Tuesday, February 17, 2015

1860-1913 Autograph Album of Mary Ellen Hancock of Livonia, New York; and, Later, Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York


1860-1913 autograph album that belonged first to Mary Ellen Hancock of Livonia, New York and later to Mary's first cousin, twice removed, Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York, and Bristol, New York.  The album also served as a ledger for farm sales.

Many of the earlier autographs were acquired while Mary was a student at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, New York.


The album measures approximately 7-3/4" x 5-1/2" and contains the sentiments and mentions of nearly 100 people, some of whom inscribed more than one page.  Some names were mentioned because of the farm sales, and some were mentioned in a list of teachers, presumably during Erma's period of ownership.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the people mentioned and signers, together with any personal information offered, appear at the end of this post.

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

Mary Ellen Hancock was born November 30, 1843 in New York, the daughter of Rev. Robert T. Hancock and Mercy A. (Curtis) Hancock.  Rev. Hancock was a Methodist minister and presumably involved with the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, which his daughter attended.  Sadly, Mary Ellen Hancock died in 1867, unmarried.

The album may then have been used as the ledger, perhaps because Mary Ellen had no descendants, and its value was perceived as in its paper.   Below, an example of its use as a ledger:


Eventually, the album passed into the hands of Mary Ellen's distant relative, Erma Leona Maltby, daughter of Ernest and Rose (Glover) Maltby.  Erma's paternal grandmother, Tabitha (Hancock) Maltby, was the daughter of Luther P. Hancock, who was a brother to Mary's father Richard T. Hancock.  Erma was born about March 1895, give or take a year.

One page in the album was inscribed by Erma's parents, Ernest and Rose (Glover) Maltby and a Mrs. Glover, all of Naples, New York.


Another page was incribed by Erma and her sisters, Marguerite, Muriel and Florine after the family had moved to Bristol Center, New York.  The page had earlier been signed by one of Mary's classmates, Sate Smelzer of Lodi, New York, who inscribed her page at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary on May 4, 1863.


It was presumably Erma who listed her teachers on a page.  They were:

Anna Jennings
Mary Gibbons
Mary Tozer
Mr. Deloss Goodrich
Ella Whitney
Zada Beecher
Mary Gibbons
Laura Hamilton
Elizabeth Hannet
Laurence Tellier
Leo Woodard


Erma married Leroy Levern Hatch, son of Henry and Cora (Town) Hatch on November 16, 1914.  By 1920 Erma was living in her parents' house at Wayland, New York, listed as Erma Maltby, single.  I don't know if this was an enumeration error or if Erma's marriage to Leroy had dissolved by then.

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

Surnames in the Album


? [3]FJSW
AFowlerJenningsS ?Walker
AllenFoxLSchenckWebster
Arnold [2]FrancisLafler [2]SchumannWells
AustinGLaphamSheldonWhitney
BGelderLawyers ?Shepherd [2]Wilbur
BatchellerGibbons [2]MShortWillsea
BeecherGilbertMaltby [8]SmelzerWinegle ?
Benham [2]Glover [4]MillerSmith [2]Woodard
BlauveltGoodrichPStullWright
BlissGreenPalmanteerTWyman
CGulickPardeeTarbox [2]
CarberHParkerTellier
CargillHaightPaulTompkins
CarrHamiltonPerkinsTozer
ChaceHancockPlumlerTunnicliff
ClarkHannetRTyler
ClarkeHarrollRowlandV
CookHendry ?RuddVarney
DHigginsVermyle
Dailey [2]Holeman
DelanoHoppough
DoughtyHouck

Signers/People Mentioned    [Note: Given names within a surname might not be in alphabetical order.l

  • Name hard to read, possibly Wil Flint, or ? A catalog of Genesee Wesleyan Seminary lists an Ella L. P. Flint of Lima, New York.
  • Unsigned; inscribed to Erma
  • Unsigned, but she affixed her photograph
A
  • J. Hazard Allen of New York, signed at Lima, New York, on June 28, 1861.
  • James Arnold; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • E. Arnold; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Porter M. Austin of Hamburg, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary on June 3, 1862
B
  • Mary C. Batcheller of Lowville, New York; shared the page with Emma L. Wyman; Helen D. Smith; Lizzie F. Schenck; and Mattie Chace
  • Zada Beecher; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Maggie F. Benham of Hopewell, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary; she affixed her photograph.
  • Maggie F. Benham, or Maggie F. Renham, signed at Hopewell Center, New York, on July 19, 1861
  • Hiram B. Blauvelt, or Hiram B. Blawvelt, of Farmer, New York, signed on March 4, 1861 [could be 1862 or 1863 or ?]
  • Emma E. Bliss of Sherman, New York; signed on April 25, 1862. Not sure of surname.
C
  • D. S. Carber or D. L. Carber of Lowville, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in June 1863
  • Eugenie M. Cargill of Lima, New York; later note: "Williams". she was Eugenia Maria Cargill (1843-1880) who married George Williams. One of the earlier sentiments.
  • Frank Carr of Seneca Castle, New York, signed at Lima, New York on March 4, 1853 at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary
  • Mattie Chace of Washington, Illinois; shared the page with Mary C. Batcheller; Emma L. Wyman; Helen D. Smith; and Lizzie F. Schenck.
  • D. S. Clark of Lima, New York, signed on October 19, 1861; presumably Daniel S. Clark; shared the page with G. H. Houck.
  • William W. Clarke of Rochester, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary on June 4, 1862
  • Charles W. Cook of Hemlock Lake, New York, signed on July 12, 1860 [or 1861]
D
  • Julia E. Dailey of Lima, New York, signed on April 30, 1862.  Shared the page with Jennie E. Dailey.
  • Jennie E. Dailey of Lima, New York, signed on April 30, 1862.  Shared the page with Julia E. Dailey
  • Ordensa Delano; she affixed her photograph. According to an 1865 catalog from Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, Ordensa E. Delano's residence was Lima, New York.  Shared the page with Mary Hendry [not sure of surname]
  • D. J. Doughty; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
F
  • Sate A. Fowler of Holley, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in April 1862.  Sarah A. Fowler of Holley, New York, is listed in an 1865 catalog of Genesee Wesleyan Seminary.  She affixed her photograph.
  • Frank Fox; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned on two pages by someone who was using the album as a ledger.
  • Lill Francis, signed at Hemlock Lake, New York; one of the earlier autographs.
G
  • Mrs. Gelder; she didn't sign a page herself - her name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Mary Gibbons; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Mary Gibbons; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • C. S. Gilbert, signed at Hemlock Lake, New York; one of the earlier autographs
  • Mr. Harne Glover of Honeoye, New York, signed on August 3 [no year written]. Not sure of given name or the Mr. as there is a photograph of a young woman affixed there. Perhaps it's Mary.
  • Mrs. M. Glover of Naples, New York [she wrote in a font made of points - hard to read].  Shared the page with Erma Leona Maltby's parents Rose (Glover) Maltby and Ernest Maltby.
  • Mr. Louis Glover of Honeoye, New York, signed on August 3, 1906
  • Maggie Glover of Honeoye, New York, signed on August 3, 1906; shared the page with Erma's sister Muriel K. Maltby.
  • Mr. Deloss Goodrich; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Perry Green;  he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Fannie T. Gulick, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary on April 21, 1863
H
  • Maggie Haight, signed at Waterloo, New York, in May 1862.  Shared the page with Sudie Willsea.
  • Laura Hamilton; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Mary Ellen Hancock of Livonia, New York area; original owner of the album; student at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima, New York.  She died in 1867; eventually the album passed to her first cousin, 2x removed, Erma Leona Maltby
  • Elizabeth Hannet; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • C. Harroll, signed at Livonia Station, New York, on July 12, 1861; not sure of surname.
  • Mary Hendry [not sure of her surname; she affixed her photograph; from the album's earlier era.  Shared the page with Ordensa Delanso
  • Dell A. Higgins of Avon Springs, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in 1861.  She affixed her photograph.  
  • Fannie E. Holeman of Lima, New York; inscribed to Mary, so one of the earlier autographs.
  • Hattie A. Hoppough of Canadice, New York, signed on July 16, 1861. Harriet A. Hoppough.
  • G. H. Houck of Rush, New York, signed on October 19, 1861; presumably George H. Houck.  Shared the page with D. S. Clark.
J
  • Anna Jennings; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
L
  • Miss Ethel Lafler, 37 Wadsworth Street, Geneseo, New York
  • Mr. Russell Lafler of Naples, New York, R.F.D. 27
  • E. N. Lapham, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in 1862
  • Lawyers; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger - or perhaps it was a legal firm
M
  • Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York and, later, Bristol Center, New York.  She was the later owner of the album, which had originally belonged to her first cousin, 2x removed, Mary Ellen Hancock of Livonia, New York, who died in 1867.  She inscribed her name in several places, including on pages dated 1909 and 1913.
  • Mrs. Rose Maltby of Naples, New York; Rose (Glover) Maltby, Erma Leona Maltby's mother. Shared the page with her husband Ernest Maltby; and Mrs. M. Glover
  • Mr. Ernest Maltby of Naples, New York; Erma Leona Maltby's father.  Shared the page with Mrs. Rose (Glover) Maltby, his wife; and Mrs. M. Glover
  • Marguerite Maltby of Bristol Center, New York, signed on December 13, 1909; Erma's sister.  Shared the page with her sisters Erma, Muriel and Florine and Sate Smelzer
  • Muriel K. Maltby, signed at Bristol Center, New York, on December 13, 1909; Erma's sister.  Shared the page with her sisters Marguerite, Erma and Florine and with Sate Smelzer.  She also inscribed other individual pages and a page with Maggie Glover.
  • Florine Maltby of Bristol Center, New York, signed on December 13, 1901; Erma's sister.  Shared the page with her sisters Marguerite, Erma and Muriel and with Sate Smelzer.  She also inscribed an individual page.
  • Oa. B. Maltby of Naples, New York, signed on August 3, 1906; wife of Fred Maltby
  • Fred Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Mate E. Miller of Pearl Creek, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in May 1862
P
  • Mrs. Palmanteer; she didn't sign a page herself - her name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Alice D. Pardee of Fishers, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in 1862
  • R. F. Parker, signed on July 9, 1861
  • E. A. Paul of Livonia, New York, signed on June 25, 1861
  • Emma E. Perkins of Lima, New York, signed on April 30, 1862
  • E. J. Plumler of Gainesville, New York, signed at Lima, New York, on January 24, 1863
R
  • Mrs. Rowland she didn't sign a page herself - her name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • I. P. Rudd, or J. P. Rudd, signed at Hemlock Lake, New York, on July 12, 1861
S
  • Nell J. Streety; or Nell J. Streely; or Nell J. Straly; one of the earlier sentiments
  • Lizzie F. Schenck of Fulton, New York; shared the page with Mary C. Batcheller; Emma L. Wyman; Helen D. Smith; and Mattie Chace
  • Mr. Schumann; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Mary A. Sheldon of Lowville, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary on June 10, 1863
  • Mrs. Shepherd; she didn't sign a page herself - her name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • H. Shepherd; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Josie Short of Clifton Springs, New York, signed onb June 22, 1861 at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. Later note: "Coats". Josephine R. Short married Irving W. Coates.   Shared the page with Mate S. Wells
  • Sate Smelzer of Lodi, New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, on May 4, 1863; shared the page with Erma and her sisters Marguerite, Muriel and Florine.
  • Inscribed presumably to Mary by Lizzie M. Smith of Livonia, New York at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. Later note: "Mrs. Blackmen"
  • Helen D. Smith of Perkins, New York; shared the page with Mary C. Batcheller; Emma L. Wyman; Lizzie F. Schenck; and Mattie Chace
  • E. B. Stull of Rush, New York. Presumably Eugene B. Stull.
T
  • Julia Tarbox of Lima, New York; one of the earlier autographs. Julia M. Tarbox of Lima, New York, is listed in a Genesee Wesleyan Seminary catalog of 1865
  • H. Fisk Tarbox, signed at Lima, New York, on June 20, 1861; possibly Henry Fisk Tarbox (born 1839), who graduated from Genesee College
  • Laurence Tellier; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Mrs. Tompkins; she didn't sign a page herself - her name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • Mary Tozer; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Lizzie G. Tunnicliff [not sure that is what is spelled here, but I found records for a Lizzie G. Tunnicliff.] of Warren, New York, signed on April 21, 1863
  • H. Tyler; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
V
  • Florence Varney of Honeoye Falls, New York, signed at Lima, New York, on June 29, 1861. She affixed a photograph. It appears that she attended school with Mary Ellen Hancock, presumably at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary.
  • Mr. Vermyle or Vermylie; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
W
  • A. J. Walker; he didn't sign a page himself - his name was mentioned by someone who was using the album as a ledger
  • W. H. Webster of Webster, New York; possibly William H. Webster.
  • Mate S. Wells of Clifton Springs,m New York, signed at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in June 1861.  Shared the page with Josie Short
  • Ella Whitney; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Miss Leora Wilbur, 166 Chapin St., Canandaigua, New York; her name appears on the inside front cover
  • Sudie Willsea of Kendall, New York; it may be Sudie who affixed a photograph.  Shared the page with Maggie Haight.
  • Appears to have been inscribed to Erma: William S Winegle [not sure of surname]
  • Leo Woodard; mentioned in a list of teachers - presumably in the handwriting of Erma Leona Maltby of Naples, New York
  • Vin Wright, signed at Lima, New York, on November 18, 1861. Later note: "Hamilton". Could her name be short for Lavinia or similar?
  • Emma L. Wyman of Potter, New York; shared the page with Mary C. Batcheller; Helen D. Smith; Lizzie F. Schenck; and Mattie Chace
Livonia, New York; Lima, New York; Naples, New York; Bristol Center, New York; Wayland, New York


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