Thursday, December 26, 2013

1880s and 1890s Autograph Album of Maud E. Brown of Portland, Maine


1880s and 1890s autograph album of Maud E. Brown of Portland, Maine.  During this time, she married George William Hunter, a Boston Massachusetts, native, who may have signed a page in the album using his initials.



The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains pages signed by 69 of Maud's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

As you can see, the covers have suffered major damage, and the spine is nonexistent.  It's interesting, though, to see the process the printer used to give the covers some depth, by incorporating several plies of cardboard and felt.



From online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions welcome!]

Maud E. Brown was born 29 March 1871 at Raymond, Maine, the daughter of Joseph and Phoebe Ann Jackson (Harris) Brown, who were born at Raymond, Maine, and New Gloucester, Maine, respectively.  

I found two birth records for a Joseph W. Brown born at Standish, Maine, to parents Jordan and Catherine Brown.  It appears that an earlier son, born in October 1844, died in infancy, and Maud's father was given the same name when he was born on 5 December 1847.

There are several birth records with different dates for Phoebe Ann Jackson Harris, so it appears that she also had a predecessor sibling, or two, who died.

Most of the autographs were collected while Maud's family was living at Portland, Maine, where her father worked as a carpenter.  I believe the family lived on Brackett Street, assuming the Joseph W. Brown I found in an 1885 directory of Portland was the correct Joseph.

As far as I can tell, Maud's parents and siblings did not sign pages in her album.  On 25 June 1889, Maud married George William Hunter, son of Needham Cook Hunter and Catherine J. (O'Connor) Hunter.  George was born 22 February 1866 at Boston, Massachusetts.

There's a page in the album signed by G. W. H. of Portland,  Maine, signed on August 21, 1888.  I wonder if this was a page signed by George William Hunter who perhaps had moved to Portland for work and met Maud there.



Maud and George had, I believe, two children, a daughter, Helen Longfellow Hunter, and a son, Joseph Harold Hunter.  They were living at Wakefield, Massachusetts, at the time of the 1900 Census.

Helen Longfellow Hunter signed a page in the album.



Two of George William Hunter's siblings signed pages in the album.  Younger brother Joseph Steven Hunter, signed a page on December 18, 1895 when he was living at Wakefield, Massachusetts.  He was living with Maud and George and their children at the time of the 1900 Census of Wakefield.



Younger sister Mary C. Hunter of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed a page on November 4, 1890.


  
It appears that Maud and George divorced, after 1900.  On 14 December 1903, Maud married Gilbert Wright, son of James W. and Sarah (Jones) Wright.  The 1910 Census shows Maud and Gilbert living at Yarmouth, Maine, with their son Louis and Maud's daughter Helen Longfellow Hunter.  Maud and Gilbert were still at Yarmouth, Maine, up through the time of the 1940 Census.

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

Alphabetical list of signers:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • G. W. H. of Portland, Maine, signed on August 21, 1888; perhaps Maud's future husband George William Hunter
  • Hattie F. Allen of Deering, Maine, signed on June 3, 1889
  • Percy L. Barker of Portland, Maine, signed on January 13, 1887
  • Maybelle Barss of Wakefield, Massachusetts; schoolmate of Maud's daughte
  • Henry R. Batcheller of Portland, Maine, signed on January 24, 1887
  • Maud E. Brown; album owner
  • Minnie P. Clay, signed in 1887
  • Jacob H. Cole, signed on January 26, 1887
  • Bessie M. Cosman of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed December 5, 1896.  Called herself Maud's daughter, Bessie's mother was Sarah A. (Stack) Cosman, so there must have been another "mother" relationship
  • John A. Daly of Portland, Maine, signed in 1887
  • Lula G. Doten of Portland, Maine, signed on January 14, 1887
  • Harry W. Dyer of Portland, Maine, signed on January 20, 1887
  • C. F. Edson of Portland, Maine, signed, I think, on Washington's Birthday, which he wrote in calligraphy.  He also sketched a coastal scene from Tennyson.
  • Mary Field, signed in January 1887
  • Clinton T. Fisher of South Portland, Maine, signed on July 30, 1888; "Harrison Guards"
  • Harold B. Fobes o Portland, Maine, signed on January 20, 1887
  • Gertie C. Fuller, signed in 1887
  • Bessie B. Furlong, signed in 1887
  • Julia C. Gammon of Portland, Maine, signed on May 25, 1888
  • Thomas E. Glynn of Portland, Maine, signed on Sunday, May 10, 1896
  • Edith A. Goold of Portland, Maine, signed on January 25, 1887
  • Marland Griffin of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on October 19, 1896
  • Willie Haggett of Portland, Maine, signed on January 26, 1887
  • W. A. Henley
  • R. Henry Hinkley, signed in 1887
  • May R. Hobbs, signed in 1887
  • Helen L. Hunter; Helen Longfellow Hunter, Maud's daughter with husband George William Hunter.
  • Joseph S. Hunter of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on December 18, 1895.  He was Joseph Steven Hunter, younger brother of Maud's husband George William Hunter.
  • Mary C. Hunter of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on November 4, 1890.  She was a sister of George William Hunter, Maud's husband.
  • Frank S. Jones, signed on June 25, 1889
  • Richard D. Joy of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on December 5, 1896
  • Frank W. Joy, signed at Portland, Maine, on April 17, 1888' drew an intricate sketch of a bird
  • John T. Kavanagh, signed on January 12, 1887
  • Emma E. Lamson of Portland, Maine, signed on January 5, 1887; Maud's schoolmate
  • Thaddie S. Lewis of Portland, Maine, signed in January 1887.  Thaddeus S. Lewis
  • L. Maud Lewis of Portland, Maine, signed on January 26, 1887
  • F. M. Lovering of Portland, Maine, signed on June 3, 1889
  • May E. Lovering of Portland, Maine, signed on June 4, 1889
  • Henry Melaugh, signed on January 27, 1887
  • Mattie C. Melcher of Portland, Maine, signed on February 4, 1887
  • Frank Nichols of Malden, Massachusetts
  • Charles E. Noyes, signed in 1887
  • Bessie M. Pennell of Portland, Maine
  • Alice S. Raymond, signed on January 21, 1887
  • Mildred V. Rodgers of Portland, Maine, signed on January 6, 1887
  • Fred C. Scott of Reading, Massachusetts, signed on December 13, 1896
  • H. Woodie Shaylor of Portland, Maine, signed on January 4, 1887. He was Horace Woodbury Shaylor, probably the son Horace Woodbury Shaylor, Jr. (1870-1952
  • Luella Shaylor, signed on January 4, 1887
  • Richard D. Small of Portland, Maine, signed on January 5, 1867 [not sure if he meant to write 1867 as that would be much earlier than any of the other dated pages.]
  • Arthur E. Soule, signed in 1887
  • Eva L. Taylor of Portland, Maine, signed on January 12, 1887
  • Willie W. Thomas of Portland, Maine, signed on January 7, 1887
  • Ottie L. Thompson of Portland, Maine, signed in January 1887
  • Willie O. Thompson, signed in 1887
  • James Thompson of Portland, Maine, signed on January 25, 1887
  • Frank E. Totman of Portland, Maine, signed on January 20, 1887
  • William H. Usher of Portland, Maine, signed on 6/3/89
  • Frank B. W. Welch of Portland, Maine
  • Mary E. White of Portland, Maine, signed on January 6, 1887
  • Apollonia Wiechmann of Portland, Maine, signed on April 8, 1887.  She was Apollonia (Hergenroder) Wiechmann, the wife of signer Gustav Adolf Wiechmann and mother of signer Katie Wiechmann.  A Gussie Wiechmann, perhaps a son, also signed a page.  Gustav Adolf Wiechmann died 26 July 1897 at Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Katie Wiechmann of Portland, Maine, signed on April 8, 1887. Her mother Apollonia (Hergenroder) Wiechmann and father Gustav Adolf Wiechmann also signed a page, as did a Gussie Wiechmann, perhaps Katie's brother.
  • Gussie A. Wiechmann of Portland, Maine, signed on April 7, 1887.  He/she may have been the son or daughter of signers Apollonia (Hergenroder) Wiechmann and Gustav Adolf Wiechmann.  Sister Katie Wiechmann also signed a page.
  • Gustav Adolf Wiechmann of Portland, Maine, signed on April 7, 1887.  His wife Apollonia (Hergenroder) Wiechmann and daughter Katie and child Gussie also signed pages.  Gustav Adolf Wiechmann died 26 July 1897 at Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Abbie D. Wiggin of No. 8 Cushman St., Portland, Maine, signed on June 4, 1889
  • Mabel L. Wiggin of Portland, Maine, signed on June 4, 1889
  • Alma I. Wiggin of Portland, Maine, signed on February 12, 1888.  "T.T.U.R.C."
  • Nellie Gertrude Wiggin, signed on May 25, 1889
  • Frank Wiggins of Portland, Maine, signed in 1888
  • Ellen C. Williams, signed on January 7, 1887
  • Elsie Wilson of Portland, Maine, signed on January 12, 1887





3 comments:

  1. Is this available for purchase? Is there a way to contact you via email?
    Thanks.
    -Jimmy-

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Guess not, bro.

      Delete
    2. My email address is up above, in the right column, under Inquiries. Sorry to have missed your comment.

      Delete