Wednesday, August 2, 2017

1879-1880s Autograph Album of Nettie, Presumably of Warren, Massachusetts; and Presumably a Student at Northfield School for Girls


1879-1880s autograph album that belonged to a Nettie, presumably from Warren, Massachusetts, and presumably at one time a student at the Northfield School for Girls at Northfield, Massachusetts, which is still in operation today as Northfield Mount Hermon

The gem-size photograph that appears on the inside front cover may have depicted Nettie herself.



The first inscription in the album was made by Ella J. Fletcher at West Brookfield, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1879.  Perhaps the album was a Christmas present from Ella to Nettie.


The album measures approximately 8" by 5" and contains the sentiments of over 70 of Nettie's friends and schoolmates at Warren, Massachusetts, and at the Northfield school.  Two of the students were from China.  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.

Several people affixed gem sized photographs to their pages, such as Marcia M. Laflin of Warren, Massachusetts, who inscribed her page on December 25, 1879, the day that Nettie apparently received the album.



Additionally, Nettie added an occasional note about the inscriber's death.  In one case, she pasted a newspaper clipping announcing the August 14, 1882 death of inscriber Stephen Rowan of Kensington, London, England, who had come to the United States to seek his fortune and inscribed a page on July 17, 1881.



I found several Netties from the Warren, Massachusetts, area, but the one who seemed to fit best with the birth dates of several other students, was Nettie Eliza Brooks.  This Nettie was born October 3, 1863 at Warren, Massachusetts, the daughter of William Brooks and Mary E. (Taintor) Brooks.

Hopefully a reader will have more information on Nettie Eliza Brooks or will have an alternate theory as to Nettie's identity.  Additionally, if you have information to share on any of the people listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Several people inscribed pages in England, including at Southport and Manchester in Lancashire and and Shipley in Yorkshire.  Presumably Nettie visited there about 1883.

The pages inscribed by the Chinese students, who called themselves Chin Young Lee of Kuong Tung, China, and Chin Kue, native of Sing Ning District, Juong Tung Province, China, who inscribed his page at Mount Hermon School in 1888.



I could use help with this page inscribed in French on October 21, 1880, either by someone from a French-speaking country or by a student in French class.


Surnames in the Album

? [12]FFletcherSSmith
AAllenFowler [2]Stone
AtwaterGGoldthwaitStrickland
BBarnardHHeatonSugden
BentleyHicks [2]Sweet
BlissHowardTTaylor [3]
Brainerd [2]LLaflin [3]Tenney
BriggsLassiterTyler
Brown [2]LovelandVVincent
BrumwellMMann [2]WWhittaker
ButlerMayo
ButterfieldNNeal
CClayNichols
CombsOOrdway
CurtisPPalmer [2]
DDanielsPatrick
DavisPatterson
DeLand [2]Powers [2]
DeweyRRobinson
DumbletonRowan


Inscribers in the Album
  • Nettie; album owner.  A gem sized photograph on the inside front cover might be of Nettie
  • Chin Young Lee of Kuong Tung, China; presumably a student at Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies at Northfield, Massachusetts
  • Chin Kue, native of Sing Ning District, Juong Tung Province, China; student at Mt. Hermon School in Franklin County, Massachusetts; inscribed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1888
  • Caddie; inscribed on January 20, 1880
  • Gem sized photograph of an unidentified young man - no inscription on the page.
  • Sentiment, unsigned
  • Hand drawn and colored flower and initials, possibly A. C. or C. A.
  • Sketch of Two Women and a Man on a Porch.  Door has medallion with initials "J. E. B."  Entitled: "Have a bite?"  Another page, not adjacent but close, by Frank N. Dewey of Brooklyn, New York, inscribed on August 8, 1884, also has the phrase "Have a bite"
  • A True Friend
  • Mlle. Patrica Sowpen [not sure of either name]; inscribed on October 21, 1880
  • Dora; inscribed at Warren, New Hampshire, on February 5, 1880 at 8:15 A.M.
  • A Friend of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 1, 1880
  • Charles M. Allen of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on December 29, 1879 and also wrote day of November 24, 1881
  • E. W. Atwater; inscribed on July 10, 1884.  He also stamped his name.
  • Fred L. Barnard of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on February 6, 1880
  • S. M. Bentley of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on May 29, 1881
  • Lucy A. Bliss of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed at Worcester, Massachusetts, on March 21, 1880
  • Ella R. Brainerd of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed in April 1884.  Presumably Ella Rebecca (Savage) Brainerd, whose husband George Wilson Brainerd inscribed the right facing page.
  • G. W. Brainerd of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on April 15, 1884.  Presumably George Wilson Brainerd, whose wife Ella Rebecca (Savage) Brainerd inscribed the left facing page.  
  • Nellie S. Briggs of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on February 18, 1880
  • Mrs. R. R. Brown; her husband R. R. Brown of Holyoke, Massachusetts, inscribed the right facing page.
  • R. R. Brown of Holyoke, Massachusetts; draw two sketches, one of an arrow with scroll and the other of a hissing cat "Me-ow!!! oft in the stilly night".  His wife Mrs. R. R. Brown inscribed the left facing page.
  • Alfred Brumwell of Southport, Lancashire, England; future husband of inscriber Maude Vincent
  • E. Butler; inscribed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on February 9, 1885; presumably the same E. Butler who inscribed a page at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on February 11, 1885
  • C. A. Butterfield of Seneca Falls, New York; inscribed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on January 10, 1884.  "Gay young frizzle tops one, two, three, Could there anything happier be??  Ella and Nettie and Addie so fat, Sleeping so cosily right at the back"
  • Anna F. Clay of Lawrence, Massachusetts; inscribed on May 4, 1881.  Shared the page with Florence A. Robinson of Lowell, Massachusetts
  • Charles L. Combs of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 8 1880
  • Grace Lillian Curtis of Boston, Massachusetts; inscribed on July 22, 1880.  She included a gem sized photograph of herself on the page.
  • Mrs. Ira Daniels
  • G. G. Davis of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on August 11, 1880
  • Charles A. DeLand of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on July 31, 1880.  He pasted a gem size photograph of himself on his page.
  • Etta E. DeLand of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on May 25, 1880
  • Frank N. Dewey of Brooklyn, New York; inscribed on August 8, 1884.  In upper left hand corner he wrote" Have a bite".  Could he be the artist of the similarly named sketch?
  • George M. Dumbleton of Springfield, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 3, 1881
  • Ella J. Fletcher; inscribed at West Brookfield, Massachusetts, on December 25, 1879; presumably Ella presented the album to Nettie as a Christmas present.
  • Ned H. Fowler of Westfield, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 2, 1887.  "W.A.P.L."
  • Gertrude L. Fowler of Westfield, Massachusetts; inscribed on September 5, 1883
  • Bette Goldthwait of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on April 16, 1882
  • Alice Heaton of #2 Glen View Terrace of Shipley, Yorkshire, England; inscribed on April 4, 1890
  • Harriet B. Hicks of Needham, Massachusetts, inscribed on February 12, 1882
  • C. Atherton Hicks of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on February 16, 1882
  • George C. Howard, Jr. of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on July 30, 1881
  • Eugene S. Laflin of Holyoke, Massachusetts.  His wife, Emma S. (Conner) Laflin inscribed the right facing page.
  • Emma S. Laflin of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on May 14, 1881.  She was Emma S. (Conner) Laflin, whose husband Eugene S. Laflin inscribed the left facing page.  Nettie's note: "Died Nov 28/89"
  • Marcia M. Laflin of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed at Christmas Day, December 25, 1879.  Marcia's brother Eugene S. Laflin and his wife Emma S. (Conner) Laflin also inscribed pages.  "Coasting W.A.P.L."  Marcia pasted a gem size photograph of herself to the page.
  • James S. Lassiter of Oxford, North Carolina; inscribed on 1/4/85.  His sentiment: "Laughter 'tis a poor man's plaster, Covering up each sad disaster".
  • Carrie J. Loveland; inscribed at West Warren, Massachusetts, on January 7, 1880
  • Jennie B. Mann, of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on December 9, 1882.  "4 in A Bed".  Presumably Jennie B. (Weir) Mann, whose husband Charles O. Mann inscribed the right facing page the year before their 1881 marriage.
  • C. O. Mann of Fall River, Massachusetts; inscribed on December 26, 1880.  Presumably Charles O. Mann, whose wife Jennie B. (Weir) Mann inscribed the left facing page after their marriage in 1881.
  • Alice E. Mayo of Needham, Massachusetts; inscribed on February 6, 1882; colored hummingbird drawn on the page.
  • Joseph M. Neal of Lowell, Massachusetts; inscribed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1881
  • H. J. Nichols of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on December 9, 1882
  • Carrie L. Ordway of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 18, 1880
  • Rufus Palmer Chard of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 9, 1884
  • Charles S. Palmer; inscribed on January 6, 1880
  • Mabel S. Patrick of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 6, 1880; Nettie's schoolmate
  • M. M. Patterson of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on March 28, 1880.  He pasted a gem sized photograph of himself on the page.  Possibly Mark M. Patterson.  "When this you see you will bee [sic] sure to think of the night I fell down at the Skating Rink.
  • Maude N. Powers of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 6, 1880 at W. H. S., presumably Warren High School
  • May W. Powers of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed at W. H. S. on January 6, 1880; Nettie's schoolmate
  • Florence A. Robinson of Lowell, Massachusetts; inscribed on May 4, 1881.  Shared the page with Anna F. Clay of Lawrence, Massachusetts
  • Stephen Rowan of Kensington, London, England; inscribed on July 17, 1881.  Nettie, presumably, pasted a newspaper clipping about Stephen's death and added his date of death: "Died Aug. 14th 1882". Stephen Rowan, formerly clerk at the Conn. River Lumber Co., died Monday night at Worthington, of pneumonia.  He had been suffering from phthisis some months and left his position two months ago, going to the mountain, where he hoped to gain sufficient strength to enable him to reach Minnesota in September.  He caught a severe cold the Friday preceding his death and pneumonia ensued.  He was buried at Northampton, Wednesday, Rev. W. E. Knox officiating.  He was English by birth, and leaves two brothers in this section to mourn his loss.  He was of an amiable disposition and made many friends here, and his death at the early age of twenty-three is much to be regretted.
  • Sarah Heaton Smith of Holyoke, Massachusetts; inscribed on April 2, 1890
  • W. F. H. Stone; not sure of first initial.  Worked the name into a bird design
  • Frank B. Strickland of Warren, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 6, 1880
  • Sarah E. Sugden of Oakworth, W Heighley, Yorkshire, England; inscribed at Southport, Lancashire, England, on May 21, 1883
  • Frank W. Sweet of Bridgewater, Massachusetts; inscribed at Worcester, Massachusetts, on January 30, 1880
  • Isaac S. Taylor; inscribed at Warren, Massachusetts, on January 6, 1880
  • Ada M. Taylor of Manchester, England; inscribed on May 22, 1883
  • Adela Taylor of Birkdale, West Southport, England
  • Arthur J. Tenney; inscribed on January 6, 1880; not sure of surname
  • A. Augusta Tyler; inscribed at West Brookfield, Massachusetts
  • Maude Vincent of Southport, Lancashire, England.  Future wife of inscriber Alfred Brumwell
  • William Saville Whittaker of Norman Grove, Manchester, England; inscribed on February 7, 1881
  • Annie L. Wood of Worcester, Massachusetts; inscribed on January 18, 1880.  "C'L.C" [not sure of initials]

2 comments:

  1. Is the page with initials J.E.B. pictured? I couldn't find it. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. I do have it but, for space considerations, I can't put all of the images on the post. You will find my email address under Inquiries near the top of the right margin - I'll be glad to send the image to you once I receive your email address.

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