1870s/1880s Autograph Album of Mary/May/Mollie of Providence, Rhode Island; students from Class of 1880

1870s/1880s autograph album that belonged to a young woman identified variously as May, Mary and Mollie.   Many of the signers indicated they were members of the Class of 1880.  A couple mentioned the Bridgham School, though that might have been a grammar school, as they were signed in the years 1877 and 1878.

The first signed page in the album consists of the autographs of six women who called themselves "The Hard Crowd".  One of them dated the page September 27, 1890.  The members were

• Florence P. Blake
• Ida A. Clewley
• Emma S. Vaughan
• Lucy O. Grafton
• Kate B. Dawley
• May Perkins

No doubt several of these women, if not all, had married names by 1890, including May Perkins, who's a tempting prospect for the album owner.

One signer, Ella I. Winslow, who signed a page at Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 26, 1888, indicated a cousin relationship with the owner.  I believe she was Ella I. (Cheney) Winslow, daughter of Luther and Lydia C. (Winn) Cheney and wife of Albert Winslow.  I don't know if Ella was a cousin or cousin-in-law.

"Cousin Ed" signed a page at Ware, Massachusetts, on July 22, 1888.

Aunt Laura signed a page.

D. W. Phillips of Providence, Rhode Island, inscribed a page to "Mollie" on January 5, 1878.  Perhaps D. W. was privy to an earlier nickname of Mary/May because of a family or close connection?

Lottie Alexander of Providence, Rhode Island, inscribed her page to Mary on March 5, 1878.

Florence P. Blake of Providence, Rhode Island, inscribed her page to May on August 5, 1889.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over 120 of May's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list appears at the end of this post.

A few of the embellished pages:

Ernest W. Campbell inscribed a page at Providence, Rhode Island, on November 21, 1878 and added some interesting touches.

Katie B. Dawley signed a page at Providence, Rhode Island, on July 22, 1889.

Fred T. Adams of Providence, Rhode Island, inscribed a page on July 4, 1878 and got into the red, white and blue spirit.

Chester A. Gallup of Cranston, Rhode Island, signed a page on May 31, 1887 and, fittingly, sketched a horse, cowboy and herd.

If you have a theory as to the album owner, or if you have information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Surnames in the album  (Many appear multiple times; others have undetermined surnames.

Adams
Alexander
Allen
Angell
Austin
Aylsworth
Bailey
Barbour
Barron
Blake
Bradley
Brayton
Briggs
Brown
Calder
Campbell
Carpenter
Case
Clark
Clewley
Cole
Colwell
Congdon
Corey
Dawley
Durfee
Eddy
Field
Flanders
Fowler
Fuller
Gallup
Gardner
Gould
Grafton
Greene
Hayden
Helton
Hines
Hopkins
Hoxsie
Kempton
Kenison
Knowles
Krall
Loudon
Martin
Mattison
Moulton
Munro
Nichols
Northrop
O'Hare
Osgood
Patt
Pearce
Perkins
Petisce
Phillips
Pierce
Price
Randall
Read
Remington
Reynolds
Robinson
Salisbury
Sheldon
Sherman
Slocum
Smith
Spink
Steere
Swan
Thornton
Tompkins
Vaughan
Waldron
Walker
Wallace
Wells
Westcott
White
Wilbour
Wilbur
Wilman
Winslow
Woodard
Wright

Signers in the album:  [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

• Aunt Laura
• L. F. R; shared the page with B. M.
• B. M.; shared the page with L. F. R.
• Carrie, signed on October 6, 1878
• Cousin Ed, signed at Ware, Massachusetts, on July 22, 1888
• R. H. P; signed on September 30, 1878; not sure of initials
• Fred T. Adams of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on July 4, 1878.  Fred decorated his page with a swan and embellishments in blue and red
• Lottie Alexander of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on March 5, 1878
• Annie M. Allen of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on March 5, 1878
• Walter B. Angell of Providence, Rhode Island, singed on October 4, 1878; not positive of middle initial
• Sarah Austin, signed on March 5, 1878
• Edward O. Aylsworth of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 24, 1878
• Abby B. Bailey of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 1, 1878
• Frank M. Bailey of Bridgham School, Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 23, 1878
• William E. Barbour, signed on January 21, 1877
• Theodore Barron of Newport, Nova Scotia, signed on October 28 [no year written]
• Florence P. Blake; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890
• Florence P. Blake of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on August 5, 1889
• Blanche A. Bradley of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on April 30, 1888
• Will G. Brayton of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on October 3, 1879
• Charles N. Briggs of Foster, Rhode Island, signed on August 10, 1878  "Don't forget that B stands for blubber."
• Frank R. Briggs of Foster, Rhode Island, signed on August 7, 1878
• Alice M. Briggs of Foster, Rhode Island, signed on August 7, 1878
• Mary E. Briggs of Rockland, Rhode Island, signed on August 8, 1878
• Ellen Louise Brown, signed on January 8, 1878
• A. L. Calder, signed in 1878
• Ernest W. Campbell, signed at Providence, Rhode Island, on November 21, 1878.  Embellishments make the writing hard to read, so not sure of middle initial.  Sketches
• Ella Carpenter of Providence, Rhode Island
• Joseph Case of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on August 18, 1880
• Hattie P. Clark, Class of 1880
• Ida A. Clewley; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890
• Jennie Cole of Providence, Rhode Island, 13 Howard Street, signed on January 5, 1878
• Edgar A. Colwell of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 5, 1878
• Nilla C. Congdon; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Everett M. Corey of Providence, Rhode Island
• Kate B. Dawley; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890
• Jennie C. Dawley; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Louise Dawley; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Katie B. Dawley, signed at Providence, Rhode island, on July 22, 1889
• Louise T. Dawley, Class of 1880
• Annie B. Durfee of Putnam, Connecticut, signed on August 7, 1881
• Albert A. Eddy of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on July 3, 1880
• Harry H. Field of Providence, Rhode Island, signed "4/10/1878; May's schoolmate
• William J. Flanders of Cranston, Rhode Island
• Gladys Fowler, signed on March 1, 1903; shared the page with Alonzo R. Hines, whose handwriting appears to have come from the the 1870s/1880s era.
• John A. Fowler, signed at Providence, Rhode Island, on April 25, 1889
• Lizzie F. Fuller; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Mrs. Fidelia Gallup of Cranston, Rhode Island
• Chester A. Gallup of Cranston, Rhode Island, signed on May 31, 1887; sketches of cowboy, his horse and herd
• George D. Gardner of Auburn, Rhode Island, signed on September 18, 1879
• Bertha Gould; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Bertha Adele Gould of Allendale, Rhode Island; Class of 1880
• Lucy O. Grafton; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890
• Lucy O. Grafton
• Alice J. Greene; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Alice J. Greene
• Will H. Hayden of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on November 10, 1880
• Della Helton; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Della L. Helton, Class of 1880
• Alonzo R. Hines; shared the page with Gladys Fowler, who may have signed in a later era
• Alonzo R. Hines of Providence, Rhode Island
• Cora E. Hopkins of Providence, Rhode Island, signed in 1879
• Nellie Hoxsie; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Linnie Kempton of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 1, 1878
• William F. Kenison, Jr., of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on September 22, 1879
• Alden R. Knowles of Auburn, Rhode Island, signed on September 19, 1879
• Clara Krall of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on August 6, 1889
• Mary Loudon; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Mary Loudon, Class of 1880
• Maude Martin; signed on a page shared by three people
• Maude Martin
• Carrie M. Mattison of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 4, 1878
• Tiny Moulton of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 1, 1878
• Charles E. Munro, signed on November 7, 1879
• Albert J. Nichols of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on October 25, 1878
• E. W. Northrop of Granville, New York, signed on August 10, 1888
• Frank O'Hare of Valley Falls, Rhode Island, signed on June 15, 1896
• J. A. Osgood, signed in June 1880
• Jennie Osgood of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 25, 1878
• Ella Patt of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 4, 1878
• Walter I. Pearce of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 6, 1878
• May Perkins; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890.  May may have been the album owner
• Mr. A. J. Petisce, Public Accountant, signed on "5-10-1949"
• D. W. Phillips of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 5, 1878.  Referred to the album owner as Mollie
• Mrs. Calista Phillips of Huletts Landing, New York, in Washington County
• Jennie Pierce of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on February 7, 1878
• Raymond Price of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on September 30, 1879
• Sarah W. Randall, signed on December 10, 1879
• M. Randall of Foster Centre, Rhode Island, signed on March 30, 1880
• Henry W. Read of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on February 6, 1878
• Byron A. Remington of Providence, Rhode island, signed on October 28, 1879
• Florence P. Reynolds [not sure of middle initial]; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Edith Robinson; signed on a page shared by three people
• Edith Robinson, Class of 1880
• Frank W. Salisbury, signed on December 16, 1879; not sure of middle initial.
• Lena D. Sheldon; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Lena D. Sheldon, Class of 1880
• Nellie Sheldon Flanders
• Mabel E. Sherman of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 7, 1878
• Jennie Slocum of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 28, 1878
• John P. Smith, Jr. of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on June 3, 1878
• William W. Smith of Bridgham School, Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 23, 1877
• Flora D. Spink; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Flora D. Spink of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on March 25, 1880.  "Class of '80"
• Mrs. Z. A. Steere of Providence, Rhode Island; presumably Zilpha A. (Phillips) Steere, wife of Pitts Smith Steere
• Ina Villa Steere of Rockland, Rhode Island, signed on January 17, 1885
• Mr. Frank C. Steere of Providence, Rhode Island, 9 Almy Street
• Vivian M. Steere of Rockland, Rhode Island, signed on October 30, 1884
• Nettie Steere of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 5, 1878
• Harriet A. Swan, signed at Providence, Rhode Island, on January 1, 1878
• Lena Thornton; signed on a page shared by three people
• Lena H. Thornton, Class of 1880
• Mabel Tompkins of Adamsville, Rhode Island, signed on October 4, 1878
• Emma S. Vaughan; shared a page with five other women, The "Hard Crowd", signed September 27, 1890
• Alice A. Waldron; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Mr. Albert A. Walker of Rockland, Rhode Island
• Winnifred Wallace; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Annie Wells of Clayville, Rhode Island
• John C. Westcott of Rockland, Rhode Island, signed on August 7, 1878
• Annie E. White; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Annie E. White of Providence, Rhode Island
• Eugene Wilbour of Providence, Rhode Island
• Mary E. Wilbur of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on December 17, 1879
• B. L. Wilman of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on June 3, 1878
• Ella I. Winslow, signed on July 26, 1888 at Worcester, Massachusetts.  She called herself Mary's cousin.  Presumably Ella I. (Cheney) Winslow, wife of Albert Winslow.  Ella was the daughter of Lyman and Lydia C. (Winn) Cheney.
• Miss Anna L. Woodard of Ticonderoga, New York, signed on September 3, 1888
• Agnes Wright; signed on a page signed by eight people
• Nathan M. Wright of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 4 [no year written]
• Louis R. Wright of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 3, 1878

Providence, Rhode Island

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