CORLETT, William

WILLIAM CORLETT
Laura, Illinois
circa 1893

This photograph of William Corlett was located at the December show of the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds Antiques Fair a couple of days ago. The photo was taken in Elmwood, Illinois, at a studio called the St. Louis Gallery. On the back are written the words "Mr. Wm. Corlett, Laura, Illinois".

Laura is a very small unincorporated community east of Williamsfield and northwest of Peoria, in Peoria County.

The scalloped edges of this cabinet card date it to a period between 1886 and 1900, and were most popular in the early to mid-1890's. The small lapels on the jacket suggest a time period between 1890 and 1894.

The subject appears to be between 40 and 50 years old, thus an estimated birth year can be assumed of around 1840-1850, probably closer to 1850.

Using Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com, I was able to find a William Corlett buried in Brimfield, Peoria County, Illinois. Brimfield is a mere 9 miles south of Laura. This William Corlett was born 6 Sep 1848 on the Isle of Man, England, and died 1 Oct 1919. He was married first to a woman named Flora Kimler (d. 1892) and second to Alice Fisher (d. 1902).

Elsewhere on the Internet I located this photograph of William Corlett (photo at right) which was probably taken just a couple of years earlier than the image at top. I do not possess the photo at right, but include it here for comparison.

He is found on the 1870 Census at age 21 working at the McCay (McCoy?) Farm in Millbrook Township, which was the agricultural community surrounding the village of Laura.

1870 Census > Illinois > Peoria County > Millbrook Township
McCAY, John A., 49, farmer, born in Penn
McCAY, Margaret, 17, born in Illinois
McCAY, Albert, 15, Illinois
McCAY, Mary M., 12, Illinois
CORLETT, William, 21, farm labor, born Isle of Man
McCAY, Jane, 73, born Pennsylvania

The Census of 1870 appears to read McCay as this family name. However an 1873 map of Millbrook township (courtesy of PeoriaCountyIllinois.info) shows parcels of land south of Elmore and northwest of Laura owned by the McCoy family. The map shows many other land owners mentioned on the same Census that would have been William Corlett's neighbors at the time. These include George P. Wykoff, Alexander and Archibald Todd, John Bridson, J.C. Slocum, Elisha Sutherland, Alfred Reed, Samuel Matthews, John McKane, Rebecca Oakes, Daniel McCay (or McCoy). 

Click for larger image

By 1880, Corlett (30), now a farmer in his own right, and his wife Flora (31), are living with a couple of boarders. His nearest neighbors on the 1880 Census page are Rebecca Oakes, James Reed, John Bridson, and some McCoy's clearly spelled with an "o" by this year's census taker. So I think that family may have actually been McCoy, and not McCay.

William was married first to Flora Kimler, who died in 1892. He married second wife Alice (Fisher) Slocum the same year. She was a widow with a infant daughter of her own.

1900 Census > Illinois > Peoria > Millbrook
CORLETT, William, head, Sept 1848, 51, born Isle of Man, farmer
CORLETT, Alice M., wife, Feb 1863, 37, born in Ill. of Mass and NY parents
SLOCUM, Pearl F., step-daughter, Jan 1891, 9, born in Iowa of Illinois parents
CORLETT, Mae E., daughter, Jan 1893, 7, born in Illinois
CORLETT, Mona B., daughter, Sept 1899, 8mo., born in Illinois

Second wife Alice died 26 March,1902. Her daughter by previous marriage, Pearl, died at age 21 in 1912.

1910 Census > Illinois > Peoria > Millbrook
CORLETT, William, head, 61, widowed, no occupation
CORLETT, May, daughter, 17, attending school
CORLETT, Mona, daughter, 10, attending school

Mona died at age 19, on 16 Oct 1918.

William Corlett died 1 Oct 1919.