Calvert, Joseph L. 1824-1909, Marion Alderman and Merchant

Joseph Lewis “Uncle Lew” Calvert, four term Marion Alderman, was the son of John Newton Calvert and Cynthia Simpson. His grandparents were John Calvert and Gracey Newton and William Simpson and Mary “Polly” Jones. 

Joseph’s mother, Cynthia, was born before 1800 in Vienna; she died before 1840.  She and John Newton were married on February 26, 1818. Joseph L. had several siblings:  Silas M., Napoleon B., William S., John Bunyon, George Marion, Martha C., Thomas A., and Nancy C. Calvert. Five of the siblings died before the age of 7. 

Joseph L. Calvert was born on February 19, 1824 in old Reynoldsburg in Johnson County, Illinois. He married Nancy Bouyer/Bowyer on September 16, 1846 in Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois. She was born on June 25, 1827.  In the census records J.L. is called many different names similar to Joseph Lewis and it was necessary to follow the other members in the family to track this family down through the years. 

In the 1850 census, Nancy and Joseph had two children, Ann and George N. Calvert. Joseph’s brothers, John B. Calvert, 18, and Silas Calvert, 31, were living with them. Joseph was listed as a cabinet maker. It is fairly certain that the family was living in Marion just north of the square.

In an 1856 Marion Monitor article, an advertisement was found advertising a variety store and a livery stable operated by J.L. and G.M. Calvert. G.M. would have been George Marion Calvert, Joseph’s brother, so they apparently operated a couple of joint business ventures. No locations were indicated but the family is known to have owned a parcel of land where Calvert Street is now located, four blocks north of the Marion square. Through this same time frame, ads were found in the paper for coffins that could be bought from William S. Calvert at his cabinet shop near the old steam Mill (Edwards Mill) on West Main Street. William S. was also another of the Calvert brothers.

In 1860 Joseph was 36 and Nancy E. was 33.  Their children, Ann Elizabeth was 13, John M. was 8 years old, Cyrus R. was 4 and Mary M. was 1.  Their son, George N., who should be 11, was not on the census rolls after 1850 and appears to have perished. Joseph was listed as a carpenter.

In 1870 and 1880 the census records for Joseph L and Nancy are unclear.

Joseph L. Calvert served as alderman for the city of Marion in four terms. He served under Leroy Goddard as Mayor in 1880 and 1881 and later served under Mayor James C. Jackson in 1885 and 1886. 

In 1900 Joseph and Nancy were living alone.  He was 76 and she was 72. They lived at the old home place on Calvert Street.

Joseph’s wife, Nancy, died on January 5, 1901 and Joseph Lewis Calvert died on March 29, 1909 at the age of 86.

The obituary for Joseph, known as “Uncle Lew,” in the Carbondale Daily Free Press reported that the living children were: Mrs. Anna Lemming of Williamsport, O., who was formerly Mrs. Mose Burham of this city; a son, J. M., now of Marion; Mrs. Mary N. Scurlock, wife of V.A. Scurlock, of Marion; Mrs. Lila Mayhew of Carbondale, and Mrs. Nannie Curlee of Herrin. Mrs. Calvert passed away some eight years ago while the family lived at the old home place on East Calvert Street.

The paper stated, “For over forty years “Uncle Lew” was a Christian and a member of the church, having joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church at Crossroads, near here. His name is yet to be found on the books at that place. He was also a Mason for over forty years, and during the more active days of his life was an active member.  He was buried Sunday with Masonic honors, the members of his lodge, Fellowship, No. 89, attending the funeral and burial in a body and taking an active part in the service.”

Notes on the Calvert’s:

The Calvert family, were early citizens in Marion and occupied the area now named for them in Calvert Street, four blocks north of the square. An old timer from Corinth, in a letter to the editor in 1874, recalled Marion from the 1855 era and stated, “There were but a few buildings north of N.B. Calvert’s residence. All around where the depot (railroad on N. Market) now stands was a low, swampy plat of land, a resort for ducks and plover. Where Hundley’s brick now stands was an old log cabin; that and the building recently moved by M.W. Robertson constituted that block.” N.B. Calvert was Napoleon B. Calvert, Joseph’s brother. Joseph’s father, Reverend John N. Calvert was also known to live in that plot of ground and was a pioneer Presbyterian minister in the area.

Notes on the Children:

Ann Elizabeth Calvert was born Oct 13, 1846. She married Moses Barham. Later she married a Lemming. She and Moses had Joseph Louis (1867-1921), Mary E. (1871), Curtis Marion (1874-1945), Walter (1881-1902) and Fred Lee (1886). In the 1880 census Moses was listed as a tobacconist.  Ann Elizabeth died on March 27, 1910. 

John Marshall Calvert was born Sep 1, 1851. He married Charlotte Harrell on September 10, 1874. They had Laury Ann Calvert. He married Mary V. Walker on September 3, 1882. They had Mary Louise and Lela M. Calvert. In the 1900 census he was a farmer and in 1920 he was a grocery merchant. He died September 21, 1924 and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. 

Mary M. Calvert was born June 14, 1857. She married Virgil A. Scurlock, a barber and they lived in Carterville. They had Harry (1879), Luella (1889), Willie(1891) and Charles Scurlock (1893).

Cynthia Caroline Calvert was born April 9, 1861 in Marion. She married Sylvester M. Mayhew. They lived in Carbondale and Murphysboro. They had Fannie (1884), Inez (1886) and Ross (1888).

Nannie Calvert Curlee, was listed in Joseph Lewis’ obituary as being married to Zebedee Curlee from Herrin.

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(Sources:  US census records, Illinois marriage index, Carbondale Daily Free Press, History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois, People and Places of Williamson County, Illinois; compiled by Colleen Norman, edited by S. Lattuca)

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