Born in Vermont in 1782 Cleveland Stafford brought his wife Sally and infant first son, Solomon to Upper Canada about 1805 eventually settling in Lansdowne Township, Leeds County.

Stafford was balloted for militia duty in 1813 and was on duty at Brockville when the town was raided by an American force led by Captain Benjamin Forsyth in February 1813. Stafford and 44 others were taken as prisoners to Ogdensburg. Although they were released within a few hours, the incident resulted in a retaliatory raid the following week in which a combined force of British regulars and Canadian militia seized Ogdensburg, burned a small flotilla of boats and carried off the military stores.

In 1814 Cleveland Stafford served as a private in the Flank Company, 2nd Regiment Leeds Militia commanded by Captain Benjamin Munsell.

After the war Stafford carried on a mercantile trade and later operated a tavern in a large stone house he built on the main road to Beverly (Delta). The house was a landmark for over a century until it was razed to accommodate highway improvements in 1967.

Stafford’s wife Sally bore him ten children before she died in 1828; he subsequently m Anner, widow of  Ezra Holton with whom he had two children.

Cleveland Stafford d 5 July 5 1850 aged 68 years