Robert Call - page 3 of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe's photograph album

The third photograph in the album is Robert Call (1831-1913), father of Charles Joslin Call. 

Robert call was born on June 5, 1831 in Chawleigh, Devon, England to John Call and Grace Paine, and baptized there on July 3, 1831

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Robert met his future wife, Charlotte Joslin (1834-1908) prior to immigrating to the United States. In 1851, they were both enumerated in the census as working on the farm of  Richard Reed in Chawleigh

Robert immigrated to the United States in 1854, arriving in Philadelphia on March 22 on the ship City of Glasgow. 

I don't know who the William Call listed on the line about Robert on the passenger lists is. Family stories state that Robert immigrated with William Joslin, Charlotte Joslin's brother. but passenger lists indicate he arrived in Boston on March 27, 1832. Robert Call did have a brother William, who was born in 1820 so would have been 33 not 23 in 1853. According to the 1900 census, William immigrated in 1860 however he married Sarah Thrush in 1857 in Wisconsin. He did become a naturalized citizen prior to 1900, however his naturalization papers have not been found. No other passenger list arrivals have been identified that definitely apply to William Call, brother of Robert Call. 

Robert Call and Charlotte Joslin married on July 16, 1854 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, six weeks after Charlotte arrived in Boston. 

On October 21, 1857, Robert Call filed his Declaration of Intent to become a U.S. citizen 

Citizenship.

Three years later, on October 23, 1860, Robert Call became a U.S. Citizen. 

In 1868, Robert purchased two farms in Stafford, Genesee County, New York. He purchased the Robbins Farm on March 18 and the Woodruff Farm on April 1. Robert and Charlotte lived on this farm, which became known as Prospect Farm for the remainder of their lives. 

Robert Call died on May 9, 1913 at his home in Stafford, Genesee County, New York. His obituary highlighted his prohibition work and the founding of Call Memorial Hall. 

 

There is no information about when the photograph was taken on either the photo or the album page. However, I believe it can be dated to about 1885-1890. It was probably taken at the same time as the photograph of Charlotte Joslin Call on page 2 of the album. 

The photographer, Charles W. Tallman, had a studio on the second floor over 80 and 82 East Main Street in Batavia from 1869 through sometime between 1892 and 1900. 

Using the criteria outlined in Gary W. Clark's 19th Century Card Photos Kwik Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Identifying and Dating Cartes de Viste and Cabinet Cards,  pages 37-46, the card can be dated as follows

The photograph is an albumen print on a cabinet card. Albumen prints were used from 1860-1898. 

The edges of the cabinet card are straight cut, not beveled, dating the card from 1870-1900. 

The card has a single thin line border, dating the card from 1885-1900. 

The card is a dark maroon card, with a gray back, which dates from 1884-1895. 

The photographers imprint is a cursive, larger text, dating from 1883-1900. 

If the photo does date from the second half of the 1880s, then Robert would have been in hisr mid- to late-50's when the photo was taken. 

Previous page in the album:  Charlotte Joslin Call

Next page in the album: Albert Coe