Sunday, August 31, 2014

1878-1895 Autograph Album that Perhaps Belonged to Etta Bell Pierce of St. Johnsbury, Vermont


1878-1895 autograph album that may have belonged to Etta Bell Pierce, or Etta Belle Pierce, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  Several people in the album mentioned family relationships, but, I believe some of these relationships were in-law or step relationships.


The album is approximately 7-3/4" x 4-3/4" and contains the sentiments of 65 people, including members of the Pierce, Williams, Bradley and Hallett families, members of whom indicated a family relationship with the album owner.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

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

My theory is that the album belonged to Etta Bell Pierce, or Etta Belle Pierce, who was born October 14, 1867 at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, the daughter of Abel Allin Pierce and Rosetta (Ayer) Pierce, themselves both born at St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

The A. A. Pierce who inscribed a page on October 14, 1879, was presumably Abel Allin Pierce.  Rosetta had died by that time.


The C. S. Pierce of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who signed a page at East Barnet, Vermont, on March 3, 1885 and called himself "your little brother", was presumably Charles Sumner Pierce, born November 6, 1859.

Abel Allin Pierce's sister Jacynthia (Pierce) Bradley, second wife of Darius Bradley, signed a page on August 9, 1883 and called herself the album owner's aunt.


Jacynthia's step-daughter-in-law, Nellie C. Bradley, wife of Elon Darius Bradley, and at least one step grandchild, Minnie Calista Bradley, also signed pages in the album.

Another of Etta Bell Pierce's brothers was Edmund Carlisle Pierce, who married Mary L. Williams, daughter of George S. and Louisa (Willey) Williams and sister of Kate S. Williams, who married George F. Hallett.  Mr. and Mrs. Williams and their daughter Nell M. Williams of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed pages in the album.  Nell called the album owner a sister.  George F. Hallett also signed a page and called himself the album owner's brother.

Someone, possibly Etta Bell Pierce herself, wrote the name Lettie on one page and "Little Sister Lettie" on another.  I believe Lettie was Lettie Viola Pierce, daughter Abel Allin Pierce and his second wife Sarah (McGrath) Pierce.  Lettie, born May 29, 1879, died young on October 8, 1882.  See the face of an angel here.

On February 12, 1891, Etta Bell Pierce married Pliny Worcester Chase, son of Amasa and Emma (Skinner) Chase.  Pliny was born 7 March 1869 at Sheffield, Vermont.  Etta and Pliny lived at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and at some point moved to Brattleboro, Vermont.  They had at least two children, a son and daughter.

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

Surnames in the album

?     [3[
Bailey
Banfill
Barrows
Blair
Bowman
Bradley    [4]
Byron     [2]
Chamberlin     [2]
Conant
Cook     [2]
Daniels
Dickinson
Dunklee
Frost
Gagnon
Goss
Gray
Hallett
Hancock     [2]
Hardy
Harriman     [2]
Hodge
Hoyt
Humphrey     [2]
Jones
Kinney
Norris     [2]
Norris
Olcott
Palmer     [2]
Pierce     [5]
Prince
Ranney
Risley
Scribner
Severance     [2]
Smith     [2]
Somers
Streeter
Waite     [2]
Willey     [2]
Williams     [3]
Wills

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

?
  • A Friend
  • A Friend
  • M. C., signed on February 16, 1879.
B
  • Mrs. A. L. Bailey, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on May 23, 1882
  • Preston D. Banfill of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on September 29, 1878
  • Ermine Barrows of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on February 5, 1882
  • Lena J. Blair of East Barnet, Vermont, signed on February 22, 1885
  • Frank E. Bowman of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on January 10, 1879
  • Aunt Jacynthia P. Bradley, signed on August 9, 1883. She was Jacynthia (Pierce) Bradley, second wife of Darius Bradley; daughter of Abel and Mercy (Allin) Pierce; and sister of Etta Bell Pierce's father Abel Allin Pierce.
  • H. P. Bradley of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on February 4, 1879
  • Minnie Bradley, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on August 5, 1883. "Your Loving Cousin". She was the daughter of Elon D. and Nellie C. Bradley. Elon was the stepson of Jacynthia (Pierce) Bradley, second wife of Darius Bradley. Jacynthia was a sister to Etta Bell's father Abel Allin Pierce.
  • Nellie C. Bradley, signed at St. Johnsbury Centre, Vermont, on August 9, 1883; album owner's cousin. She was the wife of Elon Darius Bradley, stepson of Jacynthia (Pierce) Bradley, who was the aunt of Etta Bell Pierce.
  • Henry E. Byron of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on April 2, 1882. I believe he was Henry Edmond Byron, whose wife Florentine Adelaide (Martin) Byron signed the right facing page.
  • Mrs. Henry E. Byron of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on April 4, 1882. She was Florentine Adelaide (Martin) Byron, whose husband Henry Edmond Byron signed the left facing page.
C
  • Orrin Chamberlin of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on March 2, 1882. His wife signed the right facing page.
  • Mrs. Orrin Chamberlin, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on March 2, 1882. Her husband Orrin Chamberlin signed the left facing page.
  • Helen M. Conant of Greensboro, Vermont, signed on June 25, 1879
  • Lucy A. Cook, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on November 11, 1878
  • Lizzie Cook. Her name is on a calling card that is inserted into slits in the page.
D
  • Fred S. Daniels of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on September 27, 1878
  • Mary Dickinson, signed at St. Johnsbury Centre, Vermont, on November 4, 1879
  • Ella W. Dunklee of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on January 31, 1879
F
  • C. S. Frost
G
  • Mrs. E. E. Gagnon of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on February 12, 1880. Presumably Lizzie (McMullen) Gagnon, wife of Elmore E. Gagnon. She wrote what appeared to be "Gognon", and I did find an instance of that spelling in the records, but usually the records used the Gagnon spelling.
  • Helen A. Goss of Lower Waterford, Vermont, signed on February 15, 1886
  • Mrs. J. C. Gray of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on September 5, 1879
H
  • George F. Hallett of St. Johnsbury Center, Vermont, signed on March 21, 1879; "your brother". He married Kate S. Williams, whose sister Mary L. Williams married Etta Bell's brother Edward Carlisle Williams.
  • Alice M. Hancock of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1878
  • Nellie S. Hancock of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on November 28, 1878; "after a Thanksgiving dinner"
  • Mary W. Hardy of East St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on February 19, 1879; not sure of middle initial
  • Lyman P. Harriman. Lyman Patridge Harriman; his wife Anna Catherine (Cook) Harriman signed the right facing page.
  • A. C. Harriman, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on November 9, 1878. She was Anna Catherine (Cook) Harriman, whose husband Lyman Patridge Harriman signed the left facing page.
  • May L. Hodge of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on "2-7-1879"
  • Mrs. C. A. Hoyt, signed at Lyndon, Vermont, on February 4, 1879
  • ? Humphrey, signed at E. St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on March 1, 1879. Initials could be F. P. or T. B. or ??
  • E. I. Humphrey, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on February 28, 1879
J
  • May A. Jones of McIndoes, Vermont, signed at East Barnet, Vermont
K
  • A. A. Kinney, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on June 6, 1879
N
  • Emily W. Norris, signed at East Barnet, Vermont, on July 11, 1882
  • Mamie Norris, signed at East Barnet, Vermont, on August 5, 1882
O
  • Carrie Olcott, signed at East St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on March 7, 1879; or Carrie of Olcott, Vermont.
P
  • Ella E. Palmer of Lyndon, Vermont, signed in January 1879
  • F. W. Palmer of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on February 4, 1879
  • Etta Bell Pierce, presumably the owner of this autograph album
  • A. A. Pierce, signed on October 14, 1879; presumably Abel Allin Pierce, Etta Bell Pierce's father.
  • Lettie. This may have been Lettie Viola Pierce, though handwritten by someone else, maybe even Etta Bell Pierce, as Lettie was too young. Lettie Viola Pierce was the half-sister of Etta Bell Pierce. Lettie's parents were Abel Allin Pierce and second wife Sarah (McGrath) Pierce. Sadly Lettie died on October 8, 1882; see her photograph here: http://www.lurvely.com/photo/8219327312/A_Short_Sad_Story/
  • Edna M. Pierce of Olcott, Vermont, signed on October 13, 1895. She was the daughter of Etta Bell's brother Edward Carlisle Pierce and wife Mary L. (Williams) Pierce.
  • C. S. Pierce of Minneapolis, Minnesota, signed at East Barnet, Vermont, on March 3, 1885; "your little brother" He was Etta Bell's brother Charles Sumner Pierce, son of Abel Allin Pierce and Rosetta (Ayer) Pierce.
  • Katherine P. Prince of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on April 21, 1888; alternatively, surname could be Pierce or Peirce
R
  • Mrs. Clara A. Ranney of Lyndon, Vermont, signed on February 12, 1880
  • R. Risley, signed on February 14 [or 17], 1879
S
  • John A. Scribner of Haverhill, Massachusetts, signed at St. Johnsbury Centre, Vermont, on October 5, 1879
  • C. A. Severance of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on March 7, 1879. He was Chandler A. Severance, whose wife Sophronia M. (Chapman) Severance signed the right facing page.
  • S. M. Severance of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on March 7, 1878. She was Sophronia M. (Chapman) Severance, whose husband Chandler A. Severance signed the left facing page.
  • Mr. Jerome Smith, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on February 14, 1882
  • Mrs. J. Smith, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on February 14, 1882; middle initial might be W or G or T or ?
  • Maudie Somers of East Barnet, Vermont, signed on April 17, 1885
  • Anna May Streeter of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on April 3, 1879
W
  • Charles D. Waite of St. Johnsbury, Vermont; his wife signed the right facing page.
  • Mrs. Charles D. Waite of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on August 5, 1879; her husband Charles D. Waite signed the left facing page.
  • Jennie S. Willey of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on September 21, 1878
  • Hattie P. Willey of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on September 19, 1878
  • George S. Williams of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed on February 21, 1879. His wife Louisa (Willey) Williams signed the right facing page.
  • Louisa Williams of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. She was Louisa (Willey) Williams, whose husband George S. Williams signed the left facing page.
  • Nell M. Williams, signed at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on October 7, 1878; called the album owner "sister". She was the daughter of signers George S. and Louisa (Willey) Williams; her sister Mary L. Williams married Etta Bell's brother, Edward Carlisle Pierce.
  • Abby T. Wills, signed at East St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on February 25, 1879
St. Johnsbury, Vermont


Thanks for stopping by!



No comments:

Post a Comment