Saturday, January 31, 2015

1850-1868 Autograph Album of Lois Lewellyn Meriam of Winchendon, Massachusetts


1850-1868 autograph album that belonged to Lois Lewellyn Meriam of Winchendon, Massachusetts, before and after her 1851 marriage to Elbridge Nelson Harris.


The album, published by J. C. Riker of 129 Fulton Street, New York, measures approximately 7-3/4" x 6" and contains the sentiments of over 20 of Lois Lewellyn (Meriam) Harris' relatives and friends.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

The album also contains six small hand-colored floral, fruit and bird designs at the tops of pages that are meant for inscriptions.

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

Lois Lewellyn Meriam was born August 6, 1828 at Princeton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph and Ruth (Harrington) Meriam.  Many of the pages are inscribed to "Lewellyn", so that is apparently the name she chose to go by.

Lewellyn had nine siblings, I believe, but several of them died young.  Several siblings inscribed pages in the album; see the list of signers below.  One was sister Mary Maria (Meriam) Wyman, whose page also illustrates one of the hand-colored designs.  Mary's husband was William H. Wyman; their daughters Nellie and Emma also inscribed pages in the album.


On March 19, 1851, Lewellyn married Elbridge Nelson Harris, son of William Harris, Jr., and Hepsibeth (Flint) Harris.  The N. E. Harris and E. Nelson who inscribed pages in Lewellyn's album were presumably her husband Elbridge Nelson Harris.  One of the sentiments, a two-page sentiment, he entered two dates, one, 1850, before their marriage, and another, 1855, after.




After their marriage, Elbridge Nelson and Lewellyn lived in Athol, Massachusetts; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Malden, Massachusetts.  They had, I believe, three children:
  1. Nelson Elvirous Harris, born January 19, 1852, at Athol, Massachusetts
  2. William Orlando Harris, born May 19, 1855, at Athol, Massachusetts
  3. Bertha Adele Harris, born September 27, 1863 at Athol, Massachusetts
Elbridge Nason Harris died in 1906, and Lois Lewellyn (Meriam) Harris in 1924.

Surnames in the Album

?
Bryant
Chaplin
Dresser
George
Harris  [1 or 2]
Hickok
Lord
Meriam  [3]
Parker
Rafnell  [2]
Tarble
Tyler
Walker
Waters
Williams
Woodbury  [2]
Wyman  [3]

Signers in the Album   [Note: Given names within a specific surname might not be in alphabetical order.]
  • Sentiment covering facing pages, inscribed to Lewellyn by E. Nelson at Clinton, Massachusetts, on June 23, 1855. Possibly Lois Lewellyn (Meriam) Harris's husband Elbridge Nelson Harris, who inscribed pages before and after their 1851 marriage.
B
  • Louisa Ann Bryant
C
  • Lizzie S. Chaplin of Salem, Massachusetts, signed on September 5, 1868; "Your Sister". She was Susan Elizabeth (Meriam) Chaplin, wife of Orril R. Chaplin.
D
  • Nellie M. Dresser of Boxford, Massachusetts, signed on September 20, 1868
G
  • A. George, signed at Clinton, presumably Massachusetts, on June 17, 1850
H
  • N. E. Harris, presumably Elbridge Nelson Harris, husband of album owner Lois Lewellyn (Meriam) Harris.  He apparently went by the name Nelson.
  • Sentiment covering facing pages, inscribed to Lewellyn by E. Nelson at Clinton, Massachusetts, on June 23, 1855. Possibly Lois Lewellyn (Meriam) Harris's husband Elbridge Nelson Harris, who inscribed pages before and after their 1851 marriage.
  • Fanny J. Hickok, signed at Fairfax, Vermont, in June 1850
L
  • Caroline C. S. Lord, signed at Litchfield, Maine, in June 1850
M
  • Lois Lewellyn Meriam, album owner
  • Inscribed to "My Sister" by Walton G. Meriam, at Winchendon, Massachusetts, on September 1, 1850. He was Walton Greenough Meriam (1838-1920), son of Joseph and Ruth Meriam and brother of album owner Lois Lewellyn Meriam.
  • Inscribed to "My Sister" by Mary A. Meriam at Cleveland, Ohio, on August 24, 1865
P
  • 3 page Dedication by Llewellyn's cousin W. W. Parker, inscribed at Clinton, presumably Massachusetts, on April 24, 1850. Presumably William Wheeler Parker, son of Ebenezer Parker and Hannah Brooks (Meriam) Parker, who was a sister to Joseph Meriam, father of album owner Lois Lewellyn Meriam.
R
  • 2-page sentiment of H. C. Rafnell, or H. E. Rafnell, inscribed at Clinton, Massachusetts, on May 16, 1850
  • Susan A. Rafnell, signed at Clinton, Massachusetts. Presumably the Susan Rafnell (1827-1914) who married Joseph Malloy and is buried at Lynn, Massachusetts
T
  • Betsy E. Tarble of Mount Holly, Vermont
  • H. M. Tyler, signed at Winchendon, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1850
W
  • A. A. Walker, signed at Clinton, presumably Massachusetts, on April 23, 1850
  • Inscribed to "Sister" by Minerva P. Waters on April 10, 1851
  • Laura M. Williams
  • Lauretta Woodbury of Rindge, New Hampshire; not sure of middle initial. Presumably Lauretta Whitney Woodbury, sister of signer Lucinda Bailey Woodbury.
  • Lucinda Woodbury of Rindge, New Hampshire. Lucinda Bailey Woodbury, sister of signer Lauretta Whitney Woodbury.
  • Inscribed "To My Sister" by Mary M. Wyman. She was Lois Lewellyn Meriam's sister, Mary Maria (Meriam) Wyman (born 1821), wife of William H. Wyman.
  • Nellie R. Wyman of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on September 5, 1868; Lois Lewellyn Meriam's niece. Daughter of Mary Maria (Meriam) Wyman and husband William H. Wyman.
  • Emma E. Wyman of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on September 5, 1868; Lois Lewellyn Meriam's niece, daughter of Mary Maria (Meriam) Wyman and husband William H. Wyman.
Princeton, Massachusetts; Winchendon, Massachusetts; Athol, Massachusetts; Lawrence, Massachusetts; Malden, Massachusetts



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