James Snowden Calvert J.P. (1825 - 1884)

Born 13 Jul 1825 in Otley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Caroline Louisa Waring (Atkinson) Calvert — married 11 Mar 1869 (to 18 Apr 1872) in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, Australia

Died 22 Jul 1884 at age 59 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

James Snowden Calvert was an explorer and botanist in colonial Australia.

James Snowden Calvert was born in 1825. He was the son of William Calvert, leather manufacturer, and Ann Coates.

He and his brother William migrated to New South Wales on board the ship Sir Edward Paget, which arrived 14 February, 1842. He met Ludwig Leichhardt on board, and in 1844 went with him on his first expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. Calvert was seriously injured during a fight with Aboriginal men of the Gulf country in June 1845.^[1]

He married Australian-born author and botanist Caroline Louisa Waring Atkinson at her family's estate, Oldbury, Sutton Forest, NSW, on 11 March 1869.^[2][3] She died 18 days after giving birth to their only child, Louise Snowden Annie Calvert, in 1872.

He passed away in 1884,^[4] and was buried at Rookwood.^[5]

Obituary

The Late J. S. Calvert. DEATH OF THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE LEICHHARDT PARTY.^[6]

James Snowden Calvert, J.P., the last survivor of Leichhardt's exploring party, expired last Tuesday at his residence, Mount Vernon-street, Forest Lodge. He was born on the 13th of July, 1825, on the Border between England and Scotland. At various periods of his youthful life he resided with his father in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and at the West End of London.

From a lad he had a penchant for travelling long distances, and engaged in all kinds of athletic exercises. In 1840 he accompanied his brother to Australia, where he had some relatives engaged in agricultural pursuits. Dr. Leichhardt was a fellow-passenger in the same ship, and the brother, hearing that the object of the doctors visit to Australia was for inland exploration, resolved to join his party. Eventually the doctor's exploring expedition to Port Essington was formed, and the deceased, finding his own horses, outfit, &c., joined the expedition at Newcastle. Here the steamer Sovereign conveyed the explorers to Moreton Bay, Queensland, as the expedition was to connect the surveys of Wick-ham and Stokes and the settlement of Port Essington, which was abandoned in 1823 and re-established in 1833, for the exportation of horses to India. The party were all volunteers, and their names were Messrs. Calvert, Roper, Murphy, Hodgson, Gilbert (a naturalist), and Phillips. They had 17 horses and 16 oxen. On the 1st of October, 1844, they reached the Condamine River, and subsequently discovered and named the Dawson River, various mountainous ranges called Gilbert's, Lynd's, Expedition, Peak's, Coxens's ; also Mounts Nicholson, Aldis, and Stewart, Comet Creek, Albinia Downs, and the rivers Boyd, Isaacs and Suttor were also discovered and named by them prior to the 9th of March, 1845. They proceeded from the coast, and discovered Mount McConnell, and the rivers Burdekin, Clarke and Perry. On June 25 they had passed the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria ; and on the 25th they ware attacked by the blacks. During the onslaught Gilbert was killed, and Calvert and Roper dangerously wounded. Nothing daunted, they continued their tour, and discovered the rivers Gilbert, Leichhardt, the Nicholson, Limnen Bight, Wickham, Roper, South Alligator. On December 15 Mounts Beddome and Roe were sighted ; and on the 17th, after a tour of 3000 miles, which occupied 15 months, the half-famished party reached Port Essington. The explorers returned by sea to Sydney, and £1400 were subscribed as a present for their enterprise. All the country they traversed is well stocked, and a portion of it is termed ' The Plains of Promise.' It will be seen that many of their discoveries are named after friends and patrons, such as the Rev. W. B. Clarke, Mr. Lynd (the late Sydney barrack-master), Baron von Mueller, Rev. Dr. Woolls, and others. Sickness prevented his accompanying Leichhardt on his last fatal expedition.

The deceased was a scientific botanist, and obtained a high mark of honour for his exhibits at the Paris Exhibition, a large bronze and silver medal for Botany at the Great London Exhibition, and a silver medal for his services at the second London Exhibition. He was made a magistrate by Sir William Denison, and frequently adjudicated at the various city police courts.

In 1870 he married the estimable young Australian authoress, Caroline Louisa Waring Atkinson, youngest daughter of the late Mr. James Atkinson, J.P., who held a high position under the Government. Mrs. Calvert was the writer of 'Gertrude,' 'Cowanda,' 'Tom Hillicker,' and was a botanist of no mean repute. She resided at the Kurrajong, Berrima, and Sutton Forest. She died suddenly on April 28, 1872 ; and Dr. Woolls, in the Richmond Church, on April 12, 1874, preached an eloquent sermon on her estimable character. Mr. Calvert felt her loss severely, and contemplated, should fortune favour him with means, to have republished her numerous Australian literary productions. The deceased gentleman was a genial-hearted man, respected by every one who came in contact with him.

Sources

1. ↑ A. H. Chisholm, 'Calvert, James Snowden (1825–1884)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/calvert-james-snowden-3143/text4687, published first in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 9 September 2022.
2. ↑ Marriage Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 09 Sep 2022), Index entry for JAMES S CALVERT and CAROLINE L H ATKINSON; District: BERRIMA; Registration Number: 1842/1869
3. ↑ Family Notices (1869, March 24). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244917060
   MARRIAGE. CALVERT—ATKINSON.— On the 11th March, at Oldbury, by the Rev. T. Horton, assisted by the Rev. J. Hassall, J. S. Calvert, Esq., J.P., of Cavan, to Louisa, youngest daughter of the late James Atkinson, Esq., J.P., of Oldbury.
4. ↑ Death Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 09 Sep 2022), Index entry for CALVERT JAMES S; Parents: WILLIAM & ANN; District: GLEBE; Registration Number: 3770/1884
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141041057/james-snowden-calvert: accessed 9 September 2022), memorial page for James Snowden Calvert (13 Jul 1825–22 Jul 1884), Find A Grave: Memorial #141041057, citing Rookwood General Cemetery, Rookwood, Cumberland Council, New South Wales, Australia; Maintained by Kaz Bee (contributor 49124188) .
6. ↑ The Late J. S. Calvert. (1884, July 24). Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), p. 3. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107268841

• Wikipedia contributors. (2022, August 19). James Calvert (explorer). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:58, September 9, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Calvert_(explorer)&oldid=1105365892