Saturday, October 26, 2013

Illustrated Autograph Album given by Pastor Samuel Kelley in 1845 to Ruth Ann (Cousens) Sanborn of Kennebunk, Maine, and Great Falls, New Hampshire, now Somersworth



Autograph album given by Pastor Samuel Kelley on November 13, 1845 at Great Falls, New Hampshire, to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens. 

Aside from the pages of sentiments, the album contains several pages of hand-colored illustrations, shown at the end of this post.



The album is approximately 7-3/4" x 6" and contains the sentiments, many full page, of 18 of Ruth's relatives and friends.  Several were pastors.

An alphabetical list of the signers appears near the end of this post.



From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections and additions welcome!]

Ruth Ann Cousens was born 6 October 1825 at Kennebunk, Maine, daughter of Jeremiah and Eliza (Kimball) Cousens, who were both born at Wells, Maine.

Ruth's younger sister Vialette M. Cousins, or possibly Violette M. Cousins, signed a page at Kennebunk, Maine, on March 5, 1848.



By 1845, it appears that Ruth was at Great Falls, New Hampshire, now Somersworth, where she was presented this beautiful album by Pastor Samuel Kelley.

On 9 March 1848 at Great Falls, New Hampshire, Ruth married Nathan Bachelder Sanborn, son of Jonathan (Tilton) Sanborn and Hannah (Page) Sanborn.  Nathan was born 6 October 1821 at Belmont, or Gilmanton, New Hampshire.

They lived at Great Falls, then Thornton and then Gilmanton, New Hampshire.  They had, I believe, seven children, only one of whom died in childhood.

  • Olin Kimball Sanborn (1849-1850)
  • Anna Page Sanborn (1851-1896); m. 1) Leonard Augustus Durgin; 2) Frank A. Marsh; 3) Moses M. Downing
  • Olive Elenora Sanborn (1853-1925); m. Daniel Gilman Chesley
  • Orrin C. Sanborn (1857-1925)
  • Frank Melville Sanborn (1860-1946); m. 1) Winnie M. Kenison; 2) Lilla M. Hill; 3) Mary Bachelder
  • Abbie Florence Sanborn (1863-1975); m. Frank M. Twombly
  • George Kimball Sanborn (1866-1936)
Both Ruth and Nathan died in the spring of 1892. 

Reverend Jefferson T. Davis and his wife Annie Louise (Brown) Davis of Franklin, New Hampshire, signed a page in 1888, the latest signatures in the album.


  
G. P. Warner signed a page at Woodstock, presumably New Hampshire, on April 22, 1850.  He was likely Rev. Greenleaf P. Warner.



Reverend David McIndoe and his wife Hattie Smith (Youngman) McIndoe, then at Thornton, New Hampshire, signed pages, he on January 31, 1851, and she on February 1, 1851.




Two mementos were loose in the album, an embroidered bookmark with the initials V.A.S. and a truncated newspaper clipping about a woman named Twombly.





If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or if you have information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of signers: [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

  • L. H. C. or L. K. C., inscribed to "Ann", signed at Kennebunk, Maine, in February 1848.  Inscribed to Ann
  • E. Adams, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on August 25, 1847; inscribed to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens
  • M. A. Adams, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on December 3, 1847; inscribed to Miss Cousens
  • E. Clement, signed at Thornton, New Hampshire, on September 30, 1852; inscribed to Mrs. R. A. Sanborn
  • Coleman, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on March 30, 1846.  First initial could be H; inscribed to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens
  • Ruth Ann Cousens, album owner, presented to her by Pastor Samuel Kelley in 1845 at Great Falls, New Hampshire
  • Vialette M. Cousens, signed at Kennebunk, Maine, on March 5, 1848.  She was Ruth M. Cousen's younger sister.  She appeared to spell her name as Vialette, but I also found records for a Violette M. Cousens.  Inscribed to "Sister Ruth Ann"
  • J. T. Davis; shared page with Annie L. Davis; they were Rev. Jefferson T. Davis and wife Annie Louise (Brown) Davis of Franklin, New Hampshire
  • Annie L. Davis of Franklin, New Hampshire, signed on November 5, 1888; shared page with J. T. Davis.  They were Annie Louise (Brown) Davis and husband Rev. Jefferson T. Davis
  • Sarah A. P. Garland, signed at Thornton, New Hampshire, on January 9, 1855; inscribed to Mrs. R. A. Sanborn
  • Christine H. Hanson, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on June 24, 1846; inscribed to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens
  • Pastor Samuel Kelley, presented the album to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens on November 13, 1845 at Great Falls, New Hampshire
  • D. McIndoe, signed at Thornton, New Hampshire, on January 31, 1851; inscribed to Mrs. Ruth Sanborn [Ruth had married Nathan Bachelder Sanborn on 8 March 1848].  I believe he was David McIndoe, born 1824 in Newbury, Vermont.  His wife, Harriet Smith (Youngman) McIndoe also signed a page.  Inscribed to Mrs. Ruth A. Sanborn
  • H. S. McIndoe, signed at Thornton, New Hampshire, on February 1, 1851; inscribed to Mrs. R. A. Sanborn. She was Harriet Smith (Youngman) McIndoe, wife of signer David McIndoe.  Inscribed to rs. R. A. Sanborn
  • Florence A. Sanborn, signed at Gilmanton, New Hampshire, on April 24, 1881
  • Mrs. Susan F. Smith, signed at Thornton, New Hampshire, on September 30, 1850; inscribed to Mrs. Sanborn
  • Helen Maria Twombly, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on August 5, 1847; inscribed to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens
  • Samuel Twombly, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, on August 4, 1847; inscribed to Miss Ruth Ann Cousens
  • G. P. Warner, signed at Woodstock [no state listed], on April 22, 1850; inscribed to Mrs. Ruth A. Sanborn.  Perhaps Rev. Greenleaf P. Warner
 





Kennebunk, Maine to Great Falls, Somersworth, New Hampshire


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