1878-1882 Autograph Album of Julia Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia

1878-1882 autograph album that was a Christmas present to Julia Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia, given by her sister Maria in 1878.

The album is approximately 4" x 2-3/4", and a bit thicker than the norm; it contains the sentiments of over 60 of Julia's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Julia Brown was born 3 June 1867 at Maitland, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Dr. Samuel Dennison Brown and Annie (Dickie) Brown.  A Julia Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia, signed a page in the album, toward the back, but I can't be sure she was the album owner or a relative.

Julia's father, Dr. Samuel Dennison Brown was quite a character, as described on this website with the history of Maitland; scroll nearly to the end for a paragraph entitled "Village Doctors".

The C. W. Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia, who signed a page on January 1, 1879 was presumably Julia's older brother Charles Whidden Brown.

"Rye", who called herself Julia's "sister", signed a page at ? St. Vincent, on July 19, 1880.  I don't know if she was Julia's sister, sister-in-law, religious sister or social sister.

Other relatives signed pages in the album; see the list below.  I don't believe Julia ever married.  She died in 1942 at Maitland, Nova Scotia.

Two pages list the names of, presumably, Julia's close friends and/or schoolmates.  The top page has the names: Lulu Barbrick; Clara Christie; Katie Lawrence; Mattie Dickie; Minnie Hall; Susan Cox; Edith Douglas; May Cox; Bessie Cox; and Bertha Forbes.  The bottom page lists Julia's name and that of Anna N. McCallum and Cat S. Sweet.

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!

Surnames include:

• Ashton
• Barbrick
• Brown
• Currie
• Douglas
• Hall
• Hart
• Hiltz
• Irving
• Lawrence
• Lynch
• Makenzie
• McCurdy
• Moore
• Murphy
• Smith
• Sweet

List of signers: some were likely repeat signers   [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.

?

• Aunt ?, possibly Aunt Emily, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on June 24, 1881.  She wrote over two pages and sketched a broom that she said she'd give Julia on her wedding day someday.
• Bessie, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on January 17, 1880
• Lille [?], signed on March 10, 1879
• M. E. D.; schoolmate
• Evelyn D.
• Susie, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in 1879
• Bessie, signed on February 18, 1880
• Lou, signed at Wolfville, Nova Scotia, in October 1880; Julia's cousin
• J. C., signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in March 1880
• Little Bessie
• Lydia, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia in 1879 [written as 1789]
• E. R. S.
• A. K. McC, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in May 1879
• L. D.
• Bessie
• Annie, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on February 13, 1879
• Ernest ?, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on May 18, 1881
• H. B. M., signed in October 1879; Julia's schoolmate
• L. C. S., signed at Selma, Nova Scotia, on September 15 [no year written]
• Rye, "ever your loving sister".  Not sure if she was a sister, a sister-in-law or a social or religious sister.  Underneath the Victorian scrap, looks like "? St. Vincent, July 19, 1880
• Jessie; signed in December 1879; Julia's cousin
• ?, possibly "friend"
• G. O. B., signed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 1, 1880
• H. F., signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on April 23, 1881
• M. L. D., signed on August 27 [no year written]
• Alice; signed on September 1879.  Julia's cousin
• Very faint, but appears to indicate that Miss ? [surname possibly Alice Brown], daughter of Fred B., Esq., and ? Weatherby, Esq. were married.

A

• Lillie Ashton

B

• Lulu Barbrick, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on February 8, 1879
• Lydia S. Barbrick, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on May 30, 1881
• W. S. Barbrick, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on January 21, 1880
• Julia Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia.  The album was given to her at Christmas in 1878 by her sister Maria Brown.
• Julia Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia; presumably Julia who owned this album, but this page was signed in the midst of other signed pages
• Maria Brown.  She presented the album to her sister Julia Brown at Christmas in 1878.
• C. W. Brown of Maitland, Nova Scotia, signed on January 1, 1879.  Presumably Julia's older brother Charles Whidden Brown, born about October 1857
• Jessie Brown
• S. N. Brown, signed at Cedar Cottage, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
• Jessie Brown, signed at Cedar Cottage at Wolfville, Nova Scotia, on October 15, 1880
• May Brown, signed at Wolfville, Nova Scotia, on September 25, 1880
• Edith Brown of Wolfville, Nova Scotia

C

• M. B. Crowe, signed at Selma, Nova Scotia, in March 1879
• Maria Currie of Maitland, Nova Scotia
• Mary E. Currie
• Maria Currie of Maitland, Nova Scotia

D

• Minnie Douglas

H

• Minnie Hall, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on January 20, 1881
• Sarah L. Hart, signed in 1881
• Maggie J. Hiltz
• M. J. Hiltz of Maitland, Nova Scotia, signed in 1882

I

• H. Irving, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in April 1879

L

• Kate Lawrence of Maitland, Nova Scotia, signed on January 28, 1882
• K. Lawrence
• Minnie G. Lynch of Maitland, Nova Scotia, in 1881

M

• Eva Makenzie, signed at Elliot St 1882
• Maggie McCurdy, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, on May 16 [no year written]
• Bessie Moore, signed on January 30, 1880
• C. A. Murphy, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in April 1879
• Annie Murphy, signed at Maitland, Nova Scotia, in April 1879

S

• Clark Smith
• J. Smith, signed on September 19 [no year written]
• Lily Sweet, signed on 29 July 1879

Maitland, Nova Scotia


View Larger Map

Thanks for stopping by!