1880s Autograph Album of Cynthia E. Burke of Toronto, Ontario

1880s autograph album that belonged to Cynthia E. Burke of 117 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario.

The album is approximately 6-1/4" x 3-3/4" and contains the sentiments of 52 of Cynthia's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

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

Cynthia E. Burke was born about 1858 in Ontario, the daughter of Asa and Sophronia Frances (Demaray/Demarest) Burke.  I found a reference online to a letter written by Sophronia about the death of her husband Asa, with information on how his parents had moved from the United States to Ontario.  Search this document for the surname Burke.

Sophronia inscribed a page in daughter Cynthia's album at Stayner, Ontario, on April 16, 1883.

Three of Cynthia's siblings inscribed pages in her album.  Sister Asenath Merib (Burke) Boomer, wife of Isaac Evans Stewart Boomer, signed a page at Stayner, Ontario, on July 24, 1883.  Her daughter Minnie Boomer also inscribed a page.

Cynthia's brother Asa Leroy Burke, "Leroy", signed a page at Stayner, Ontario, on June 16, 1883.  He applied a Victorian scrap to his page.  The Mary C. Burke who inscribed a page at Stayner, Ontario, on July 22, 1883 may have been Leroy's wife Mary Cynthia (Herring) Burke.

Cynthia's brother Cleophas Stewart Burke and his wife Janet (Dunlop) Burke inscribed pages in 1884 when they were living at Albion, New York.

Other signers who expressed a family relationship with Cynthia:

•  Cousins W. Newell and May Newell, who gave their address as 113 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario, on the pages they signed on June 2, 1885.
• Cousin Asenath Sykes of Oshawa, Ontario, who signed a page on September 19, 1885
• Niece I. C. or J. C. Amis of Kingston, Ontario, who signed a page on February 24, 1884.

I lost track of Cynthia after the 1881 Census of Canada when she was living at Nottawasaga, Simcoe North, with her parents and older sister Harriet and making her living as a dressmaker.

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.

Evangelist Charles Wiley Martz and wife Sarah E. (Clemens) Martz of Indianapolis, Indiana, inscribed pages in Cynthia's album, presumably while Rev. Martz was pastor at Ridgetown, Ontario, or while he was on a visit where that opportunity was offered to him.  Mississippi Street is now known as Senate Avenue.

Surnames in the album

?	H	M	S
A	Howett ?	Martin [2]	Sykes [3]
Amis [2]	Hoyt	Martz [2]	T
Ansley	K	McArthur [2]	Taylor
B	Kelly	McFarland [2]	Terriff
Barclay [3]	L	McFarlane	W
Boomer [2]	L ? [3]	McGregor	Winrow
Burke [6]	Lakin	N
F	Lawson	Newell [2]
Ferguson	Little	R
Finagin	Livingston [2]	Rogers
G		Rumney [3]
Gard [2]		Rusnell

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

• Huggie, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on December 13, 1886; not sure of name
• W. Amis; middle initial possibly G or C.
• I. C. Amis, or J. C. Amis, signed at Kingston, Ontario, on February 24, 1884; Cynthia's niece
• J. N. Ansley, signed on Toronto, Ontario, on September 17, 1885
• ? Barclay, signed at Brougham, Ontario, on August 31, 1887
• H. C. Barclay, signed at Oshawa, Ontario, on December 3, 1885
• Helena L. I. Barclay of Oshawa, Ontario, signed on December 1, 1886; not sure of given name
• Mrs. M. A. Boomer, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on July 24, 1883; "loving Sister". She was Asenath Merib (Burke) Boomer, wife of Isaac Evans Stewart Boomer.
• Minnie Boomer, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on June 11, 1884. She was the daughter of Isaac Evans Stewart Boomer and Asenath Merib (Burke) Boomer, Cynthia's sister.
• Miss C. E. Burke, 117 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario; album owner Cynthia E. Burke.  She wrote her name on the first end paper; she also inscribed a page of welcome to the future signers in her album.
• Mary C. Burke, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on July 22, 1883
• Brother Leroy, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on June 16, 1883; Asa Leroy Burke, Cynthia's brother
• Sophronia Burke, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on April 16, 1883; Cynthia's mother Sophronia Frances (Demaray/Demarest) Burke
• Mrs. C. S. Burke of Albion, New York, on September 15, 1884.  Janet (Dunlap) Burke, wife of Cynthia's brother Cleophas S. Burke.
• C. S. Burke of Albion, New York, signed on December 29, 1884. Cynthia's brother Cleophas Stewart Burke.
• John S. Ferguson of 18 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, signed at Toronto, on September 7, 1886
• E. Finagin, signed at 6 Bond St., Toronto, Ontario, on December 14, 1886
• Mrs. Lizzie C. Gard, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on March 9, 1883. She gave New Point, Indiana, as her place of residence.
• William M. Gard of New Point, Indiana, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on "3-8th-1883"
• Elsie Howett, signed at Claremont, Ontario, on December 27, 1885; not sure of surname
• Frank Hoyt; his sentiment was written on a scrap of lined paper and tucked in the album
• J. Kelly signed at McMaster Hall, Toronto, Ontario, on November 26, 1885. Middle initial might be W. or H or ?
• Ella M. ? of Brampton, Ontario. Surname possible Leetie or Leeble or Little or ?
• James ?, signed at Ridgetown, Ontario, in December 1887. Surname might be Led? or Leaman or ?
• Annie L., signed at Toronto, Ontario, on May 3, 1885; middle initial might be W or ?
• A. Lakin, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on January 24, 1885
• Stephen Lawson, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on March 20, 1885
• Mattie H. Little of Duntroon, Ontario, signed on June 29, 1884
• M. C. Livingston, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on October 31, 1886
• Sarah Livingston
• G. Martin, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on July 27, 1885; middle initial might be H or U or ?
• R. B. Martin, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on July 4, 1885
• C. W. Martz, Evangelist, O.C.D.C., of Indianapolis, Indiana, 363 North Mississippi St., on March 10, 1886
• S. E. Martz, signed on July 29, 1886; lived at 368 N. Mississippi St, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Isabella McArthur, signed on December 2, 1884
• Peter A. McArthur, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on December 14, 1887
• Elizabeth A. McFarland, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on February 15, 1883
• Jessie McFarland, signed at Collingwood, Ontario, on June 29, 1885
• Mrs. Mary M. McFarlane
• K. G. McGregor of Oshawa, Ontario, on September 25, 1886
• W. Newell, signed at 113 Sherbourne St., Toronto, Ontario, on June 2, 1885; Cynthia's cousin
• May Newell, signed at 113 Sherbourne st., Toronto, Ontario, on June 2, 1885; Cynthia's cousin
• Anna E. Rogers, signed at Stayner, Ontario, on November 5, 1886
• May Rumney; gave the address 48 Princess St., Toronto, Ontario; dated February 27, 1886
• Sebby Rumney, signed at Coboconk, Ontario
• May Rumney, signed at Rose Farm on December 18-12-86
• Barbara Jane Rusnell, signed on December 27, 1885
• Alice M. Sykes, signed at Oshawa, Ontario, on September 17, 1886
• Asenath Sykes, signed at Oshawa, Ontario, on September 19, 1885; Cynthia's cousin
• Maretta Sykes, signed at Oshawa, Ontario, on September 11, 1886
• Archie Taylor, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on February 22, 1887
• William W. Terriff, signed at Brussels, presumably Ontario, on November 12, 1883. http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/t/terriff24432nob.txt
• J. P. Winrow, signed at Toronto, Ontario, on December 31, 1885

117 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario

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