1888-1901 Autograph Album with Signers Mostly from Hooksett, New Hampshire

1888-1901 autograph album with signers mostly from Hooksett, New Hampshire.  Many members of the Rowell and Crooker families signed pages in the album.  It's likely that the album belonged to one of them.

The album measures approximately 7-1/4" x 4" and contains the sentiments of 30 people.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

One signer, Jennie Crooker, called herself the album owner's sister, which could have meant sister or sister-in-law.  Jennie was Jane (Russell) Rowell, married to Charles H. Rowell, son of Amos and Mary Edith (Davis) Rowell.  It's possible that Jennie was the daughter of William and Sarah (Shannon) Russell of Andover, Massachusetts, but I'd like confirmation of that.  I don't know if Jennie had siblings.  Charles had 7 siblings, one of whom may have been the album owner.

Charles and Jennie of Hooksett, New Hampshire, inscribed facing page son December 1, 1886.

Another signer, C. Bell Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed a page on November 7, 1886 and called herself the album owner's niece.  Fittingly, Charles H. Rowell and Jennie (Russell) Rowell had a daughter Clara Bell Rowell.  Bell mentioned Hackett Hill in Hooksett, which is presumably where Charles and Jennie and family lived.

Following up on the possibility that a sibling of Charles H. Rowell was the album owner:

Charles' sister Frances S. (Rowell) Crooker, first wife of Philip E. Crooker, signed the first page in the album, on January 23, 1886.  Whether she was indicating ownership of the album or just happened to be the first person to sign in it, I don't know, but the album continued on until 1901.  If it had belonged to Frances, who died in 1894, then someone else must have taken it over.

Charles' sister Ida May (Rowell) Gage, wife of Horace Putney Gage, did not sign a page in the album, but her two children, Mary Gage and Arthur Horace Gage, did.  Perhaps the album belonged to Ida, though neither child mentioned a relationship.

Charles' sister Annie Bell Rowell, who married Leroy H. Elliott in 1873, did not sign a page in the album.  She lived until 1917 and could have been the album owner.

Charles' brother Clinton M. Rowell did not sign a page in the album, so it's possible the album belonged to him.

Charles' sister Myrtie G. Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed a page on March 27, 1886, so it would seem the album was not hers.  She would marry Arthur Dennison Brown.

I'm presuming that the S. B. Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, who signed a page on June 27, 1887, was Charles' brother Simeon B. Rowell, so it would seem the album was not his.

Charles' sister Nellie M. Rowell did not sign a page in the album, but her husband, Howard W. Wommack of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed a page on January 27, 1900.  Nellie lived until 1911, so it's possible the album belonged to her.

If you have a theory as to the owner of the album, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Frances S. (Rowell) Crooker's husband Philip E. Crooker of Hooksett, New Hampshire, a Civil War veteran, signed a page in the album on January 24, 1886, a day after his wife signed.

As noted above, Frances S. (Rowell) Crooker died in 1894.  On September 4, 1899, Philip married Alzada N. Locke, who signed a page in the album.  Alazda was 15 years old.

An article in the October 16, 1899 issue of the Fitchburg Sentinel mentions that Alzada's father, Fred Locke, caused a disturbance at the newlyweds' household; what precipitated this act can only be surmised.  Alzada and Philip eventually divorced.  Philip married Effie Florence (Sherman) Foote on December 5, 1910; Alzada had married Edwin Aldrich of Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1907.

Please refer to the list below for more members of the Rowell and Crooker families.  If you have a theory as to the identity of the album owner, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Surname list

Blaisdell
Chase
Crooker     [8 - 2 might be the same person]
Dickey
Emery
Gage     [3 - 2 might be the same person]
Head
Hill
Huse
Megin
Morgan     [2]
Ordway
Poore
Rowell     [5]
Wheeler
Wommack

List of signers     [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

B

• Ella E. Blaisdell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 19, 1887

C

• Horace P. Chase, signed on September 15, 1888
• Mrs. Frances S. Crooker of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on January 23, 1886.  She was Frances S. (Rowell) Crooker, first wife of Philip E. Crooker; she died in 1894.
• Frances S. Crooker of Hooksett, New Hampshire
• Philip E. Crooker of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on January 24, 1886. He would marry signer Frances (Rowell) Crooker in 1869.
• Elsie R. Crooker of Amherst, New Hampshire, signed on September 16, 1893
• Alzada N. Crooker of Hooksett, New Hampshire. She was Alzada N. (Locke) Crooker, daughter of Fred A. and Loretta J. (Foote) Locke, who became the second wife of Philip E. Crooker in 1899. They divorced, and Alzada later married Edwin Aldrich of Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1907.
• Angie E. Crooker of Nashua, New Hampshire
• Mrs Hazel May Crooker of Nashua, New Hampshire, signed on September 29, 1891
• Fannie L. Crooker of Nashua, New Hampshire, signed on September 29, 1891

D

• Miss Ida M. Dickey of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on February 3 [no year written]

E

• Arline A. Emery of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on January 27, 1887

G

• Mary L. Gage of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on August 12, 1890
• Arthur H. Gage of Hooksett, New Hampshire. Either this same Arthur H. Gage or a relative signed another page in 1900.
• Arthur H. Gage of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 10, 1900; he may have been the Arthur H. Gage who signed another, undated, page.
• Elsie Head of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on August 9, 1901
• Mary S. Hill of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 14, 1890
• Hattie A. Huse of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on December 3, 1887

M

• Effie M. Megin of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on August 23, 1899. She would marry Willie R. Loud on 30 June 1900 at Manchester, New Hampshire.
• J. Hollis Morgan of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 17, 1900
• Mary J. Morgan of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 11, 1900

O

• Mrs. J. B. Ordway of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on September 29, 1891

P

• Mrs. Annie Poore of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on March 8, 1898

R

• Miss C. Bell Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on November 7, 1886; album owner's niece.  She was Clara Bell Rowell, daughter of Charles H. Rowell and Jennie (Russell) Rowell.
• S. B. Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on June 27, 1887. Perhaps Simeon B. Rowell
• Charles H. Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on December 1, 1886. It was presumably his wife Jane (Russell) Rowell, "Jennie", who signed the right facing page.
• Jennie Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on December 1, 1886. Called herself the album owner's sister. Presumably Jane (Russell) Rowell, "Jennie", wife of signer Charles H. Rowell, who signed the left facing page.
• Myrtie G. Rowell of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on March 27, 1886

W

• Nellie R. Wheeler of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed on March 8, 1886
• Mr. Howard W. Wommack of Hooksett, New Hampshire, signed at Hooksett on January 27, 1900

Hooksett, New Hampshire

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