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Chadds Ford, Brandywine Battlefield, Newlin Grist Mill, Brandywine River Museum, Chester County Historical Society, and more.
A slide presentation by Wendy Wise
A report given Friday Evening, September 16, 2016
at the Cloud Family Gathering in Galveston, Texas
by Wendy & Russ Wise, Peggy & Robert Bamberg and Glenda Manis
regarding their recent trips to England.
Salisbury, Stonehenge, Devizes, Avebury, Lacock Abbey, Calne. Old Sarum iron age hillfort just northeast of Salisbury about 3 miles.
Wiltshire has been inhabited for several thousand years. Sarum (the “old” Salisbury) dates back before the Romans, and Salisbury Cathedral was completed in the late 1200’s. These reconstructions give an idea of how those early Wiltshiremen lived. The builders of Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, might have lived in these type of homes, too.
These replicas have all been constructed in the last 10-15 years based on discoveries made in several areas of southern England
Devizes is the center of this area. Southbroom is the area where St. James Church is now located, but was in Bishops Cannings Parish until about 1865. Also marked are Quaker sites of Rowde and Bishops Cannings. Roundway was a major battle in the Civil War. The Parliamentarians won, and came into Devizes. Cannon holes are still visible on the church tower. The dotted line marks Quakers Walk, which leads out to Quaker Road.
Robert and Phoebe Cloud were in Seend, as well as (I believe) William the Immigrant’s daughter, Susannah. (See later slide.)The dates fit correctly for her to have actually married John Lucas, a tailor in Seend. The Bezar and Withers families were primarily from Bishops Cannings.
with Southbroom
The first church here was a “chapel of ease” (easier to get to than the main parish church), probably built around 1461. Possibly before that it was attached to a leper hospital. Evidence shows that a small church may have been here from the 1200’s. In 1878 it became the garrison church of The Wiltshire Regiment, and was enlarged. This church has a fascinating history, found on the church’s website.
The cemetery was expanded in 1844 by taking in part of the Crammer. It was full by 1876, and closed. The city cemetery was opened about the same time.
Looking from the church entrance across the cemetery to The Crammer, thought to be the pond where the tale of the Moonrakers originated.
This chest dates from at least the 1600’s, and possibly earlier. Now used to store vases, etc.
The memorials were saved from the old church, and re-installed in the new church in 1831.
A place every visitor must see!
Note the “drainage ditch” down the middle. This particular shop is now a hat shop.
Step out the door carefully.
The “upper crust” going to the Ascot Races often bring their dresses to this shop (about 2 hours from London) and have hats made to order to go with the dress. While we were there, a woman brought in a dress, and everyone in the shop made suggestions for ribbons, flowers, feathers and so forth. Such fun!
The doors are short.
Across the walk, still low doors. Red brick looks much newer – note the way the windows are put in. And straight lines.
The second floors are really close.
Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Bishops Cannings, early 1200’s, with some Saxon evidence.
Gravestones unreadable.
The high pulpits were very common since no microphones! Helped the pastor’s voice to carry.
Street coming in to Seend. Road is very wide for an old village. Also, a sidewalk has been added.
British Isles Vital Record verifies her birth date, and place and says a Susanna Cloud married a LUCAS, John, Marriage Date: 4 May 1674
Recorded in: Rowde, Wiltshire, England. At the time of the marriage, her residence was Seend and his was North Bradley. (assumption that William and family in Seend also)
Susanna’s spouse was John Lucas, although her father’s will spells her name as Susanna Lukens. She was still living in England in 1702.
John Lucas was Christened on 5 Dec 1654 in Sutton-Veney, Wiltshire, England.
Sources: In English & Wales Christening Index 1530-1980 and In the Wiltshire, England Marriages 1538-1837
I put this information here so if anyone didn’t have it, I would know where to find it.
in Domesday Book 1086
Picture courtesy of the nationaltrust.org.uk
Village of Lacock, mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). Calne and Bishops Cannings also mentioned. Devizes is 11 miles away, Calne, 9 miles and Seend, 8 miles.
Yellow roads indicates the oldest areas of Calne.
Patford Street – seen on map
What is now the Car Park was at one time the stable yard.
Church street note the orange house above Russ’s head –
She asked if she could help us find something, and we told her we were looking for the oldest parts of town. She pointed to the house next to hers!
Taken from google.com/maps/streetview
You’ve got to love this door!
Just an old building on Church street – with low door and low windows.
Almhouses on Kingsbury street, built in 1682
And the plaque giving the year and dedication
Proclamation steps – sort of like the balcony of St. James Palace in London, where important announcements were made.
Quaker Meeting House in Calne. The burial ground behind the building is still there – wish I’d known that when we were there! Building has been sold a couple of times, and is currently vacant.
Taken from google.com/maps/streetview
Where the door is in the center was once the carriage entry into the stableyard (now car park)
By Brian Robert Marshall, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13489971
County town. Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre is here, with archives for the county.
And just in case you haven’t seen these maps……
This is the oldest – with first names written out.