1844-1850 Autograph Album of Hannah Lucretia Hunt of Virgil, New York

1844-1850 autograph album of Hannah Lucretia Hunt of Virgil, New York.  She apparently went by her middle name Lucretia.

The album, printed by J. C. Riker of New York, New York, measures approximately 7-3/4" by 6-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 14 of Lucretia's friends.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Residences of the inscribers were:

• Virgil, New York
• Lapeer, New York
• Lisle, New York

In addition to the engraving on the title page, shown below, the album contains 5 full page engravings.

Among the inscribers were three members of the Hay family of Lapeer, New York:

• Amanda J. Hay
• Julia Ann Hay
• Van Renselaer Hay

From brief online research, hopefully correct:  corrections and additions requested:

Hannah Lucretia Hunt was born June 18, 1828, the daughter of Asa Hunt and Sarah (Johnson) Hunt.  Interestingly, one of the inscribers was Celina Johnson, who inscribed her page at Lisle, New York, on October 12, 1845.

On June 26, 1850, Lucretia married Lewis Swift, son of Lewis Swift and Anna (Forbes) Swift.  Lewis Swift became a noted astronomer.  Lucretia and Lewis had two children, I believe, before Lucretia died on September 5, 1863.  Lewis married Carrie D. Topping in 1864 and had at least one other child, noted astronomer Edward Doane Smith, born in 1870.

Hannah Lucretia (Hunt) Swift is buried in the Marathon Village Cemetery at Marathon, New York, with her husband, her husband's second wife and other family members.

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

Inscribers in the Album

• B, inscribed a full page, at Lapeer, New York on April 12, 1850
• Kingdom, inscribed at Lapeer, New York, oin March 18, 1846
• Matilda
• S. B., inscribed at Virgil, New York, in 1844
• D. H. Burr, inscribed at Lapeer, New York, on April 15, 1850
• B. Green
• Amanda J. Hay, inscribed at Lapeer, New York, on May 30, 1846
• Julia Ann Hay
• Van Renselaer Hay, inscribed at Lapeer, New York, on April 9, 1846; he created an acrostic of the name Lucretia Hunt.
• Hannah Lucretia Hunt's Album - Virgil, N.Y., 1844; written on the ownership page.  Her name also appears on the inside back cover and on the last end paper, along with "Keep this in remembrance of the Past - Lucretia.  I don't know if Lucretia or someone else wrote this.
• Celina Johnson, inscribed at Lisle, New York, on October 12, 1845
• Levi Pitts, inscribed at Virgil, New York, on April 1, 1844 [not sure of year]
• Olive Purvis of Virgil, New York, inscribed in 1844
• Charlotte Roe
• Lucy Ann Stanley, inscribed at Virgil, New York, on August 2, 1844

Light House near Caldwell's Landing (Hudson River), by W. H. Bartlett; engraved by A. L. Dick