1878-1900 Autograph Album of Mary Frances Warner, before and after Marriage to Solomon Erb

1878-1900 autograph album that belonged to Mary Frances Warner, "Frankie", before and after her marriage to Solomon Erb.

This Aldine album, which measures approximately 7" by 4-1/4", was printed by L. A. Lyman in 1878.  It contains several pages with pre-printed designs and the sentiments of nearly thirty of Frankie's friends and relatives, including three of her children.

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.

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

Mary Frances Warner, "Frankie", was born in 1860, the daughter of P. Reuben Warner and Mary A. (Van Noven) Warner.  Some records show Mary Frances' father as Parliament Reuben Warner.  About 1879 Frankie married Solomon Erb, son of William Lewis Erb and Lydia (Bauman) Erb of Bloomingdale, Ontario.

Read about Solomon's Lancaster, Pennsylvania Mennonite ancestor Abraham Erb and other family members, who formed the German Company and purchased 60,000 acres in 1803 in what would become known as Waterloo County, Ontario.

As mentioned above, three of Frankie's daughters inscribed pages in her album.  They were:

1. Gertie; inscribed "To Mother" at Bloomingdale, Ontario, on December 24, 1892.  Gertrude Emma Erb
2. Irene; inscribed to "Dear Mother" at Berlin, Ontario, on February 4, 1900.  Irene Vida Erb.
3. Mabel; inscribed "To Mother"; Mabel Lucille Erb

Solomon died in 1899 and Frankie about four years later.  If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the inscribers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

The page below was inscribed on August 4, 1879 by someone whose name I can't decipher.  I'm assuming the inscriber was male from the use of "Votre Ami".  If the name jumps out at you, please leave a comment.  One researcher noted that the name appears to have been written in German script as Karl E. Stevens.  If so, he may have been the Charles E. Stevens, who inscribed another page, in similar handwriting, with his wife; Mrs. Middaugh; and M. F. Warner, who I believe was the album owner Mary Frances Warner, inscribed before her marriage to Solomon Erb.

Surnames in the Album

?  [6]

Alexander

Bemis

Curry  [2]

Erb  [4]

Good

Howse

Jones

Markle  [2]

Mathews

Middaugh

Parsons

Stevens  [2, possibly 3]

Warner  [3]

Zimmerman

Inscribers in the Album

• P. M?; inscribed at Berlin, Ontario, on July 12, 1900
• Charlie, inscribed on August 5, 1879 to Frankie
• M. F. W.; could this have been inscribed by Mary Frances Warner before her December 9, 1879 marriage to Solomon B. Erb?
• M. L. A.; possibly the M. L. Alexander who inscribed the another page.
• A. C. B.
• ?; inscribed on August 4, 1879

A

• M. L. Alexander; inscribed at Galt, Ontario, on October 1, 1883

B

• Maggie E. Bemis; inscribed at Detroit, on December 3, 1887; not sure of surname

C

• Mrs. Curry
• Mrs. R. Curry of London, Ontario.  Shared the page with Miss L. J. Warner; Miss Lou Markle; and Miss Larry Jones [or Miss Lucy Jones]

E

• Nelson S. Erb; inscribed at Guelph, Ontario, on October 14, 1884
• Irene, inscribed to "Dear Mother" at Berlin, Ontario, on February 4, 1900.  Irene Vida Erb, daughter of Mary Frances (Warner) Erb and Solomon B. Erb
• Mabel; inscribed "To Mother"; Mabel Lucille Erb, daughter of Mary Frances (Warner) Erb and Solomon B. Erb
• Gertie, inscribed "To Mother" at Bloomingdale, Ontario, on December 24, 1892.  Gertrude Emma Erb, daughter of Mary Frances (Warner) Erb and Solomon B. Erb

G

• Josiah A. Good; inscribed at Berlin, Ontario, on September 9, 1886

H

• Mrs. Absalom Howse of Grove Cottage, Otterville, Ontario; inscribed "To Cousin Frankie" at West Otterville, Ontario, on July 14, 1883.  Mrs. Absalom Howse was Hannah Elizabeth Erb, daughter of Abraham Lewis Erb and Maria (Quickfall) Erb; Hannah was a cousin  (I think first cousin, once removed) of Solomon B. Erb, husband of album owner Mary Frances (Warner) Erb.

J

• Miss Larry Jones, or Miss Lucy Jones of Durham, Ontario.  Shared the page with Miss L. J. Warner; Miss Lou Markle; and Mrs. R. Curry

M

• Miss Lou Markle of Owen Sound, Ontario.  Shared the page with Miss L. J. Warner; Miss Larry Jones [or Miss Lucy Jones]; and Mrs. R. Curry
• Mrs. Jonathan Markle
• N. M. Mathews, or W. M. Mathews; inscribed on October 12, 1878
• Mrs. H. J. Middaugh of Durham, Ontario, inscribed on April 9, 1879

P

• Ida M. Parsons; presumably the same Ida M. Parsons who inscribed another page at Toronto, Ontario

S

• Mrs. C. Stevens of Walkerton, Ontario; not sure of middle initial, possibly wife of Charles E. Stevens
• Charles E. Stevens of Walkerton, Ontario.  He may have been the person who inscribed a page on August 4, 1879 and signed his name in what appears to be German script; see the nearest two images above.

W

• M. F. Warner; presumably Mary Frances Warner, album owner; before her marriage to Solomon B. Erb
• Miss L. J. Warner of Durham, Ontario; presumably Libby J. Warner, sister of album owner Mary Frances (Warner) Erb.  Shared the page with Miss Lou Markle; Miss Larry Jones [or Miss Lucy] Jones; and Mrs. R. Curry
• M. F. Warner of Durham, Ontario; possibly Mary Frances Warner, before her December 9, 1879 marriage to Solomon B. Erb

Z

• M. Zimmerman; inscribed at St. Jacobs, Ontario, on May 27, 1888