WORK IN PROGRESS
The parents of Sarah Catherine “Kate” Losey nee Calyer 1845-1942 were James Calyer 1815-1852 and Lydia Wilson James 1825-1901
Parents and ancestors of James Calyer, probables or possibles?
Parents of Lydia James, with a probate story and connections to Cleveland’s “The Old Stone Church”.
James Calyer and Lydia Wilson James
We do not know where and when James and Lydia were married as their first official record as a family is in the 1850 census. Then James Calyer and Lydia were living on Chestnut Street, near intersection with Erie, Cleveland Ward 2 with Charles b1841, Lydia b1843, Catharine “Kate” b1845 and Daniel b1849. James was a printer, born in New York State owing real estate. Other records show that they had a son Frederick 1846-47 and Jane b1851.
James was sufficiently well off to pay taxes and in 1849 was a councilman representing the Second Ward of the City of Cleveland.
Death of James Calyer
James died in 1852, leaving Lydia with 5 children aged 1 to 11 years old. There are guardianship papers showing that Lydia did not cooperated with the authorities. In these papers Lydia’s daughter Kate, later Kate Losey is named in various variations of Sarah Catherine Calyer.
On the 8 March 1856 Lydia received a summons, delivered by the sheriff of Cuyahoga County to appear before the Probate Court on 14 March 1856 with the threat that if she did not administration of James Calyer’s estate would be given to ‘some other persons’. Eventually, nearly ten years later an action was taken out in the name of her children Daniel, then 16 years old and Jane then 14 years old and the property on Chestnut Street was advertised for sale “appraised at $2,200”. The advertisement in the Cleveland Plain Dealer began “Guardian Sale – in pursuance of an order of the Probate Court …”. Despite carefully reading the guardianship papers accessible through ancestry.com we cannot tell if Lydia or the authorities were acting in the best interest of her offspring.
The next record for Lydia is the 1870 census when she is living with her daughter Kate, then wife of William Losey, their young son and her own daughter Jane. [It is Lydia who owns their home? or ref to 49, Seneca (now 3rd) see below?] St. Lydia continued to live with Kate and her family until her death on 31 January 1901.
In the 1874 Cleveland directory:
Calyer Lydia W wid. James, boarding house 49, Seneca CHECK Lockwood pub address.
Lydia’s death: newpaper announcement
http://newsindex.cpl.org/ Date of announcement: February 2, 1901
Calyer-Mrs. Lydia James, Thursday, January 31, age 82 years and 11 months. Funeral Saturday, Feb. 2, standard from residence of her daughter, Mrs. Kate Losey, 589 Sibley st. Burial private. New York papers please copy.
Burial of Lydia and James Calyer: findagrave.com shows that James Calyer 1812-1852 , Lydia Calyer 1819-1901 and their son Frederick 1846-47 are buried in Erie Street Cemetery, Cleveland, Section 4 Lot 56 Grave 4.