Wednesday, February 13, 2019

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


July 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 August 1876 and June 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.

Ida is on her way to Massachusetts to work on Martha's Vineyard for the Wesley family, who would later open the Wesley House in 1879.


Saturday, July 1, 1876:  Fair. Came to Boston. Seen Sam at the Falls. He likes very much and they seem to like him. Got acquainted with a Miss Foss in the cars. From Great Falls. Stayed with Hannah all night.

Sunday, July 2, 1876:  Fair. Went to the "Temple" in the Morning and to Uncle James' in the afternoon.  Also Miss Adams', Fred's girls.

Monday, July 3, 1876:  Fair. Came to the Vineyard. Started from the "Old Colony Depot", came to Woods Hole. Took the Boat, and came to the Camp Meeting Landing. Then came to Wesley's. No. 25 Commonwealth Sq., Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Tuesday, July 4, 1876:  Fair. Went to Work. Think I shall like. The help is Addie Crawford, Flora Martin, Mary Lynch, Fred Allnutt, Laura & Annie Martin.


Wednesday, July 5, 1876:  Fair. Did quite a lot today. Took some orders.

Thursday, July 6, 1876:  Fair. Like quite well. Think I get along nicely.

Friday, July 7, 1876:  Fair. Quite warm. Did quite a day's work.

Saturday, July 8, 1876:  Fair. Very Warm.


Sunday, July 9, 1876:  Fair. Went to work on the "Bluffs" with Fanny [sp ?] Warren. Am sorry I went. Do not like her very well now.

Monday, July 10, 1876:  Fair. Have had quite a lot to do.  Had to clean the windows.

Tuesday, July 11, 1876:  Fair. Not so hard the first of the week as it is the last.

Wednesday, July 12, 1876:  Fair. Not very much to do today.


Thursday, July 13, 1876:  Fair. Trade a little better.

Friday, July 14, 1876:  Still it is fair & warm. More customers today than yesterday.

Saturday, July 15, 1876:  Fair. Lots of orders for Baked Beans & Brown Bread for tomorrow.

Sunday, July 16, 1876:  Fair. Showers in A.M. The lightning struck the "Museum & Shell Store", and killed a Mr. Chase that was sitting in the door. I seen him. He was not scared  [scarred ?] as one might think he would be. His home is in Providence, R.I.  Boston Globe, July 24, 1876


Monday, July 17, 1876:  Fair. Say that man's wife was very much shocked. They had one child. All have gone back to Providence.

Tuesday, July 18, 1876:  Fair. They are fixing the Museum. It was pretty badly splintered.

Wednesday, July 19, 1876:  Fair.

Thursday, July 20, 1876:  Fair. Worked pretty hard.


Friday, July 21, 1876:  There is not much difference in the work. Days about the same.

Saturday, July 22, 1876:  Fair. Worked pretty hard.  Addie & I went to praise meeting in the evening.

Sunday, July 23, 1876:  Fair.  Addie & I went to praise meeting in the evening.

Monday, July 24, 1876:  Fair. About the same as all days, only more to do. Had to wash windows.


Tuesday, July 25, 1876:  Still enough to do. I like very much here. Like Mr. & Mrs. Wesley. They are very kind to us.

Wednesday, July 26, 1876:  Trade begins to be better the middle of the week.

Thursday, July 27, 1876:  Fair. Quite a lot of trade today.  I like the work here quite well.  I do not think Everett feels satisfied. I do not blame him as he expected to be ___ [strikeover] and is cook instead.

Friday, July 28, 1876:  Fair. Worked pretty hard.


Saturday, July 29, 1876:  Fair. About the same as usual.

Sunday, July 30, 1876:  Fair. Worked pretty hard. Did not go to church.

Monday, July 31, 1876:  Fair. Feel some tired. Mr. Young came back. He is going to stay till Friday.

Tuesday, August 1, 1876:  Fair. Fred Caller went back to Cambridge.


On July 1, 1876 Ida left her home at Acton, Maine, and traveled to Martha's Vineyard, where she would work for the summer season for the Wesley family.

People mentioned in order, first time only. Readers are requested to provide more information.
  • Sam - Samuel Muir Francis (1858-1928), son of Dr. Daniel Francis (1810-1867) and wife Christie Ann (Tupper) Francis (-1893), who was a sister to Ida's mother Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923). Samuel may have been the Sam or Sammy mentioned often in Ida's diary and apparently living with the family at times.
  • Miss Foss - Ida met her on the train to Massachusetts
  • Hannah - presumably Ida's maternal cousin, and Sam's sister, Hannah Francis (1854-1923), also known as Annie, daughter of Dr. Daniel Francis (1810-1867)  and Christie Ann (Tupper) Francis (-1893), who was a sister to Ida's mother Rachel E. (Tupper) Reynolds (1833-1923); also known as Annie; she would marry James Alexander Buchanan (abt 1850-1906).  Hannah was working in New England during this time.
  • Uncle James - possibly Ida's maternal uncle James Campbell Tupper (1822-1889), who lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Miss Adams
  • Fred's Girls
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wesley, No. 25, Commonwealth Sq., Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts - owners of an inn on Martha's Vineyard
  • Addie Crawford - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Flora Martin - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Mary Lynch - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Fred Allnutt - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Laura, possibly Laura Martin - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Annie Martin - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Fanny Warren - a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Mr. Chase of Providence, Rhode Island; killed by lightning, July 16, 1876; left a wife and child 
  • Everett - Ida's brother Edward Everett Reynolds (1855-1945) is also working for the Wesleys but isn't happy that he didn't get the position he expected, but was instead working as a cook.
  • Mr. Young - a worker or guest at the Wesley's inn on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876
  • Fred Caller - presumably a worker for the Wesleys on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1876 - possibly the Fred Allnut mentioned earlier.

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 August 1876 or return to June 1876.

No comments:

Post a Comment