Heirlooms Reunited: 1879-1880s Autograph Album of Ella M. Wadsworth, or Mary Ella Wadsworth, of Holliston, Massachusetts

1879-1880s autograph album that belonged to Ella M. Wadsworth, or Mary Ella Wadsworth, of Holliston, Massachusetts. The albums contains many pages signed by people in the Holliston, Massachusetts, area, and in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where Ella and her parents moved at some point after 1880.

See other posts that feature an 1875-1877 autograph album and an 1878-1880s autograph album that belonged to Ella's brother John Franklin Wadsworth.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 66 of Ella's relatives, schoolmates and friends. An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of signers, complete with any family relationship, school or residence information, appears at the end of this post.

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

Mary Ella Wadsworth was born 28 October 1860 at New Sharon, Maine, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth, who were born in Maine and in Massachusetts respectively. Ella's parents signed a page in her album.

Ella had six siblings, only one of whom, George Melvin Wadsworth, signed a page in her album. To see the handwriting of Ella's other siblings, use the links above to view the posts on the two autograph albums of her brother John Franklin Wadsworth.

George Melvin Wadsworth signed his page as G. M. Wadsworth on a set of facing pages signed by 17 students at the Willard School. A comment left on a post that featured the 1878-1885 autograph album of a Nellie ? of the Boston/Quincy, Massachusetts area indicated that Theresa Fegan and Nellie Fegan, presumably Theresa Fegan and Ellen B. Fegan below, were teachers at the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts. The pages below are undated; I don't know whether the signers were students, teachers or a combination of the two.

Signers on the facing pages above: 1) Alice E. Sanborn; 2) G. M. Wadsworth [presumably Ella's brother George Melvin Wadsworth]; 3) Nellie S. Dickey; 4) E. A. Desmond; 5) Rose W. Lewis; 6) Gertrude L. Gardner; 7) Ellen B. Fegan; 8) Jennie A. Corliss; 9) Mary Conway; 10) E. A. Newcomb; 11) Georgia M. Glines; 12) Theresa Fegan; 13) R. M. Chamberlin; 14) Grace L. Shaw; 15) Annie F. Burns; 16) Abbie H. Kelley; 17) J. M. Billings.

Ella signed a page as part of as group of 14 students in the Class of 1879 in the later album of her brother John Franklin Wadsworth. Signers: 1) Ella Cushing; 2) Della M. Draper; 3) Mary Driscoll; 4) Eva M. Eames; 5) Effie L. Fiske; 6) Lucy B. Nichols; 7) Ella Wadsworth; 8) Lizzie F. Barber; 9) Annie Blake; 10) W. H. Stevens; 11) Ed. Rawson; 12) T. T. Sheedy; 13) P. F. Gahan; 14) M. M. Parker [One or both M could be a W]; 15) Lizzie Wilder.

In the 1880 Census, "Ella" was shown as living at Medway, Massachusetts, with her parents and brothers Charles and Arthur. At the time of the enumeration of the 1900 ["Mary E."] and 1910 ["Mary Ella"] Censuses, she, a schoolteacher, and her parents were living at Pawtucket, Rhode Island. By 1920, Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth had died; "M. Ella", a music teacher in a public school, and her father were still at Pawtucket. By the time of the 1930 Census of Pawtucket, John Wadsworth had died, and "Ella M." was still teaching, at the age of about 70. It's interesting that she referred to herself as Ella M. Wadsworth in her album and in the 1930 Census, when there was no one else to speak for her.

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

Two leaves in the album were punched with Braille. If you can interpret the messages, please leave a comment or contact me. The first, front and back:

The second, front and back:

Surnames in the album

?
Abbott
Bennett [2]
Billings
Brown [2]
Bullock [2]
Burns
Chamberlin
Clark [6]
Colburn [3]
Conway
Corliss
Davis
Desmond
Dickey
Fegan [2]
Freeman [3]
French
Gardner
Glines
Gurney [5]
Hixon
Horton
Keith [3]
Kelley
Kimball
Leeson
Lewis
Lowd [2]
Luce
Monroe
Natke [2]
Newcomb
Partridge
Phillips
Roberts
Rockwood
Sanborn
Shaw
Sullivan
Tuck
Verrill
Wadsworth [4]

Signers in the album [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

Josie, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on June 16, 1881

Winnie A. Abbott of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on June 11, 1880

Albert A. Bennett of Middletown, Connecticut, signed on September 30, 1879. His wife Mela (Barrows) Bennett signed the right facing page.
Mela Barrows Bennett of Middletown, Connecticut, signed on September 30, 1879. Her husband Albert A. Bennett signed the left facing page.
J. M. Billings; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Sara W. Brown of Brockton, Massachusetts; signed on a page shaqred with Hattie N. Keith; Orren E. C. Keith; and Edith L. Keith
M. Florence Brown of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on April 19, 1882
Addie E. Bullock of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 8, 1880
Nellie S. Bullock of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 8, 1880
Annie F. Burns; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]

R. M. Chamberlin; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
M. Belle Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 5, 1880
Alice R. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 4, 1880
M. C. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 4, 1880
Walter B. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 6, 1880
Bertha L. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed "Day after the Fourth, 1880"
Chris E. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 6, 1880
Edwin W. Colburn of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on December 5, 1883. Presumably Edwin Wilkinson Colburn, either the father or the son. Sarah Frances (Dickinson) Colburn, who was either the wife or the mother of this signer, signed the following page.
Sarah F. Colburn of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on December 6, 1883. She was Sarah Frances (Dickinson) Colburn, whose husband Edwin Wilkinson Colburn or son of the same name signed the previous page.
Hattie A. Colburn of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on December 5, 1883
Mary Conway; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Jennie A. Corliss; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]

S. W. Davis of Cottage City, Massachusetts [Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha's Vineyard]
E. A. Desmond; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Nellie S. Dickey; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]

Ellen B. Fegan; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Theresa Fegan; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
D. W. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 10, 1879. He was Daniel W. Freeman, whose wife Marion A. (Olcott) Freeman signed the right facing page.
Marion A. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 10, 1879. She was Marion A. (Olcott) Freeman, whose husband Daniel W. Freeman signed the left facing page.
Bertha A. O. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 10, 1879
Nellie L. French of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on October 28, 1885

Gertrude L. Gardner; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Georgia M. Glines; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
J. G. Gurney of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on September 18, 1883
Lizzie N. Gurney of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on September 19, 1883
Lena L. Gurney of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on September 19, 1883
E. N. Gurney of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed at September 19, 1883
N. N. Gurney of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on September 19, 1883

Nellie F. Hixon of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on November 21, 1883
Ella M. Horton of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 8, 1880

Hattie N. Keith; signed on a page shared with Orren E. C. Keith; Edith L. Keith; and Sara W. Brown of Brockton, Massachusetts
Orren E. C. Keith; signed on a page shared with Hattie N. Keith; Edith L. Keith; and Sara W. Brown of Brockton, Massachusetts
Edith L. Keith; signed on a page shared with Hattie N. Keith; Orren E. C. Keith; and Sara W. Brown of Brockton, Massachusetts
Abbie H. Kelley; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
W. R. Kimball of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on September 19, 1883

George E. Leeson of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on June 11, 1880
Rose W. Lewis; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Albert Leavitt Lowd of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 19, 1879; shared the page with his wife Clara A. (Stuart) Lowd
Clara A. Lowd of Holliston, Massachusetts. She was Clara A. (Stuart) Lowd, who shared the page with her husband Albert Leavitt Lowd.
Sallie O. Luce of East Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on September 13, 1882

Allie A. Monroe of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Oscar A. Natke of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 9, 1880
Amelia Natke of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 9, 1880
E. A. Newcomb; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]

Mattie L. Partridge, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on June 4, 1881
Harry S. Phillips of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 7, 1880

Clarence V. Roberts of Montpelier, Vermont, signed on January 23, 1883
Carrie L. Rockwood of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on November 11 [or 17], 1883

Alice E. Sanborn; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Grace L. Shaw; signed on the right page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]
Frank L. Sullivan of Newton Centre, Massachusetts, signed on May 9, 1880

L. Wadsworth Tuck; "your cousin". He was Lorenzo Wadsworth Tuck.

L. B. Verrill of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on November 26, 1883

Ella M. Wadsworth, album owner, who wrote her name in the album. She may also have been known as Mary Ella Wadsworth.
John Wadsworth; shared the page with his wife Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth. Parents of album owner Ella M. Wadsworth [or Mary Ella Wadsworth]
Elizabeth Wadsworth. She was Elizabeth Leonard Wadsworth, mother of album owner Ella M. Wadsworth [or Mary Ella Wadsworth] and wife of John Wadsworth, with whom she shared the page.
G. M. Wadsworth [presumably Ella's brother George M. Wadsworth]; signed on the left page of a set of facing pages, along with other students at the Willard School [perhaps the Willard School at Quincy, Massachusetts?]

Holliston, Massachusetts, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Thanks for stopping by!