Monday, July 31, 2017

1883-1902 Autograph Album of Fannie E. (Wilby) Lawrence Pierce of Gloucester, Massachusetts


Autograph album presented by Mrs. John Wood of Northford, Connecticut, to her friend and schoolmate Mrs. Fannie E. Pierce at Christmas in 1883.


Fannie went on to collect inscriptions from friends in Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut.  She added notes with death dates to many of the pages.  Fannie's notes on the page of Frances M. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts, who died on March 11, 1898, were especially poignant.


From clues in the album and a record from Massachusetts Marriage Records 1840-1915, I believe Fannie was Fannie E. (Wilby) Lawrence Pierce, who was born about 1840 at New York City to Francis and Julia (Campbell) Wilby, both natives of Boston, according to Fannie's 1908 death record, although I saw at least one other record that gave Francis' birthplace as England.

Fannie married twice

  1. Leroy P. Lawrence,  They had son Lyman Lincoln Lawrence, born at Boston, Massachusetts, on May 8, 1862.  Lyman became a farmer at Cumberland, Maine.  Incidentally, there are numerous inscriptions from Cumberland and Portland, Maine.
  2. Nathaniel Pierce, Jr., at Boston, Massachusetts, on  June 15, 1869.  Nathaniel, an engineer, was born at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on March 5, 1842, the son of Nathaniel and Eleanor Pierce.

Nathaniel inscribed what he thought would be the last page in the album, but one of his wife's Greely friends managed to fit in the last inscription.


Fannie died on August 30, 1908; at that time Nathaniel and she were living at 13 Garrison Avenue, Somerville, Massachusetts.  According to her death record, Fannie was buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery at East Gloucester, Massachusetts.

The album measures approximately 7-3/4" by 5" and contains the sentiments of 74 of Fannie's relatives and friends.  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.

Surnames that appear multiple times:
  • Coas family of East Gloucester, Massachusetts
  • Farwell family of Cumberland Centre, Maine, and Portland, Maine
  • Greely family of Cumberland Centre, Maine, and Portland, Maine
  • Welch family of Portland, Maine
  • Wonson family of East Gloucester, Massachusetts
  • Wood family of Northford, Connecticut

One page was inscribed by Cordelia Wilby on February 23, 1883.  Could she have been Fannie's sister or cousin?


If you have information on Fannie E. (Wilby) Lawrence Pierce or either of her husbands, Leroy P. Lawrence or Nathaniel Pierce, Jr., please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Surnames in the Album

?EEvans [2]PParkhurst
AAnthony [2]FFarwell [4]Phelps
BBartlesGGreely [6]Pierce [2]
BettsIIvesRRowe [3]
Blanchard [2]MMacDonaldSSmith [2]
BrownMansfield [2]Sverljuga
CClementMartin [2]TThurston
Coas [3]McAllisterWWelch [4]
Coombs [3]McQuinWilby
CoopsMerineWitham
DDagleNNason [2]Wonson [9]
DavisNorwoodWood [4]
DayNoyesWright

Inscribers in the Album
  • S. G. W.; inscribed on September 19, 1885.  Could the inscriber have been Samuel G. Wonson?
A
  • F. W. Anthony of Wallingford, Connecticut; inscribed on September 1, 1885
  • Minnie R. Anthony of Wallingford, Connecticut; inscribed on September 1, 1885
B
  • Hattie E. Bartles of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on May 26, 1886
  • Lizzie A. Betts; her name on a paper scrap pasted to page
  • Isaac A. Blanchard of West Somerville, Massachusetts; newspaperman; inscribed on January 5, 1902; his wife Lizzie M. Blanchard inscribed the right facing page.
  • Lizzie M. Blanchard of West Somerville, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 5, 1902; her husband Isaac A. Blanchard inscribed the left facing page.
  • Josie Brown of Wakefield, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 13-9-1883
C
  • A. G. Clement of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 26, 1885
  • Evelyn R. Coas; inscribed at East Gloucester, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1886.  Fannie's later note:  "Died 1897"
  • Fannie G. Coas; inscribed on September 17, 1885.  Fannie's later note:  "Died Oct 16 - 1895.  Aged 25 y. 8 mo. 14 dy"
  • Lucy Coas; inscribed at East Gloucester, presumably Massachusetts, on June 13, 1886
  • Austin F. Coombs; inscribed on December 6, 1885
  • C. L. Coombs; inscribed on December 4, 1885
  • Fannie B. Coombs of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on July 18, 1885
  • E. Coops of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 22, 1885; middle initial possibly M or H; if M, the inscribed could have been Ella M. Coops
D
  • O. F. Dagle of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 28, 1886; presumably Ozro F. Dagle
  • H. G. Davis of Annisquam, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 13, 1895
  • Lena Louise Day of East Boston, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 14, 1902
E
  • Chloe P. Evans; her name on a paper scrap pasted on the page.  Fannie's later note:  "Died May 12, 1879".  Shared page with Mary C. Evans
  • Mary C. Evans of Wakefield, Massachusetts.  Fannie's later note: Died March 14, 1884.  Also on page: paper scrap with name Chloe P. Evans
F
  • Edward L. Farwell of Cumberland Center, Maine; inscribed on June 9, 1886.  His brother Ellis N. Farwell inscribed the left facing page.
  • Ellis N. Farwell of Cumberland Centre, Maine; inscribed on June 10, 1886.  His brother Edward L. Farwell inscribed the right facing page.
  • Sadie P. Farwell of Cumberland Centre, Maine; inscribed on June 10, 1886.  She was Sarah P. (Greely) Farwell, "Sadie", whose husband Simeon L. Farwell inscribed the left facing page.
  • Simeon L. Farwell of Cumberland Centre, Maine; inscribed on June 10, 1886.  His wife Sarah P. (Greely) Farwell inscribed the right facing page.
G
  • Charles H. Greely of Cumberland Centre, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1886
  • Mrs. E. Greely; inscribed at Portland, Maine, on June 3, 1885
  • Eliphalet Greely of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886
  • H. B. Greely of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886
  • Helen A. Greely of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 3, 1886
  • Lillie C. Greely of Cumberland Centre, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1886
I
  • G. H. Ives of Northford, Connecticut; inscribed on September 2, 1885
M
  • Eleanor MacDonald of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 26, 1885
  • Josie L. Mansfield of Wakefield, presumably Wakefield, Massachusetts; inscribed in September 1883.  It may have been her mother Susan (Merrill) Mansfield who inscribed the left facing page.
  • S. M. or L. M. or I. M. Mansfield; inscribed at Wakefield, presumably Massachusetts, on October 4, 1883.  If S. M., the inscribed may have been Susan (Merrill) Mansfield, whose daughter Josie L. Mansfield inscribed the right facing page.
  • Nellie C. Martin; inscribed at G. H. S. in 1891; possibly Gloucester High School at Gloucester, Massachusetts
  • Winnie M. Martin; inscribed on February 5, 1891
  • Mary McAllister of Wakefield, Massachusetts; middle initial possibly G or J; inscribed on February 23, 1883.  Fannie's later note:  "Died March 11, 1892"
  • Samuel W. McQuin of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on August 7, 1886
  • Minnie Merine of Kansas City, Missouri; inscribed at Boston, Massachusetts, on June 30, 1885
N
  • Abbie M. Nason of Chelsea, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 23, 1885
  • John Nason; inscribed at Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 23, 1885
  • Adelia S. Norwood of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 23, 1885
  • Cora J. Noyes of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 4, 1886
P
  • Fannie G. Parkhurst of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 22, 1885
  • Elizabeth Stuart Phelps; inscribed at Gloucester, Massachusetts, in October 1885.  Her papers 
  • Mrs. Fannie E. Pierce, album owner.  She was, I believe, Fannie E. (Wilby) Lawrence Pierce, wife of Nathaniel Pierce, Jr.  "Presented to Mrs. Fannie E. Pierce by Mrs. John Wood, Schoolmate & Friend, Christmas 1883 - inscribed at Northford, Connecticut, in December 1883.  Fannie's later note:  Died February 25, 1886" [second digit of the day is stricken over, so might not be the 25th].  However, Julia T. Wood, wife of John Wood, died at Northford, Connecticut, on February 25, 1886
  • Nathaniel Pierce of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 1, 1885.  Presumably Fannie's husband.
R
  • C. B. Rowe of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on July 3, 1886.  Initials so ornate, they may be something else.
  • Clara B. Rowe of Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on November 1, 1892
  • Lewis Rowe, Jr.; inscribed at Gloucester, presumably Massachusetts, on November 1, 1892
S
  • Mrs. J. Wilson Smith of Wallingford, Connecticut; inscribed on August 28, 1885
  • Lucy J. Smith; inscribed at Wallingford, presumably Connecticut, on August 28, 1885
  • M. Sverljuga, Capitano Marittimo"; calling card pasted to page.
T
  • Addie W. Thurston of Portland, Maine; inscribed on 6-5-86.  Fannie's later note: "Dead"
W
  • J. A. Welch of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886.  Joseph S. Welch, whose wife Myrtilla W. Welch inscribed the left facing page.
  • Mamie Welch of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886.  Nelson H. Welch inscribed the left facing page.
  • Myrtilla W. Welch of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886; her husband Joseph A. Welch inscribed the right facing page.
  • Nelson H. Welch of Portland, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1886.  Mamie Welch inscribed the right facing page.
  • Cordelia Wilby of Wakefield, Massachusetts; inscribed on February 23, 1883.  Presumably related to album owner Fannie E. (Wilby) Lawrence Pierce, perhaps her sister or cousin
  • Edith Witham of East Gloucester, presumably Massachusetts; inscribed on June 22, 1885
  • Alice M. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 5, 1885
  • Carrie B. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 8, 1885
  • Frances M. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 8, 1885.  Album owner Fannie E. Pierce added several notes about the death of Frances M. Wonson: "My lost friend, "Say not Good Bye, But in some fairer clime, Bid one Good Morning" F.E.P.; and "Died March 11 - 1898  Aged 60 y. 7 ms. 27 days"
  • Grace E. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 1, 1885
  • Lelia M. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 20, 1885
  • M. A. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 20, 1885
  • Nettie Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 21, 1885.  Fannie's later note: "Died March 9 - 98.  Aged 29"
  • Sadie Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 20, 1885
  • Susie S. Wonson of East Gloucester, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 10, 1885
  • Annie D. Wood of Northford, Connecticut; inscribed on August 25, 1885
  • Mrs. John Wood of Northford, Connecticut, presumably Julia T. (?) Wood.  "Presented to Mrs. Fannie E. Pierce by Mrs. John Wood, Schoolmate & Friend, Christmas 1883 - inscribed at Northford, Connecticut, in December 1883.  Fannie's later note:  Died February 25, 1886" [second digit of the day is stricken over, so might not be the 25th].  However, Julia T. Wood, wife of John Wood, died at Northford, Connecticut, on February 25, 1886
  • Mr. and Mrs. John Wood of Northford, Connecticut, inscribed on August 25, 1885.  It was Mrs. Wood, presumably, who gifted the album to Fannie at Christmas in 1883.
  • Julia P. Wood of Northford, Connecticut; inscribed on September 1, 1885
  • N. R. Wright, paper scrap pasted to the page; inscribed to "Bro. Pierce", at Lynn, presumably Lynn, Massachusetts, on January 4, 1887.   Later note, presumably Fannie's or that of her husband: "Died Mar 1st 1893"


2 comments:

  1. Hello, Just wondering if this is for sale. The High School in Cumberland, Maine was named after Eliphalet Greely. Would be interested for the Cumberland Historical Society.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, this is still available. My contact info is in the right margin near the top.

      Delete