Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Caley, Thomas 1814 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 30, 2007, 11:58 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

THOMAS CALEY. The gentleman who lives on the farm on section 32, Lapeer
Township, Lapeer County, is one of the pioneers of this district whose varied
experiences as viewed now through the pleasant light of success and comfortable
situation, form one of his most pleasing themes of thought and conversation. He
is a son of Mathias Caley, a farmer on the Isle of Man, who was there born May
9, 1780. Our subject's mother was Mary (Stevens) Caley, also a native of the
Isle of Man, whose decease took place in 1843 at the age of sixty-three years.

  Our subject's parents were married in the old country and came to America in
1828, remaining in Oneida County, N. Y., until 1836, when they came to Michigan
and settled on section 5, Metamora Township, Lapeer County. They were among the
very first to settle in that vicinity and the barn which he built, which was the
second in the township, still stands. There were then only three families in the
township and the country was wild indeed. Frequently an entire week would pass
without the family seeing a human face outside of their own home circle. There
were plenty of Indians, however, and wild animals. He there built a log house
and cleared his land, improving eighty acres before his death. Mathias Caley
died December 26, 1858. Of the three children born to them two are now living
and of these the subject of our sketch is the younger. His brother John, who was
a retired farmer, residing in the city of Lapeer, died October 20, 1891, at the
age of eighty years.

  Thomas Caley was born June 25, 1814, on the Isle of Man. He was fourteen years
of age when he came to America and here learned the carpenters' and joiners'
trade at which he worked for seven years and then began for himself at eighteen
years o-f age. In 1835 he came to Michigan, preceding his parents one year, and
when they became too aged to have the responsibilities of life he took care of
them. In July, 1841, he was married to Jane Carran, a native of the Isle of Man.
They made their home on the old homestead. Mrs. Jane Caley died at the age of
fifty-eight years. November 11, 1862, our subject again married, his wife being
Sarah Looney, also a native of the Isle of Man, who was brought to America by
her parents when an infant and was an early settler in Oakland County, this
State. Our subject and his present wife are the parents of two children— Thomas
Mathias and William R. The elder, lives in Metamora Township and is married to
Mary Dickey, and they are the parents of one child. William, who is twenty-three
years of age, (1891) still lives at home.

  Mr. Caley is a large landowner in this State, having seven hundred acres in a
body in this locality and over two thousand acres all told in Michigan; although
advanced in years he attends to all the business of his various farms and runs
them successfully. He began in life a poor boy and has accumulated his present
handsome fortune by industry, prudence and frugality. He gives his whole
attention to general farming, dealing largely in grain, and owning some fine
graded stock. He is also quite an extensive money-lender and represents the
largest financial interests of the county, having paid $500 taxes last year.

  Our subject and his wife are attendants of the Episcopal Church and are
generous supporters of Gospel work as is founded by that denomination. He is a
Democrat, but has never had ambition to hold office, his individual interests
being paramount to other considerations. He was, however, been Road Overseer and
Highway Commissioner and takes an active interest in the advantages that the
various incumbents of public offices secure to the district.

  In connection with this sketch the reader will notice lithographic portraits
of Mr. and Mrs. Caley.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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