31 Aug 1848 - 29 Nov 1928
pg 1 of 4
Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 January 2006
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William Fenwick Calvert 31 Aug 1848 - 29 Nov 1928 pg 1 of 4 |
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Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 January 2006 |
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The story of William Fenwick Calvert is a difficult story to
tell. In the first half of his life he was a strong man who selflessly
attended to his family. Yet, at times of crises or stress, he seemed to
buckle at the knees. His family relationships were extremely strong in
his early years. After age 45, however, he was apparently not able to sustain them for very long. Ultimately, his
life ended sadly, if not tragically. William Fenwick Calvert was the only son of James Calvert and Jane Hughes-Calvert. He was born on the family farm in the northeast corner of Stamford Township, Ontario. He had two older sisters (Mary and Anna) and, 15 months after his birth, a third sister Margaret was born. Margaret Calvert was my great-grandmother, William my great grand uncle. James Calvert had come to Canada from Carlisle, England and Jane Hughes had arrived from Queens County, Ireland. They met and married in Canada prior to 1837 and settled in Queenston Heights under the shadow of what is now the site of Sir Isaac Brock's Monument. They were tenant farmers working 100 acres of good farmland. That land is now under a man-made lake that serves as a reservoir for the Sir Adam Beck Hydro Electric Power Generation plant in the lower Niagara River. (Land Record) (Location Map) Life was fairly difficult for the family but Jane was able to teach William and Margaret to read and write. They were baptized at All Saints (Church of England) Church on Main St. in Niagara Falls, Ont. (Baptism Record) On 30 Sep 1869, James Calvert died at age 56 leaving William to operate the farm and support his mother and three sisters. James Calvert was buried at the St. John the Evangelist Church cemetery in Stamford, Ont. (Death Record) (Gravestone) William was a good farmer. At the 1872 Welland County Fair he was awarded 1st prize of $50 for having the "Best Farm" in the County. He also received several other prizes for some of his livestock. His eldest sister Mary married George Halburd in 1873 and moved to Buffalo, N.Y. This name was variously spelled Halburd, Halbert, Hubbard, etc. in census, marriage records, death records and newspaper notices. His youngest sister Margaret married Samuel McDonald on 10 Sep 1878. William was a witness to their marriage. (Marriage Record) Samuel was a shoemaker in Stamford and a widower. His first wife died 21 Mar 1878 leaving him with two young sons. Margaret married into this little family. They lived on Portage Rd. within sight of the Stamford Presbyterian Church. On 2 Aug 1880, they had a son, William (Billy) Calvert McDonald in Stamford. William was my grandfather. (Birth Record) During the years 1878 - 1881, Samuel McDonald bought and sold several properties in Stamford using funds left to his first wife by her parents. His attempts to be a "land flipper" were never very profitable. The year 1882 was a watershed year for the Calverts and the McDonalds. In March of that year, William Calvert gave up his farm and Samuel McDonald sold his land holdings in Stamford. Both families moved to International Bridge (Victoria) in Bertie Township at the south end of the Niagara River in what is now Fort Erie, Ont. Samuel bought the Victoria Hotel on Lewis St. right under the railroad bridge between Buffalo and Fort Erie. (Land Record - page 1 - page 2 - page 3) From his "mark" on Page 3 of the hotel purchase document it is evident that Samuel McDonald could not write his name (Mark). William Calvert bought the lot immediately next to the Victoria Hotel. (Land Record - page 1 - page 2 - page 3) On 14 May 1882, Samuel and Margaret had a daughter Mary Ann (Birth Record). |
