Thursday, October 9, 2014

1870s/1880s Autograph Album of Margaret Elizabeth Edwards of Johnstown, Philadelphia, Before & After Marriage to Enoch C. Lavers


1870s/1880s autograph album that belonged to Margaret Elizabeth Edwards, "Lizzie", before and after her marriage to professor Enoch C. Lavers.  She started the album in January of 1876 and may have received it as a Christmas present.


The album's dedication was written by D. M. Miller, who may have been the person who gifted the album to Lizzie.


The album measures approximately 6-3/4" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over 60 of Lizzie's relatives, friends and teachers.  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 and additions welcome!]

Margaret Elizabeth Edwards was born in November 1853 in Pennsylvania, perhaps Indiana County, the daughter of David and Harriet A. (Patterson) Edwards.  Harriet signed a page in her daughter's album at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 1877, as H. A. Edwards.


Lizzie had, I believe, seven siblings:
  1. Jonathan Dean Edwards; he and his future wife Dorothy A. Downey signed pages in the album.
  2. Emma Jane Edwards; she and her husband James Amberson Hood signed pages in the album [images below].
  3. Elizabeth C. Edwards [not sure about Elizabeth]
  4. Thomas Patterson Edwards; he signed an individual page and a group page.
  5. Mary A. Edwards; she and her future husband Charles A. Wehn signed pages in the album.
  6. Ella Carrie Edwards; she signed an individual page and a group page.
  7. Robert James Edwards
Sister Eliza Jane (Edwards) Hood inscribed a page at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 1876.


The James A. Hood of Indiana, Pennsylvania, who inscribed a page on June 8, 1878, was presumably Emma's husband James Amberson Hood.


About 1878, Margaret Elizabeth Edwards, "Lizzie", married Enoch C. Lavers, son, I believe, of English immigrants Richard and Eliza Lavers.  Enoch was born in May 1853 in Connecticut.  He became a noted college professor, usually known as E. C. Lavers.

Lizzie and Enoch had at least five children, some of whom signed a group page with Lizzie and her siblings Thomas Patterson Edwards and Ella Carrie Edwards.  The children who signed were E. Gertrude Lavers; Eliza A. Lavers; and Earl Roy Lavers.  At that point, the two youngest children, Guy E. Lavers and Harold R. Lavers either hadn't been born or were too young to write.


I'm not sure who R. Frank. Lavers was - a child of Enoch and Lizzie that I didn't find a record of or a brother or nephew of Enoch?

Enoch died in 1932 and Lizzie in 1942.  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.

Surnames in the album

?HP
? [3]Hood [2]Peden
BHughesPugh [4]
Baumgardner [2]HumphreyQ
BergJQuinn
Bradley [2]Jenkins [2]Quinn
BrubakerKS
CKeenerStewart [3]
CananLStufft [2]
DLavers [7]W
DouglassLytterWalters
DowneyMWeb
EMacneal [4]Wehn
Edwards [8]MarsdenWhitehill [3]
FMartin [2]Wilson
FryMcCagueY
GMilesYerkes
GreggMiller [2]
Signers in the album   [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?
  • Bill S. ?, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on December 18, 1876
  • Annie, signed on July 25, 1877
  • C. A. E, signed on December 5, 1876
B
  • Amanda M. Baumgardner, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 26, 1882
  • Annie M. Baumgardner, signed on August 26, 1882
  • Hartman Berg
  • J. Wharton Bradley, signed at Christiana, on February 22, 1887: Inscribed to "Sister Lavers"
  • Minnie R. Bradley of Christiana, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County
  • ? P. Brubaker, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 1876. First initial might be I or J
C
  • S. Augusta Canan of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on February 18, 1877
D
  • Minnie E. Douglass, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1877
  • Dorothy A. Downey, signed on March 27, 1878; in 1878, she would marry Lizzie's older brother Jonathan Dean Edwards.
E
  • M. Lizzie Edwards of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed in January 1876 "Centennial Year".  She was Margaret Elizabeth Edwards, who would marry Prof. Enoch C. Lavers
  • Mary A. Edwards, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 1876; Lizzie's sister, who would marry signer Charles A. Wehn about 1878
  • H. A. Edwards, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 1877; Lizzie's mother Harriet A. (Patterson) Edwards
  • T. P. Edwards, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 1876.  Lizzie's brother Thomas Patterson Edwards
  • Jonathan D. Edwards, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on April 7, 1878.  Lizzie's older brother, who would marry signer Dorothy A. Downey
  • T. P. Edwards; Lizzie's brother Thomas Patterson Edwards.  He shared the page with R. Frank Lavers; Eliza A. Lavers; Earl Roy Lavers; Gertrude Lavers; M. Lizzie Lavers; and Ella C. Edwards
  • Ella C. Edwards; Lizzie's sister Ella Carrie Edwards.  She shared the page with R. Frank Lavers; Eliza A. Lavers; Earl Roy Lavers; T. P. Edwards; Gertrude Lavers; and M. Lizzie Lavers
  • Ella C. Edwards of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on March 30, 1878; "Darling Sister".  Lizzie's sister Ella Carrie Edwards.
F
  • Mamie W. Fry, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 31, 1885
G
  • Mary J. Gregg, signed on November 10, 1878
H
  • "Your Loving Sister" Emma J. Hood, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on December 29, 1876. She was Emma Jane (Edwards) Hood, wife of James Amberson Hood.
  • James A. Hood of Indiana, Pennsylvania, signed on June 8, 1878
  • Mary Hughes, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on January 29, 1877
  • Two page sentiment inscribed by Mamie M. Humphrey
J
  • Katie Jenkins of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 23, 1878
  • Mary E. Jenkins, signed on November 23, 1878
K
  • N. N. Keener of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on November 6, 1876
L
  • E. Gertrude Lavers; Lizzie's daughter.  She shared the page with A. Rose Quinn and Eliza A. Lavers.  
  • Eliza A. Lavers; Lizzie's daughter.  She shared the page with E. Gertrude Lavers and A. Rose Quinn.  
  • R. Frank Lavers; shared the page with Eliza A. Lavers; Earl Roy Lavers; T. P. Edwards; Gertrude Lavers; M. Lizzie Lavers; and Ella C. Edwards
  • Eliza A. Lavers; Lizzie's daughter.  She shared the page with R. Frank Lavers; Earl Roy Lavers; T. P. Edwards; Gertrude Lavers; M. Lizzie Lavers; and Ella C. Edwards
  • Earl Roy Lavers; Lizzie's son.  He shared the page with R. Frank Lavers; Eliza A. Lavers; T. P. Edwards; Gertrude Lavers; M. Lizzie Lavers; and Ella C. Edwards
  • Gertrude Lavers; Lizzie's daughter.  She shared the page with R. Frank Lavers; Eliza A. Lavers; Earl Roy Lavers; T. P. Edwards; M. Lizzie Lavers; and Ella C. Edwards
  • M. Lizzie Lavers; Lizzie herself, on a page shared with her children.
  • Mary C. Lytter or Lytler or ?, signed at White Hall, Pennsylvania, on June 19, 1882. Not sure of surname
M
  • Bertie Macneal
  • Annie Macneal, signed on January 24, 1881
  • Jennie Macneal
  • Cherubs traced by Jennie Macneal, possibly the same Jennie Macneal who inscribed another page.
  • George Marsden, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on February 17, 1879
  • Annie J. Martin, signed on March 13, 1881 at Sodom
  • C. Franklin Martin, signed at Leaman Place, Pennsylvania, on March 13, 1881
  • F. Emma McCague of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on February 1, 1877
  • Willie Rhone Miles or Willie Rhode Wiles; not sure if Wiles is the surname or Rhone
  • D. M. Miller: Dedication of the album and explanation of the word "Autograph" from its Greek roots.
  • Marian W. Miller of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on October 11, 1876
P
  • Mary E. Peden of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on December 6, 1876
  • Lizzie Pugh
  • James Pugh, signed at Nickel Mine on March 15, 1881
  • William T. Pugh of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, on March 30, 1881
  • Mary E. Pugh, signed at Nickle Mines, Pennsylvania, [sic Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania], on March 27, 1881
Q
  • A. Rose Quinn, signed on November 3, 1876; shared the page with E. Gertrude Lavers and Eliza A. Lavers
  • A. R. Quinn, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on October 16, 1876
S
  • M. A. Stewart, signed on January 4, 1878
  • Hattie L. Stewart, signed on January 4, 1878
  • Annie E. Stewart of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on December 18, 1876
  • J. W. Stufft, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1880
  • Linda Stufft, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 1880
W
  • Maggie W. Walters, "A teacher", signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 29, 1877, "Thanksgiving"
  • M. E. Webb, signed on May 9, 1885
  • Charles A. Wehn, signed at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1877.  He married Lizzie's younger sister Mary A. Edwards about 1878.
  • S. H. Whitehill, signed on December 29, 1877
  • Mary A. Whitehill, signed on December 29, 1877
  • Stewart H. Whitehill, signed on December 31, 1877
  • Rebecca A. Wilson of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, signed on October 31, 1876
Y
  • E. C. Yerkes, signed at Christiana, Pennsylvania, on March 4, 1882; Lizzie's pastor.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania


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