Sunday, December 26, 2010

Autograph of John D. Fraser of Pictou, Nova Scotia in autograph book of Bertha Clements, Waldo Center, Maine


In the autograph book of Bertha Clements of Waldo Center, Maine is the page, above, signed by John D. Fraser of Pictou, Nova Scotia.  Most of the autographs were signed in the late 1880s to the early 1890s.

Here are images of the front of Bertha's autograph book and the page where she signed her own name.






To see images of many of the other pages in Bertha's autograph book and for a brief look at her genealogy, see a previous post on Bertha Clements.  


You'll note that John D. Fraser is perhaps the only signer out of the state of Maine, other than her brother-in-law who had moved to Iowa.  Most of the signers were in Waldo or neighboring towns.  
  
The signers: [Click on the names in bold for a post featuring their autograph pages and genealogy.]

Bertha Clements signed her first name on the inside cover and her name and address on the first page
"Mother", who was Maria F. (Mixer) Clement of Waldo
Robert Clements, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Frank Blood, friend, 1887
Percy W. Clements, Waldo, Maine
Belle M. Clements, Bertha's sister
Florence A. Roberts, friend, 1891
Burton A. Curtis, friend, 1887
Melvin George Rolerson, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Laura J. Blood, East Knox, Maine
Isaac G. Sanborn, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Georgia, Bertha's friend
Lydia Clements, Bertha's cousin, 1891
Ethel Foss, Brooks, Maine, 1889
Phebe Paul, Waldo, Maine, 1889
? Clements, Bertha's cousin, Waldo, 1891
Bertha, Bertha's friend, 1887
C. E. Whitcomb, friend
Edna Reynolds, Waldo, Maine 1891
John D. Fraser, Pictou, Nova Scotia
Angie M. Sanborn, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Carrie S. Nickerson, Waldo, Maine, 1888
Jabie Clement (?), Bertha's cousin, 1889
Castanous Merrill Smalley, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Isaac Sheldon, Waldo, Maine, 1887
Ida Whitcomb, schoolmate, Waldo, Maine, 1889
Esther Clements, Bertha's sister, Waldo, Maine, 1887
Lela, Bertha's friend, Waldo, Maine, 1887
A. M. Patterson, Bertha's brother - I assume brother-in-law, Whiting Iowa, 1887
Effie Dell Rolerson, friend, Waldo, Maine, 1889
Ida Rolerson, friend, 1887
Lulu R. Cammett (?), Waldo, Maine
Delbert Joel Rolerson, Waldo, Maine, 1891
Ella F. Whitcomb, Waldo, 1890
Verie, Bertha's schoolmate, 1887
George H. Clements, Bertha's schoolmate, Waldo, Maine, 1890
Ellen M. Camett (?), Bertha's cousin, Waldo, Maine, 1889
Ernest L. Curtis, Bertha's friend, 1890
Irvin L. Curtis, Waldo, Maine
Everett Clements, Waldo, Maine
Rachel, Bertha's schoolmate, 1887
Berie Melcher (?), Waldo, Maine
Mary D. Smith, Waldo, Maine
Grace, friend, 1887



I'm finding that there are numerous Fraser family lines in the Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada, area.   Rather than going out on a limb, I'm hoping that someone who has researched the Fraser family will remember  a connection to the Waldo County area of Maine.  It's possible that John sailed into Searsport or Belfast or that a family member in Pictou had Maine relatives.


There's a plausible prospect in a John D. Fraser, born about 1874, the son of Hugh and Mary Jane Fraser, because he was nearly the same age as Bertha Clements, but there may be others.   Even if he were the correct John D. Fraser, researching his genealogy is no mean feat, owing to the fact that I found multiple Hugh Frasers online, with contradictions in his parents and spouses.


Some of the Pictou Frasers go back to the year 1773 when the Ship Hector brought 189 Scottish Highlanders to Nova Scotia.  They were seeking to escape harsh conditions under British rule, which had been instituted after the Highlanders lost the Battle of Culloden in 1746.  Unfortunately, they found that conditions in the New World could be equally as harsh, if not more so at times.


Here's an interesting website with the history of the Pictou area, including the Hector:  The Hector Story.


Below are Individual maps of Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada and Waldo, Maine.  People back then thought nothing of sailing back and forth between the Fundy areas of Nova Scotia and Washington County, Maine, but I'm guessing that someone traveling from Pictou to Maine would first travel overland to Truro, Nova Scotia, board a vessel and sail the length of Fundy south to Belfast, Searsport or Winterport, which are the closest ports to Waldo.



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Map of Waldo, Maine:



View Larger Map



If you have any insights to add to the information presented above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.


Thanks for stopping by!


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