Wednesday, January 14, 2015

1880s-1934 Autograph Album of Alice Clark of Everton, Missouri, from before and after her marriage to Thomas Courtney


1880s-1934 autograph album that belonged to Alice Clark of Everton, Missouri, from before and after her marriage to Thomas Courtney.

Alice didn't inscribe an ownership page or welcome page, but she might have written the page below, which appears near the end of the album.


The album measures approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 23 of Alice's relatives and friends.  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.  Illustrations are interspersed throughout the album.


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

Alice Clark was born October 11, 1870 in Illinois, the daughter of Illinois natives John H. Clark and Martha M. (Cole) Clark.  By 1880, the family was living at Polk, Missouri, in Dade County.  Everton is also in Dade County.

Alice's brother George William Clark inscribed several pages in her album, such as this one on January 3, 1886.


On 22 January 1890, Alice became the second wife of Thomas Courtney, a Pennsylvania native, whose first wife Mary Ann (Green) Courtney had apparently died.  Thomas had two children from his first marriage, Charles M. Courtney and Jessie V. Courtney.  I don't believe Thomas and Alice had any children together.

Jessie V. Courtney married G. T. Neil and had a son Leon C. Neil, who was born June 23, 1897.  There's a cute entry in the album about the first time that Leon produced a whistle, on September 14, 1901 at one thirty o'clock.


At some point the album resurfaced and was signed by Alice's step niece, Belle Courtney on August 13, 1891.  She was presumably Gladys Belle Courtney, daughter of Thomas' brother Charles Ferdinand Courtney.


At some point the album resurfaced again and was signed by Alice's step great grandson, Cecil Courtney Neil on December 29, 1934.  He gave his birth date and mentioned the "October's Bright, bright Blue Weather".


Thomas Courtney died in 1940 and Alice (Clark) Courtney in 1957.  They're buried at the Fasken Cemetery at Carthage, Missouri.

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

BH
B ?Hoover [2]
BryantN
CNeil
CaradaNewton
Carlock [3]R
Clark [2]R ?
CourtneyRigsbee
DS
DavidsonSmith
Dye [2]W
GWheeler
Green [2]Wilson [2]

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

B
  • Genette ?, signed on January 16, 1886. Possibly Bushman or Bushauer or ?
  • Sharman Bryant, or Sherman Bryant, of Everton, Missouri, on Dade County, signed on April 6, 1886
C
  • Eva Carada or Eva Casada, signed on January 3, 1889 [or 1887]
  • Floria Carlock, signed on January 16, 1885
  • Willie Carlock, signed on January 16, 1886
  • Almer Carlock, signed on January 16, 1886
  • Alice Clark of Everton, Missouri - her 1880s autograph album from before and after her marriage to Thomas Courtney.  She may have written on a page herself.
  • G. W. Clark, signed on January 3, 1886; Alice's brother George William Clark, who signed other pages as well.
  • Belle Courtney, signed on August 13, 1891 and inscribed to Mrs. Thomas Courtney, which was album owner Alice Clark's married name. Alice's niece Gladys Belle Courtney, daughter of Thomas Courtney's brother Charles Ferdinand Courtney and Octavia Marie (Asbell) Courtney
D
  • W. R. Davidson, signed on January 16, 1886
  • W. R. Dye, signed on January 16, 1886; Alice's teacher. William R. Dye, whose wife Dorothy A. (Cowan) Dye also signed a page.
  • Dorothy A. Dye, signed on January 16, 1886. She was Dorothy A. (Cowan) Dye, whose husband William R. Dye also signed a page.
G
  • N. E. Green, signed on April 5, 1886
  • Cordia B. Green, signed on January 16, 1886
H
  • Perry A. Hoover, signed on December 27, 1885
  • Orlena B. Hoover, signed on December 27, 1885
N
  • "Your grandson Cecil Courtney Neil", signed on December 29, 1934 at Carthage, Missouri, on Route 6. He mentions "October's Bright bright Blue Weather". He also gave his birth date: May 13, 1921. He was the grandson of Alice's stepdaughter Jessie V. (Courtney) Neil and husband G. T. Neil. Jessie had married Edward Somers by 1910.
  • Julia E. Newton, signed on September 15, 1888
R
  • Inscribed to Alice's married name: Mrs. Thomas Courtney, by C. F. R.
  • C. F. Riggsbee of Mulloys, Tennessee in Robertson County
S
  • M. B. Smith, signed on December 27, 1885
W
  • Lucy M. Wheeler, signed on December 18, 1885
  • Veda Wilson, signed on January 16, 1886
  • A. L. Wilson, signed on January 16, 1886
Everton, Missouri, and Carthage, Missouri


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