Friday, July 17, 2015

1869-1880s Autograph Album of Mary E. Sleeper of Belfast, Maine; Student at Bradford Academy, Bradford, Massachusetts


1869-1880s autograph album that belonged to Mary E. Sleeper of Belfast, Maine, with most of the autographs collected while she was attending Bradford Academy at Bradford, Massachusetts.  The part of Bradford, Massachusetts, where the Academy was located, is now in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Some of the students used different initials to represent the school, which I believe stood for Bradford Academy, Bradford Female Seminary and Bradford Female College.  By 1971, the institution became known as Bradford College; it closed its doors in 2000.


Mary had graduated from Belfast High School in 1869, as her autograph in another album, owned by Maria Annette Winslow, indicates.


The album measures approximately 6-1/2" x 4" and contains the sentiments of 80 of Mary's relatives, friends and schoolmates, including the autograph of her future husband, Cyrus R. Davis.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.  Inscribers came from Mary's relatives and friends in the Belfast, Maine, area, as well as her fellow students at Bradford Academy.

From brief online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions requested]

Mary E. Sleeper was born July 2, 1853 in Waldo County, Maine, presumably at Belfast, the daughter of Sherburne and Mary Elizabeth (Longfellow ?) Sleeper.  As noted above, Mary graduated from Belfast High School in 1869 and then attended Bradford Academy at Bradford, Massachusetts.  I believe she was in the Class of 1873.

On October 22, 1877 at Belfast, Maine, Mary married Cyrus R. Davis, son of Phinehas and Mary (Peterson or Rollerson ?) Davis.  Cyrus was born September 1, 1846 at Belfast, Maine.   Presumably the C. R. Davis of Belfast, Maine, who inscribed a page in Mary's album on October 23, 1873, was Cyrus R. Davis.


Sadly, Mary died young, on January 12, 1886; she's buried at the Grove Cemetery at Belfast, Maine.  I didn't find records of any children born to Cyrus and Mary.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Surnames in the Album


? [3]CCarleton [2]FFairfieldLLancasterOOvertonWWadlin
AAmesCarterFarnhamLeeOviattWeiner [2]
AtkinsonChaseFaunceLemanPPhillipsWhidden
BBadgerChildsFobesLewis [2]PierceWinslow
BarssClarkFrothingham [2]LockePutnamWood
BirdCollinsGGardnerLongfellow [4]RRobinson [2]Woods
BodwellConnellGarmanLord [2]SSleeper
BoutwellDDavis [2]GreeneMM ? [2]Smith [2]
BowkerEEastmanHHammondMannStandish
BoylstonEatonHandyMansfieldTThurlow
BoyntonEvelethHerveyMayoTwitchell
BrockHolbrookMills
BurkeHollandMorse

Inscribers in the Album
  • Eva, inscribed at Belfast, Maine, on November 8, 1883; Mary's cousin
  • Page inscribed by multiple people in 1869
  • Kate, inscribed at B. A. on June 3, 1872; Mary's roommate
A
  • Etta C. Ames of Chelsea, Massachusetts, inscribed on June 17, 1872 at B. F. A.  Shared the page with Millie E. Fobes; Alice J. Gardner; and Annie C. Badger.
  • Alice M. Atkinson of Belfast, Maine, inscribed on February 26, 1869
B
  • Annie C. Badger of Boston, Massachusetts, inscribed on June 17, 1872.  Shared the page with Millie E. Fobes; Etta C. Ames; and Alice J. Gardner
  • Mary D. Barss of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, inscribed at Bradford Academy at Bradford, Massachusetts, on April 29, 1872.  Shared the page with Ella Morse and Nellie M. Childs.
  • A. Cora Bird of Lynn, Massachusetts, inscribed at B. F. A.; Mary's roommate.  Shared the page with Jennie E. Carleton.
  • Grace E. Bodwell of Brattleboro, Vermont, inscribed on May 31, 1872.  Shared the page with Carrie R. Smith
  • Lizzie M. Boutwell of Nashua, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. A. on June 24, 1873
  • Jessie L. Bowker of Newton, Massachusetts
  • Emma P. Boylston of Amherst, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. S. on May 27, 1872
  • Mary D. Boynton of Medford, Massachusetts
  • Addie M. Brock of Portland, Maine, inscribed at B. F. A. on November 12, 1872
  • John H. Burke, or Jonathan H. Burke, of San Francisco, California, inscribed at Belfast, Maine, on December 8, 1881; words in the corners might be the names of vessels: Indefatigable; Irrepressible; Bonanza
C
  • Mr. J. Carleton, or M. J. Carleton, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, inscribed on September 28, 1882
  • Jennie E. Carleton of West Newbury, Massachusetts, inscribed at Bradford Academy.  Shared the page with A. Cora Bird
  • Fannie E. Carter, inscribed on February 1, 1869
  • Saidie M. Chase of North Weare, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. S. on June 20, 1872
  • Nellie M. Childs of Wallingford, Vermont, inscribed at Bradford, presumably Bradford Academy, on April 29, 1872.  Shared the page with Ella Morse and Mary D. Barss
  • Fred W. Clark, inscribed on February 2, 1869; Mary's schoolmate
  • R. M. Collins; not sure of middle initial
  • Charles Connell, inscribed on February 3, 1869
D
  • Jones E. Davis, inscribed on February 2, 1869; Mary's schoolmate
  • C. R. Davis of Belfast, Maine, inscribed on October 23, 1873; sketch.  Presumably Mary's future husband Cyrus R. Davis.
E
  • Belle W. Eastman of Greenfield, Massachusetts, inscribed at Bradford Female Seminary on June 20, 1872
  • Emma L. Eaton of Amherst, New Hampshire, inscribed on May 30, 1872
  • Nellie C. Eveleth of Portland, Maine, inscribed at B.F. C. on June 15 [no year written]; not sure of given name.
F
  • Florence N. Fairfield of Waltham, Massachusetts, inscribed on November 14, 1872 at "Brady" Academy, presumably Bradford Academy.  Shared the page with Mary Holland.
  • Adella M. Farnham of Boston, Massachusetts, inscribed at B. F. A. on May 27, 1872. She filled the page with memories.
  • Mary E. Faunce, inscribed on February 26, 1869
  • Millie E. Fobes of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, inscribed at B. F. A. on January 15, 1872.  Shared the page with Etta C. Ames; Alice J. Gardner; and Annie C. Badger.
  • D. D. Frothingham of Waltham, Massachusetts
  • C. J. Frothingham of Waltham, Massachusetts, inscribed in 1882
G
  • Alice J. Gardner of Boston, Massachusetts, inscribed at B. A. on June 19, 1872.  Shared the page with Millie E. Fobes; Etta C. Ames; and Annie C. Badger
  • M. Ella Garman of Bangor, Maine, inscribed on February 1, 1877
  • Nellie H. Greene of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, inscribed at B.A. on May 31, 1872
H
  • M. Lizzie Hammond of Vernon Centre, Connecticut
  • Lizzie L. Handy of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. S. on June 5, 1872; Mary's classmate in Arithmetic
  • Calvena K. Hervey, inscribed on February 1, 1869; presumably of Belfast, Maine
  • Addie Holbrook of West Boylston, Massachusetts, inscribed at B.F.A. on June 20, 1872
  • Mary Holland of Barre, Massachusetts; Mary's roommate.  Shared the page with Florence N. Fairfield.
L
  • Minnie H. Lancaster of South Carolina, or Minnie H. of Lancaster, South Carolina.  Shared the page with Eugene T. Robinson and Pauline Weiner
  • Ella F. Lee of Manchester, Massachusetts, inscribed at Bradford, Massachusetts, on May 31, 1872; shared the page with E. Louise Mann
  • William T. Leman of Chelsea, Massachusetts, inscribed on September 7, 1869
  • Ella M. Lewis of Portland, Maine, inscribed at Bradford Academy on November 13, 1872
  • Florence A. Lewis of Walpole, Massachusetts, inscribed at Belfast, Maine, on July 29, 1875; mentions Mulligan Guards
  • Emma B. Locke of Charlestown, Massachusetts, inscribed at Bradford, presumably Bradford Academy, on May 23, 1872
  • Miss R. Longfellow of Belfast, Maine. There's the date September 20, 1884 in pencil in a corner - the name and town are in ink and look older.
  • Mollie E. Longfellow of Hallowell, Maine, inscribed on August 21, 1881
  • S. E. Longfellow
  • Augustus T. Longfellow
  • Ella R. Lord, or Ella K. Lord, inscribed at Bradford Academy at Bradford, Massachusetts, on June 21, 1872
  • Anna M. Lord, inscribed at Bradford Academy in June 1872
M
  • S. A. M., or F. A. M., inscribed on February 26, 1869.  Shared the page with A. W. M. [or A. H. M.]
  • A. W. M., or A. H. M., inscribed on February 26, 1869.  Shared the page with S. A. M. [or F. A. M.]
  • E. Louise Mann of Bath, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. A. on May 31, 1872; shared the page with Ella F. Lee
  • Effie L. Mansfield of Belfast, Maine, inscribed on February 1, 1877
  • Tillie Mayo of East Boston, Massachusetts; Mary's classmate. Presumably Matilda P. Mayo, who married D. Walter Blaney.
  • Fannie A. Mills of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, inscribed at Bradford Academy on April 15, 1872
  • Ella Morse of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, inscribed at Bradford, presumably Bradford Academy, on April 29, 1872.  Shared the page with Nellie M. Childs and Mary D. Barss
O
  • A. Overton, inscribed at B. F. A. on November 15, 1872
  • Louise Oviatt, inscribed during the Fall term of 1872, presumably at Bradford Academy
P
  • J. K. Phillips, or F. K. Phillips, of Bangor, Maine, inscribed on July 29. 1875
  • Annie Lee Pierce of Augusta, Maine, inscribed at Belfast, Maine, on September 2, 1880
  • Nellie M. Putnam of Laconia, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. S. on June 10, 1872
R
  • Eugenie T. Robinson of Skowhegan, Maine, inscribed on November 14 [no year written].  Shared the page with Pauline Weiner and Minnie H. or Minnie H. Lancaster
  • Agnes A. Robinson of Mechanic Falls, Maine, inscribed at B. F. S. on November 2, 1872
S
  • Mary E. Sleeper of Belfast, Maine; album owner
  • Carrie R. Smith of Andover, Massachusetts, inscribed on May 31, 1872.  Shared the page with Grace E. Bodwell.
  • Fannie E. Smith, inscribed on June 21, 1879
  • Ella M. Standish of Woodstock, Vermont, inscribed at B. F. A. on June 13, 1872
T
  • Eliza M. Thurlow, inscribed on February 1, 1869
  • S. G. Twitchell, inscribed at Bradford Academy on November 14, 1872
W
  • Everett G. Wadlin, inscribed on February 2, 1869
  • Amelia Weiner, Esq. of Germantown, Pennsylvania; classmate
  • Pauline Weiner of Luy's Lane, Germantown, Pennsylvania.  Shared the page with Eugene T. Robinson and Minnie H. or Minnie H. Lancaster
  • Fred W. Whidden, inscribed on February 2, 1869; Mary's schoolmate
  • Maria A. Winslow, inscribed at Belfast, Maine, on February 9, 1869
  • Mary F. Wood of Brentwood, New Hampshire, inscribed at B. F. A., Class of 1872
  • E. P. Woods, inscribed on February 1, 1869
The map below shows a modern route between Belfast, Maine, and Haverhill, Massachusetts, but Mary presumably traveled a good portion of the way by sea.


No comments:

Post a Comment