The Weatherly family resided in Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, England. In the year 1779, Thomas and Catherine Weatherly parented David Sr Weatherly, who would later emigrate to the United States. David was an accomplished clock and watchmaker by trade. Although his primary residence would be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there was a period of time when he lived elsewhere...
John Koehler, an historian living in Carbon County, Pennsylvania writes:
"All we know ... according to early records
is that [David Weatherly] was a director on the Beaver meadow Railroad
& Coal Co. in Beaver Meadows, just about four (4) miles from [Black
Creek]. A charter for the building of the Beaver Meadow Railroad
was granted in 1830. The line was built from Beaver Meadow to [Black
Creek] in 1836-37 and on east to the canal wharves at Lehigh River.
The shops were moved to Weatherly in the winter of 1839-40 and that is
where David Weatherly appears in the community... In 1848, he talked
with the town officials about giving [Black Creek] a town clock if they
would change the name from Black Creek to Weatherly. The town
changed its name but he left [and] there [is no] record as to why he left.
Since they have found his clocks in different parts of the southeast, such
as Philadelphia, the President James Buchanan home in Lancaster, etc.,
we assumed that there were more people do clock work for than the few residents
who lived here."
The town had kept its promise and changed its name to Weatherly. David had not kept his end of the bargain, for motive or motives unknown. For instance, he may have become seriously ill and wished to spend his remaining months with what was left of his family members in Philadelphia, as he died shortly after he returned. One of his sons was Joseph Lawson Weatherly. Joseph left the home of his father sometime after 1835. He is found in the 1835 Philadelphia City Directory, but he is not listed in the directory for 1840. Indeed, he had taken a wife, Ruth L. PERIT, who was apparently the daughter of John W. PERIT (the only PERIT in the neighborhood) John's family lived very near to the Weatherlys. The actual union was forged October 11, 1838, and took place in Philadelphia.
A very brief excerpt from a newspaper article from the PRESS of February 28, 1951, states:
"He was born in 1807 and came here in 1837."
This is not totally true. He was actually born in 1806, albeit at the tail-end of the year. It may be true, or it may be a bit off, when it says he came to Cleveland in 1837. Remember his marriage was in 1838 in Philadelphia. It may be that he returned to Philadelphia for the marriage, or it may be that he came just a bit later than the newspaper lays claim.
So what do we actually know about the life
events of Joseph L. Weatherly while he was in Cleveland? We know
he had three children. The first-born was a daughter named Mary,
who was born sometime around 1839-1840. Mary was a traditional name
among the Weatherlys, and was the name of Joseph's own mother, Mary LAWSON
by birth. Sadly, young
Mary would die at the tender age of ten, on March 31, 1850. The
cause of her death is listed as "inflammation of the lungs". It also
says, Superior St. in Cleveland...
The Weatherlys would have two more children.
The name of neither is known to me at this point. Again, tragically,
the two children, aged 16 months, and one month, died. But what must
have made this so very shocking and devastating for Joseph, was that they
died within a month of each other, and that two weeks later, their mother,
too, would die. What was the cause of these deaths, as surely they
must have had related deaths. Was it disease or accident? Joseph
must really have experienced a deep loneliness. Married in Philadelphia
in 1838, he was triply bereaved by 1842. Did he remarry or give up
his daughter Mary? I have no indication of the first, and no wife
was mentioned in his obituary. The second I will pursue in connection
with his Philadelphia siblings. It is possible. But since
her death is listed as Superior St., it is unlikely he gave her up to family
members indefinitely.
What were the secular activities that Joseph
pursued while in Cleveland? There are a couple of entries in the
"Encyclopedia of Cleveland History" that give partial answer. If
one wishes to explore this online encyclopedia, it can be found at:
http://ech.cwru.edu/
Interestingly, one of the entries tells of the 1846 founding of the Cleveland Board of Underwriters. This later became known as the Insurance Board of Greater Cleveland. This board set up standards of regulation for the insurance industry, to protect the consumer, and strengthen credibility of the industry.
The other entry involves the Cleveland Fire Department's first fireboat, the "Joseph L. Weatherly."
Joseph had additional secular involvements, perhaps of greater curious interest, than of importance. One of these involvements would seem to belie his british inheritance! The PRESS article, formerly cited, reads:
"J.L. Weatherly
was a produce merchant. He boarded at the
Angier House and ate broiled snipe there when the Angier
was known for its cooking, best west of New York.
His office was at the dock where hotel buses met
many small passenger ships. He opened a coffee depot
there to sell coffee throughout all this lake region.
But everybody preferred tea and the depot closed with
tons of coffee beans unsold."
The PRESS article also relates:
Weatherly was a first chief of the fire department
when volunteers ran on foot with engines they pumped
by hand. Fire fighting was a sport and rival
companies fought with their fists."
I received partial verification of the first of the above PRESS references via email...
From
the First Directory of Cleveland and Ohio
City 1837-38:
"Weatherly J.L. & Co. commission and produce
merchants, Dock & River sts"
Since we note that Joseph was listed, first, as merchant, and, in later years in connection with the insurance industry, it is tempting, but perhaps inappropriate to assume, that Joseph's family tragedies were produced by accident, rather than disease -- fire, quickly coming to mind. Life was, however, simpler overall a hundred and fifty years ago, and men (and frequently, their wives) were often involved with "causes" that involved public welfare.
In course of time, Joseph, having lost all
his family members (buried at the Erie Street Cemetery), decided to accept
a position with the Mutual Insurance Company in New York. Thus, he
moved to a hotel in downtown Bufallo in 1863. He was listed as Secretary.
He died, three years later, on January 29, 1866, of the strange, skin-related
illness, Erysipelas. He was buried with his family in the Cleveland,
Ohio Erie Street Cemetery. David Jr Weatherly, Joseph's brother,
and a
Philadelphia lawyer, quoting from the family "Record" states:
"Joseph L. Weatherly
Son of David & Mary Weatherly
was born Nov. 1, 1806--and departed this life at
Buffalo January 29, 1866 in his 60th Year. His
remains were interred in his family vault in
Cleveland Ohio."
There is a mystery in connection with all this. In the article from the PRESS, there is a photo that reveals a structure near his stone that is no longer to be found. The article mentions this, and a funny story about the maintenance funds that were provided for its perpetual care:
GRAVE FUNDS APPEAR, 50 YEARS LATE
By George Davis
"Cleveland's Erie Street Cemetery finally
received a fund, willed a half century ago,
to keep the grass cut on the grave of J. L.
Weatherly, founder and first president of the
Cleveland Chamber of Commerce's parent Board
of Trade of Cleveland.
Mary Weatherly, one of his descendants, left the
money when she died in Philadelphia soon after
1900.
It was slow getting here because when it was
ready to be sent her own executor had died and
his executors were told the cemetery soon would
be abandoned.
That was in 1907. While the executors still
waited to hear when the graves were to be moved,
the Chamber of Commerce set up a granite marker
on the grave in 1940.
Election had followed election. The proposal
to abandon the cemetery had been crossed off and
no one had remembered to tell them about it in
Philadelphia.
Provident Trust Co. in Philadelphia woke up a
year or two ago and wrote Cleveland. Result of
this inquiry is that the money finally has
reached Director Arthur Munson of the Department
of Public Properties at City Hall."
Jumping ahead a sentence or two, note this interesting comment:
"The grave is topped by a white stone crypt. It
is so weathered no carving on it can be read, but
its shape makes it notable."
This is the missing object or structure.
What was it? What, if anything, did it contain? I hope to find
out. If you have any
information on this or other topics, such as the secular works of Joseph
Weatherly, his family, his church affiliations or benevolent group involvement,
I would love to hear of it. I understand an image of Joseph (which
I am hoping someone will volunteer to photograph with a digital camera
and email me a copy) hangs upon the wall at:
Greater Cleveland Growth Association
Tower City Center in Cleveland
I have other information on the WEATHERLY family line, which I am willing to freely share with others. Thank you.
Vincent Edward Summers (David Sr Weatherly's g,g,g-grandson)
vsummers@nrao.edu