Wednesday, July 8, 2015

1861-1862 Autograph Album of Narcissa Hardin, "Nettie", of Chelsea, Massachusetts; before Marriage to Enoch Lowell


1861-1862 autograph album that belonged to Narcissa Hardin, "Nettie", of Chelsea, Massachusetts.  Nettie would marry Enoch Lowell and live at Saco, Maine.

Interestingly, an eBay seller is currently offering a little marriage book that contains a page recording the 1858 marriage of Nettie's sister Frances S. Harden and Joseph S. Hatch.

The album measures approximately 8-1/4" by 6-3/4" and contains the sentiments of seven of Nettie's friends, inscribed at Chelsea and Charlestown, Massachusetts, and Saco, Maine.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears farther below, as do images of all of the pages with handwriting or engravings.

Two of the surnames are in question, so your comments on the images would be most appreciated.  They appear to be Mr. Oblie and Nicholas Percimmons; the latter might be a surname or a joke nickname based on his real surname.

The album, published by Leavitt and Allen of New York City, also contains six engravings, a pressed fern and a newspaper clipping of portions of a novel.


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

Narcissa Hardin, "Nettie", was born about 1842 at Chelsea, Massachusetts, the daughter of James and Mary (Webber) Hardin, both Maine natives.  James was a wood and coal dealer at Chelsea.

On November 26, 1863 at Chelsea, Massachusetts, Nettie married Enoch Lowell, son of Hon. Moses and Abigail Hight (Jordan) Lowell of Saco, Maine.  Nettie and Enoch lived at Saco, Maine, and had four children, of which two, Frank H. Lowell and Grace G. Lowell, lived to maturity.  Enoch had a stove and tinware business.

Sadly Narcissa (Hardin) Lowell, "Nettie", died in 1881.  Enoch subsequently married Mary Gilpatrick and had four more children.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

List of Inscribers and Owner
  • Valentine, inscribed at Saco, Maine, in August 1861
A
  • Adie A. Abbott of Charlestown, Massachusetts, inscribed on June 13, 1862; shared the page with Marietta Eldridge of Chelsea, Massachusetts
B
  • I. B. Bean, inscribed at Saco, Maine, on September 6, 1861. Perhaps Isaac B. Bean.  I. B. Bean inscribed another page in the album on that same day.
E
  • Marietta Eldridge of Chelsea, Massachusetts; shared the page with Adie A. Abbott of Charlestown, Massachusetts
H
  • Narcissa Hardin, "Nettie" of Chelsea, Massachusetts; album owner; future wife of Enoch Lowell of Saco, Maine
O
  • Mr. Oblie; not sure of name
P
  • Nicholas Percimmons, inscribed at Saco, Maine, in September 1861; not sure of surname; if Percimmons, it might be a joke nickname for a surname like Percy or ?
W
  • Hattie Wilson, inscribed at Charlestown, Massachusetts, on July 21, 1862
The pages with handwriting and engravings, in order.  Click on an image to enlarge it.




























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