CFH First Draft: William Callin (1845-1907)

 This post is part of an ongoing series, sharing the first draft of my Revised Callin Family History. 

William Callin is the 29th person in a descendant report beginning with the earliest known ancestor of our Callin family, (1.) James Callin. This descendant report uses the Register Style of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society. 

Please use the Contact Form (at right) to send questions or corrections.

Fourth Generation

29. William Callin (James-3, James "2nd"-2, James "1st"-1) was born on 30 Mar 1845, either in Iowa or immediately after his mother, Margaret, returned to Ohio.  (On the census records, he generally reported his birthplace as “Iowa.”)  According to the Callin Family History:

“William Callin was left an orphan in childhood about the age of 3. Was adopted by and raised by a family named Day near New London, O. At eighteen he enlisted in Co. E, 55th Regt. O.V.V.I., was in all of the battles of his Reg't. till captured on Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and remained in Andersonville prison till close of war. He escaped from prison three times but was each time traced by bloodhounds, captured and returned. His prison life resulted in curvature of the spine and he was badly crippled during later life, enduring much suffering and finally death, for the services he rendered his country, to which he gave the full measure of his devotion.”

William enlisted in Company E, 55th Regiment, Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry on 1 Nov 1861  and re-enlisted in 1863. He mustered out on 20 Jun 1865, and his profile does indicate that he was a prisoner of war. Sherman’s Campaign pushed through Georgia from 15 Nov until 21 Dec 1864, so William was most likely captured during that month, and would have been liberated half a year later, in May 1865.

William Callin and Theodocia C. Johnston were married in Aug 1868 in Lorain County, Ohio. Theodocia was the daughter of John H Johnston (1819–1864) and Elizabeth Pierce “Betsey” Snyder (1824–1911), born on 17 Mar 1843 in Ohio. They lived in Huron, Erie County, Ohio in 1870 before moving to Rochester, Lorain County, where their daughter was born in 1872; they appeared on the census there in 1880 and 1890.

Theodocia died in Rochester on 3 May 1899 at the age of 56 and she was buried in Rochester Station Cemetery, Rochester, Lorain County, Ohio. William remained in Rochester, where he died on 19 Mar 1907 at the age of 61; he was also buried in the Rochester Station Cemetery.

William Callin and Theodocia Johnson had the following child:

90 i. Edith May Callin, born 15 Jun 1872, Rochester, Lorain, Ohio; married Oley Ray Hanley, 16 Aug 1900, Lorain County, Ohio; died 15 May 1967, Toledo, Lucas, Ohio.