Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Autograph Album of Susie L. Champlin with autographed pages of Class of 1889 of East Greenwich Academy in East Greenwich, Rhode Island


[Note: A reader has provided much information on the owner of this album, Susan Lena Champlin, daughter of John M. Champlin and Lucy May (Chesebro) Champlin.  Please scroll down to the comments section.]

1880s autograph album that belonged to Susie L. Champlin, who was a student at East Greenwich Academy, presumably in the Class of 1889, at East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Susie signed two pages at the beginning of the album.




The album is 7" x 4-1/4" with puffy red velvet covers and a metal piece forming the word "Album".  An alphabetical list of the 68 people who signed pages in the album, including Susie herself, her classmates and friends, appears at the end of this post.



Two other people named Champlin signed pages in Susie's album.  M. Frances Champlin of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, signed a page in 1889 and noted that it was "Inauguration Day - Harrison and Morton" [Pres. Benjamin Harrison and Vice President Levi P. Morton].



J. L. Champlin of Lyme, Connecticut, signed a page on 15 March 1889.  [With information from the reader, I'm guessing that that he was John Latham Champlin, brother of the album owner Susan Lena Champlin.]



Some of the signers indicated what might have been societies they had joined, such as "Philo", "Adelphian" and "Aletheon [notice that M. Frances Champlin, who page appears above, was an "Aletheon"].

Arthur Baker of Willimantic, Connecticut, a "Philo", signed a page at East Greenwich Academy in 1889.

Alice Cary Weeks, an "Aletheon", of The Weirs, New Hampshire, at East Greenwich Academy on 5 February 1889.



Harry Beekman, an "Adelphian", of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, signed a page.



If you have information on Susie L. Champlin or any other signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Alphabetical list of signers: [Note: given names within a specific surname might not be in alphabetical order.]


  • From "Chummie"
  • Anonymous.  Written in the corners: S.I.G.; J. G. B.; C.E.C.; J.G.S.
  • Arthur Baker of Willimantic, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889; "Philo"
  • William Baker of Chester, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 24 April 1889; "Adelphian"
  • Annie Stanton Barber of Ashaway, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich on 21 November 1888
  • Fitch B. Barber of South Manchester, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 2 May 1889; "Philo"
  • Jessie R. Barricklow of Cady, Ohio, signed at East Greenwich Academy, from "Sept 11 to Nov 23/88"
  • Harry Beekman of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts; "Adelphian"
  • James M. Bennett of Hope Valley, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 25 April 1889; "Philo"
  • William H. Bowker of Stafford, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 13 May 1889; "Philo"
  • Cliff C. Bradford of Westerly, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 12 May 1889; "Adelphian"
  • Roby B. Branch of Nichols Academy at Dudley, Massachusetts, signed at Providence, Rhode Island, "Your room mate's chum"
  • Jennie B. Brigham of Norwood, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 22 November 1888
  • Kittie H. Burton of North Providence, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 12 February 1889; "Aletheon"
  • M. S. Case of Little Compton, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 8 May 1889; "Adelphian"
  • J. P. Case or J. P. Cass of Cherryville, New Jersey, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889
  • Susie L. Champlin, album owner
  • J. L. Champlin of Lyme, Connecticut, signed in March 1889
  • M. Frances Champlin of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, signed in 1889.  "Inauguration Day - Harrison and Morton" [Pres. Benjamin Harrison and Vice President Levi P. Morton]; "Aletheon"
  • Cora E. Chandler of North Grosvenor Dale, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1888
  • Belle Coffin of Worcester, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 9 December 1888
  • J. Harrison Cole, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 21 November 1888
  • A. Dechman, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 15 May 1889
  • C. W. Demings, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 16 May 1889.  He was Clyde W. Demings, a Nova Scotia native born in 1864; after East Greenwich Academy, attended Drew University and became a minister in New Jersey and New York
  • Hattie Demings of Nova Scotia, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 17 November 1888
  • Mary E. Drake, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 20 November 1888
  • Herbert E. Drake of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, signed on 20 November 1888
  • John P. Drake of Bristol, New Hampshire, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889
  • W. M. Esten of Slatersville, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 21 May 1889
  • Willie G. Farwell of Chesterfield Factory, New Hampshire, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 13 May 1889
  • M. R. Foster, or M. R. Faster
  • Lena Fuller of Versailles, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 12 February 1889
  • Susie J. Geer of Jewett City, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 19 November 1888
  • Abbie S. Greene of Hope Valley, Rhode Island, signed at "Windsor Castle", East Greenwich Academy on 19 November 1888
  • A. Ethelyn Greene of Hope Valley, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 20 November 1888
  • Lucy P. Hallett of Centerville, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889
  • Frank J. Howard of Willimantic, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889; "Philo"
  • Minnie F. Kennedy of Pascoag, Rhode Island, signed at F.B.S. on 2 December 1889
  • A. A. Kenyon of Carolina, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy in 1889, "Class of 89"; "Philo"
  • Jennie C. Lewis of Westerly, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 27 January 1889 
  • Elvy Perkins Low of Brookline, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 29 January 1889; "Aletheon"  
  • F. Marchant of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 21 November 1888.  "Winsor House, Nov. 17, 1888"
  • Edith C. Miett of Taunton, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 27 January 1889
  • E. L. Montgomery of South Manchester, Connecticut, signed on 29 April 1889; "Philo"
  • Fannie M. Morgan of Mystic, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 29 January 1889
  • E. F. Nightingale of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 10 May 1889; "Philo"
  • James O'Connor of Chester, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 27 April 1889; "Adelphian"
  • May C. Page of New Haven, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 22 November 1888
  • Charles A. Place of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, signed on 9 May 1889; "Philo"
  • G. H. Potter of South Scituate, Rhode Island, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 16 May 1889; "Adelphian"
  • Ed. J. Prest of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 20 November 1888.  Edward J. Prest; "Adelphian"
  • Mae Temple Reade of New Haven, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 25 January 1889
  • Clara R. Slocum, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 5 March 1889
  • May Sly of Webster, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 26 January 1889
  • W. L. Snow of East Mansfield, Massachusetts, signed on 18 May 1889.  "Class of '89 [presumably at East Greenwich Academy]; "Philo"
  • Bess Helen Standish of West Randolph, Vermont, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 23 November 1888
  • Arthur T. Talmadge of Westfield, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 29 April 1889; "Adelphian"
  • Henry A. Thayer of East Blackstone, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 14 May 1889; "Adelphian"
  • W. Sherman Thompson, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 14 May 1889; "Philo"
  • Percival P. Tourtellotte of North Grosvenordale, Connecticut, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 21 May 1889; "Adelphian"
  • Samuel H. Usher of Pascoag, Rhode Island, signed on 8 May 1889
  • Marie Vorys of Lancaster, Ohio, signed at East Greenwich Academy during the Fall Term of 1888
  • Nellie M. Wartman of Little Falls, New York, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 26 January 1889
  • Henrietta Watson of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 19 January 1889
  • Alice Cary Weeks of The Weirs, New Hampshire, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 15 February 1889; Aletheon
  • Nan Laurie Weeks of Weirs, New Hampshire, signed on 14 February 1889; "Aletheon"
  • N. A. Weeks, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 15 February 1889
  • J. Murray Wilcox of St. Louis, Missouri, signed at East Greenwich Academy on 10 May 1889
East Greenwich, Rhode Island


Thanks for stopping by!


2 comments:

  1. I was determined not to let this Rhode Islander get by me:

    Here is the death record of signer M. Frances Champlin daughter of Robert H. Champlin and Frances B. Williams:
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F8DN-S95

    I found Robert and Frances Champlin's family at rootsweb:
    http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jonsaunders&id=I84466

    Then I went through the index for Champlins and found Susan Lena Champlin and her brother John Latham with their parents John M Champlin and Lucy Mary Chesebro. Both children were born in North Stonington, CT:
    http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jonsaunders&id=I125082

    Susan's own page has this comment: "Census: 1880 North Stonington, New London Co., Connecticut. Note: age 10, w/ aunt Frances" so maybe her parents had died.

    If you follow her mother's links backward, you find Susan's maternal aunt Frances Ann Chesebro who married Abram Benjamin Main.

    I found John Latham in 1880, a grandson in the household, with some Cheesebro relatives:
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFZS-J88

    And finally, Susan "Champling" with aunt Fannie:
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFZS-J89

    You'd think ancestry or familysearch could find Champling for Champlin.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ed, I can't thank you enough for your research to pinpoint Susie L. Champlin as Susan Lena Champlin, daughter of John M. and Lucy Mary (Chesebro) Champlin!

    ReplyDelete