CLOUD

Apparently no one really knows the origin of the Cloud name. Some authors think it is of Frankish origin and others of Irish or Norman origin. Some think it is derived from the Saxon word "Clud" that means hill or out cropping of rock. Others think it is from the Frankish word "Hlds" (H being pronounced as C). In England where our Cloud line came from, the name was usually spelled Cloude or Clowde.  In America, several other variant spellings were used; such as Cloyd, Clowd, Clud, Clooud, etc.

My Dad, Charles Cloud, has been researching the Cloud lineage since 1966 and has established we are descendents of William Cloud, born in 1805, Pennsylvania.

England -- 17^th Century

Research shows that our English ancestor William Cloud came to America around 1682 or 1683 from southern England. He and family settled on a farm a few miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware. Then, that area was considered to be part of Pennsylvania, now known as Concord Township, Chester County. They had purchased 500 acres of land from William Penn before leaving England.

The family consisted of William Cloud and his four sons; Jeremiah, Joseph, John and Robert. Joseph did not come with them since he had come earlier as a servant to John Bezer, and later received his 50 acres of land in Caln Township, where he was living in 1709. John, William and Jeremiah resided on Naaman's Creek for some time. William Jr. was living in Caln in 1715, and died there in 1720. Joseph was there in 1719, but later moved Pextang. In all the family at one time owned approximately 1200 acres in the Naaman's Creek area. Upon his death William bequeathed to William Jr. 100 acres, to Jeremiah 200 acres and to sons Joseph, John and Robert one English shilling. The rest of his estate went to Hannah Cloud, daughter of Jeremiah, she being Executrix and Jeremiah to be Overseer. The Clouds stayed in Pennsylvania for a couple generations and then began to migrate south and west.