1880s-1896 Autograph Album of Albert Eugene Gay of Glocester, Rhode Island, and Killingly, Connecticut

1880s-1896 autograph album that belonged to Albert Eugene Gay, a Connecticut native who lived at Glocester, Rhode Island, and Killingly, Connecticut.

The inscriptions are mainly from Glocester, Rhode Island, and Killingly, Connecticut, especially the Killingly village of Attawaugan.  Interestingly, several of the inscribers at Attawaugan were Swedish and wrote their sentiments in Swedish.

Albert himself may have inscribed the album's dedication page, or perhaps it was the person who gifted him the album.

The album measures approximately 7" by 4-1/4" and contains numerous full page chromo lithographs and the sentiments of over 50 of Albert's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Surnames in the Album

-->

	? [4]	H	Hartshorn	S	Sarle
A	Anderson [3]		Hawkins		Shippee [2]
B	Barton [3]	J	Jonsson		Smith
C	Carroll	K	Kenney		Smythe
	Carver	L	Laramie		Steere [2]
	Chapman	M	McMahon		Stevenson
E	Edwards [2]	O	Olsson		Sweet [2]
	Eldridge [4]	R	Reed	W	Wheaton
	Engqvist		Remington		Williams [5]
F	Frissell		Rhodes
G	Gay [2]
	Geer [4]

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

Albert Eugene Gay was born in 1847 in Connecticut, the son of Mary Gay, perhaps unmarried or perhaps married to a man also with the Gay surname.  Mary later married Alphonso P. Williams and had several children with him.  Mary and Alphonso inscribed pages in the album.

Albert's half siblings, Mary E. Williams and Alphonse L. Williams, inscribed pages, as did Alphonse's wife Martha A. (Shippee) Williams.  

Albert served in Company C of the 1st Regiment, Rhode Island Mounted Volunteers, during the Civil War.  He was wounded and eventually received an invalid pension, which ended with his death in 1923.  

Sometime before their daughter Grace F. Gay was born on May 22, 1871 at Glocester, Rhode Island, Albert had married Phoebe E. Shippee.  It appears Albert and Phoebe divorced a few years later, with Phoebe and Grace staying in Rhode Island, and Albert moving to Killingly, Connecticut, where he became a grocer.  Phoebe subsequently married Frank D. Foskett.   Albert's daughter Grace F. Gay married Samuel A. Chase.

Albert is buried in the Putnam Heights Cemetery at Putnam, Connecticut.  His Find a Grave memorial lists him as Albert T. Gay, but the photograph of his stone shows Albert E. Gay.

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

Inscribers in the Album

• Ophelia; inscribed at Putnam, Connecticut, on August 16, 1884
• Miss Ida ?, possibly Ida Bremitz; inscribed at Attawaugan, Connecticut.  Another Swede, Axel R. Engqvist, inscribed the right facing page.
• C. D. G.; inscribed at Putnam, Connecticut; on August 20, 1884
• Emma; inscribed on January 19, 1884
• Mrs. Abby Anderson; inscribed at Attawaugan, Connecticut, on August 15, 1883
• J. H. Anderson of Attawaugan, Killingly, Connecticut; inscribed on January 20, 1884
• Musa Anderson of Putnam, Connecticut; inscribed on January 11, 1885
• Anna E. Barton of Killingly, Connecticut; inscribed on January 17, 1886
• Carra L. Barton, or Carrie L. Barton, of Killingly, Connecticut; inscribed on December 16, 1886
• Herbert L. Barton; inscribed at Killingly, Connecticut, on December 27, 1885
• Lewis Y. Carroll of New London, Connecticut; inscribed at Attawaugan, Connecticut, on November 12, 1883.  He was "Agent for Library".
• Mellissa Carver; inscribed at Attawaugan, Killingly, Connecticut, on December 5, 1885
• S. W. Chapman
• Mrs. Eliza A. Edwards; inscribed at Attawaugan, Killingly, Connecticut, on December 5, 1885
• William H. Edwards, or William H. Edward; inscribed at Attawaugan, Killingly, Connecticut, on December 5, 1885
• Alice U. Eldridge of Glocester, Rhode Island; inscribed on October 22, 1882.  Not sure of middle initial
• Carrie J. Eldridge of Glocester, Rhode Island; inscribed on October 22, 1882
• J. S. Eldridge; inscribed on October 22, 1882
• M. A. Eldridge; inscribed on October 22, 1882 at Glocester, Rhode Island
• Axel R. Engqvist; inscribed at Killingly Center, Connecticut.  Presumably Axel Reinhold Engqvist.   Sentiment written in Swedish, as was the facing page inscribed by Miss Ida B?
• Walter E. Frissell of Attawaugan, Connecticut; inscribed on January 31, 1886
• Albert Eugene Gay of Glocester, Rhode Island; album owner
• George F. Gay; he made intricate designs over the entire page.
• Clara Geer; inscribed on June 24, 1896  "Love and Kind wishes, From your Book Keeper"
• Louie E. Geer of Putnam, Connecticut; inscribed on January 11, 1885
• Nelia Geer; inscribed at Putnam, Connecticut, on August 12, 1884
• Nellie L. Geer of Putnam, Connecticut; inscribed on August 10, 1884
• Frank E. Hartshorn of Warren, Massachusetts
• May Hawkins, or Mary Hawkins; inscribed on April 28, 1883
• John Adolf Jonsson of Attawaugan, Connecticut; sentiment written in Swedish, as was the facing sentiment by Mrs. Anni Olsson
• E. S. Kenney of Peterborough, New Hampshire; inscribed on November 16, 1883.  Not sure of middle initial.  Perhaps Edward S. Kenney
• Miss Emma Laramie of Attawaugan, Connecticut; inscribed to Mr. Gay
• Mary A. McMahon of Dayville, Connecticut; inscribed on May 5, 1883
• Mrs. Anni Olsson of Attawaugan, Connecticut; sentiment written in Swedish, as was the sentiment on the facing page by John Adolf Jonsson
• Grace A. Reed of North Woodstock, Connecticut; inscribed at Putnam, Connecticut, on August 10, 1884
• Lillian Remington of Putnam, Connecticut; inscribed in August 1884
• Helen M. Rhodes of Break Neck, Connecticut
• Joseph Sarle
• Miss Alice Shippee of North Foster, Rhode Island; inscribed on Sunday, November 19, 1882
• Mr. Philip Shippee of North Foster, Rhode Island; inscribed on Sunday, November 5, 1882
• Minnie Smith of Attawaugan, Connecticut; inscribed in 1883
• Carrie Smythe of Putnam, Connecticut; inscribed on August 28, 1884
• Cora A. Steere of Attawaugan, Connecticut; inscribed on October 19, 1883.  She was Cora Amanda (Gordon) Steere, wife of Joseph B. Steere, who inscribed the left facing page.
• Joseph B. Steere; inscribed at Attawaugan, Connecticut, on October 19, 1883.  His wife, Cora Amanda (Gordon) Steere, inscribed the right facing page.
• T. W. Stevenson; inscribed at Killingly, Connecticut, on July 4, 1884.  "Yours in F. C. & L."
• A. R. Sweet of Foster, Rhode Island
• Mira F. Sweet of Foster, Rhode Island; handwriting of a child
• Sarah J. Wheaton; inscribed at Killingly, Connecticut, on February 9, 1885
• A. L. Williams of West Glocester, Rhode Island; inscribed on July 28, 1884.  Albert's half brother Alphonse L. Williams
• A. P. Williams; inscribed at West Glocester, Rhode Island, on July 4, 1884.  Presumably Alphonso P. Williams, Albert's stepfather.
• Martha A. Williams; inscribed at West Glocester, Rhode Island, on July 19, 1884.  Presumably Martha A. (Shippee) Williams, wife of Albert's half brother Alphonse L. Williams
• "Mother"; inscribed at Glocester, Rhode Island, on June 15, 1884.  Presumably Albert's mother Mary (Gay) Williams.
• Mary E. Williams; inscribed at West Glocester, Rhode Island, on June 15, 1884.  Albert's half sister.