Thursday, September 6, 2012

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Walter A. Newcomb of Newburgh, Maine


1880s/1890s autograph album owned by Walter A. Newcomb of Newburgh, Maine, or South Newburgh, Maine.



Approximately  4-1/4" x 3", with pages signed by about forty-six people, some multiple times.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Walter signed three pages.  The page below is the first end paper.



He also signed two pages that he dated in 1885 and in 1893.





Many online trees gives Walter's date of death as February 4, 1893, one of them giving the source Andrew Newcomb and His Descendants: A Revised Edition of "Genealogical Memoir" of the Newcomb Family by John Bearse.  However, a reader has noted in the comments that Walter died in 1897, as his grave in the Chapman Cemetery in Newburgh, Maine, attests.

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

Walter A. Newcomb was born 19 December 1871 at Newburgh, Maine, son of Augustus Allen Newcomb and Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Nealley) Newcomb.  

Walter's father, Augustus Allen Newcomb, signed a page in 1884.



Walter's mother, Elizabeth (Nealley) Newcomb signed a page in 1884.



Walter's paternal grandfather, Allen Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in 1887.



Walter's paternal grandmother, Olivia (Mitchell) Newcomb died before Walter's birth.  Allen Newcomb's second wife, Lizzie A. (Cook) Newcomb, Walter's step grandmother, of South Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in 1887.



Walter's maternal grandfather, Howard W. Nealley had died before Walter's birth.  Walter's maternal grandmother, Olive (Billings) Nealley was alive while the album was being used, but she didn't sign in it.  Two of Elizabeth (Nealley) Newcomb's siblings signed pages, however.  


Elizabeth's brother, Charles H. Nealley of South Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in his nephew Walter's album in 1892.



Elizabeth's sister, Effie Ann (Nealley) Morse of Newburgh Village, Maine, signed a page in her nephew Walter's album in 1883.



Effie's daughter Agnes R. Morse of Newburgh Village, Maine,  signed a page in her cousin Walter's album in 1887.




Walter's brother Charles H. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in 1893.



Walter's brother Clyde A. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in 1889.



Walter's brother Jay G. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, signed several pages in his album, including the one below signed in 1898, the year after Walter's death, as related by a reader in the comments section.  Perhaps the album was being maintained as a memorial.



Walter's cousin Daisy Bartlett of Newburgh, Maine, signed a page in 1883.



Annie L. Smith of Brownville, Maine, signed a page at Newburgh, Maine, in 1883.  She signed herself Walter's friend and teacher, so was apparently teaching at Newburgh in 1883.



Complete list of signers, in alphabetical order by surname [not necessarily by first name]

  • Uncle Charles of South Newburgh, Maine, 1883; possibly another page signed by Charles H. Nealley, Walter's maternal uncle
B
  • Martha J. Bartlett, 1889
  • Daisy Bartlett of Newburgh, Maine, 1883; Walter's cousin
  • Susie M. Bickford of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Minnie V. Bridgham of Newburgh Village, Maine, 1883
  • Hattie Bussey of Hampden, Maine
C
  • Grover Cleveland, 1885; likely a joke as I didn't find a local Grover Cleveland in the area, and it doesn't match Pres. Cleveland's handwriting that I found online
D
  • Addie R. Davis of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • C. Gertrude Davis of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Flora E. Davis of South Newburgh, Maine, 1883
F
  • George W. Folsom of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Millie C. Freeman of Malden, Massachusetts, signed at Newburgh, Maine, 1887
H
  • Julia S. Humphrey, 1884
  • May L. Humphrey of Newburgh, Maine, 1884
J
  • Luty L. Jackson of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Blanche E. Jewett of Machiasport, Maine; signed at South Newburgh, Maine, 1887
L
  • Myrtie A. Leavitt of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
M
  • R. L. McKeen of Swanville, Maine, 1884
  • Nellie G. Miles of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Stella Miles at Newburgh, Maine, 1883
  • Effie A. Morse, 1883; Walter's Aunt, Effie Ann (Nealley) Morse
  • Agie R. Morse of Newburgh Village, Maine; Walter's cousin Agnes R. Morse, daughter of Effie Ann (Nealley) Morse, who signed another page
  • Charles F. Mudgett of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
N
  • C. H. Nealley of South Newburgh, Maine, 1892; likely Charles H. Nealley, Walter's maternal uncle
  • Walter A. Newcomb of Newburgh, Maine; album owner; signed three pages: undated, 1885, 1893
  • Augustus A. Newcomb, 1884
  • Elizabeth (Nealley) Newcomb, 1884; Walter's mother
  • Allen Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, 1887; Walter's paternal grandfather
  • Mrs. L. A. C. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, 1886; Lizzie Ann (Cook) Newcomb, Walter's paternal step grandmother, 2nd wife of Allen Newcomb
  • Lizzie Newcomb, possibly Lizzie J. Newcomb, of South Newburgh, Maine, 1887
  • C. H. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine; Walter's brother Charles H. Newcomb
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Newcomb; possibly Walter's mother, Elizabeth (Nealley) Newcomb
  • J. G. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine; likely Walter's brother Jay G. Newcomb who signed another page in 1898 and another undated page
  • C. A. Newcomb of South Newburgh, Maine, 1889; likely Walter's brother Clyde A. Newcomb
  • Etta S. Nye of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
P
  • Walter H. Parker of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
R
  • Nellie B. Rich of Newburgh, Maine, 1892
S
  • H. Toscal Shaw of North Newburgh, Maine, 1887
  • R. W. Simpson of South Newburgh, Maine, 1892
  • Annie L. Smith of Brownville, Maine, signed at Newburgh, Maine, 1883; Walter's teacher
  • Sadie J. Stewart of Newburgh, Maine, 1885
  • Mamie Stewart of Newburgh, Maine, 1885
T
  • S. F. Thomas of Newburgh, Maine, 1884
  • Walter Trask of Newburgh, Maine, 1883
V
  • Edith D. Varney of Newburgh Center, Maine, 1884
  • Edna M. Varney of Newburgh Center, Maine, 1884


If you have corrections to the information above or information on the Newcomb family or any of the signers, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  I'd especially like to know the date of Walter's death.







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