Tuesday, February 12, 2019

April Entries in the 1876 Diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine; future wife of John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923)


April entries in the 1876 diary of Ida Isadore Reynolds (1860-1946) of Acton, Maine.  Ida would marry John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923) in 1881. 

Links to the months of May 1876 and March 1876 appear here and at the end of this post.  

This diary is one of three known: 1873, 1874 and 1876.  If a reader knows of the existence of any other diaries of Ida, please contact me.

See an overview post for a description of Ida's 1873, 1874 and 1876 diaries, which also contains combined alphabetical lists of surnames and people, with descriptive information where known.

Shown below are images and transcriptions of the entries and a description of the people mentioned, in order of appearance, first time only. Your comments noting errors and sharing information are requested.

Ida was the  daughter of Jonathan Prescott Reynolds (1820-1899) and Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923), who were natives of Maine and Nova Scotia, respectively.  

Other members of the Reynolds household, at times, were Ida's older brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945) and a Samuel/Sam/Sammy, presumably Ida's maternal cousin Samuel Muir Francis (1858-1928), son of Dr. Daniel Francis (1810-1867) and Christie Ann (Tupper) Francis (-1893).

In 1881 Ida married John Jotham Shapleigh (1856-1923), a native of Lebanon, Maine.  After the death of their son Ernest in 1882, they moved to Rochester, New Hampshire, where they had a daughter Doris, born in 1898.


Although Ida's home was in Acton, Maine, it was on the border of Lebanon, Maine.  As you can see from the image shown below, from Ida's 1873 diary, the Reynolds family got their mail through the North Lebanon, Maine, Post Office.



Below, the J. P. Reynolds farm along the southern border of Acton, Maine; with Lebanon, Maine, to the south; from an 1872 map of Acton, Maine, held by the Digital Maine Repository


Following the images and transcriptions below is a list of the people mentioned, in order of appearance, only once, as some are mentioned multiple times.


Friday, March 31, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. Read

Saturday, April 1, 1876:  Fair.  Hattie came up.  Baked.

Sunday, April 2, 1876:  Fair. Read.

Monday, April 3, 1876:  Fair. My Birth day, Am sixteen years old.  Washed some.  Was to Hattie's.


Tuesday, April 4, 1876:  It began to Snow. Wrote in my Book-keeping.

Wednesday, April 5, 1876:  Stormed. There is over two feet on the ground. The Roads are full.

Thursday, April 6, 1876:  Fair. Went to Meeting to Mr. Stevens'. Mr. Joseph Wentworth was there.

Friday, April 7, 1876:  Fair. Baked.


Saturday, April 8, 1876:  Fair. Went to Aunt Martha's. She gave me some Calico & some cloth to make an Apron.

Sunday, April 9, 1876:  Fair. Came home. Hattie came up.

Monday, April 10, 1876:  Fair. Washed a few things. Wrote in Book-keeping. [Next part crossed out and written for entry of April 11, 1876]  Hiram Goodwin died. [but his Maine Death record does give his death date as April 10, 1876.]  

Tuesday, April 11, 1876:  Fair. Finished my Book-keeping.  Hiram Goodwin died.


Wednesday, April 12, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. ___ Washed my muslin dress.  Edward Francis here.  Hiram Goodwin Buried.

Thursday, April 13, 1876:  Fair. Went down to Hattie's a while in afternoon. Knit. 

Friday, April 14, 1876:  Fair. Knit. Sewed.  Mother not very smart. Father went to Mr. M. Wentworth to try for me a school. Got some prospect.

Saturday, April 15, 1876:  Fair. We baked. I took Abbie down a piece of cheese.  Hattie came in a while in the afternoon.  Mother not very well. Father went to the "Frog Pond" to try for me a school; didn't get one.


 Sunday, April 16, 1876:  Cloudy. Read. Got a letter from Aunt Lucy.

Monday, April 17, 1876:  Fair. Everett came home. Li brought him up. Brought a lot of papers.  Washed.

Tuesday, April 18, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. Knit. Everett seems very tired.  Went to Hattie's for the mail.

Wednesday, April 19, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. Knit. Mother is some better.


Thursday, April 20, 1876:  Fair. Fast Day. Sewed. Knit.  Went to Mary Sherman's for a spool of thread.  Hattie came up.

Friday, April 21, 1876:  Rain & Fog. Knit. Read.

Saturday, April 22, 1876:  Fair. We washed. Baked, churned, made cheese.  Went to Mary Sherman's to help her hook on her ___ [mat ?].  Hattie went too.  Walter, Sam & Everett went up in evening.

Sunday, April 23, 1876:  Rain & Fog. Read.


Monday, April 24, 1876:  Fair. Washed.  Went to Enoch's in afternoon. E & S in the evening.

Tuesday, April 25, 1876:  Fair. Ironed.

Wednesday, April 26, 1876:  Fair. Sewed.

Thursday, April 27, 1876:  Fair. Sewed.


Friday, April 28, 1876:  Clouds and Rain. Father & Everett went to Aunt Lucy's.  Everett had two teeth pulled by Everett Reynolds. [Everard G. Reynolds]

Saturday, April 29, 1876:  Fair. The "Girls" and I went "maying".  Made my overskirt.

Sunday, April 30, 1876:  Fair. Everett & I & Sam went to George Prescott's in the evening.

Monday, May 1, 1876:  Fair. Went up the road.  [next part crossed out] made my overskirt. Brown.

People mentioned in order, first time only. Readers are requested to provide more information. 


If you have corrections to anything above or information to share on any of the people mentioned, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Advance to May 1876 or return to March 1876.



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