Tuesday, February 12, 2019

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


May 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 June 1876 and April 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, 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.


Tuesday, May 2, 1876:  Fair. Everett & I went to West Lebanon. Went to Mrs. E. J. Cowell's, Mr. J. Wentworth's & Mrs. Hayes'.  Called to Mr. Hanscom's.

Wednesday, May 3, 1876:  Cloudy. Sewed. Knit.

Thursday, May 4, 1876:  Cloudy. Father took Everett to the "Falls". Everett went to Boston. Sewed.

Friday, May 5, 1876:  Cloudy & some rain. Baked and chored round. Made soap.


Saturday, May 6, 1876:  Fog & Rain. Washed out a few things. Got a letter from Aunt Lucy; hasn't got me a school. Rev. S. Lord came here; he could not get me a school.

Sunday, May 7, 1876:  Foggy in forenoon. Fair in afternoon. Went to Laura's to see Mrs. J. Cowell.

According to an entry in the Memoranda section, Ida will go to Milton Mills, New Hampshire, to take advantage of a school and will board at Mrs. Cowell's at $2.00 a week.

Monday, May 8, 1876:  Cloudy. Came to the Mills to school. Miss Abbie Buck, teacher. Charlie Hanscomb & Mr. Dillon called here. Tried for a school here; am not sure I shall get it or stay here to school.

Tuesday, May 9, 1876:  Rained nearly all day. Went to school.


Wednesday, May 10, 1876:  7-1/4 O'clock. Still Rainy. We're going to school. Emma just eating her breakfast.  Evening: Charlie Hanscomb, Charles Dillon, Elias Hanscomb & Ida Carter spent the evening there.

Thursday, May 11, 1876:  Rainy. Went to school.

Friday, May 12, 1876:  Rainy. Went to school. Rode home with Enoch. Went to "Zeke's" to a candy pull.  Joe E. Armitage came here (to Mrs. Cowell's) from Andover.

Saturday, May 13, 1876:  Fair. Washed & Ironed. Went a May-flowering. Got wet.  Mother went to Mrs. Stevens' the first time for about a year and a half.


Sunday, May 14, 1876:  Fair. Came up to Mrs. Cowell's. Rode up with Andrew & Georgia.  Mrs. Cowell went to a Temperance lecture at the Methodist church.  Joe Edward Armitage, North Andover Depot, Massachusetts, was here.

Monday, May 15, 1876:  Cloudy. Went to school. studied some in the evening. Went for a walk.  A Miss Yeaton came here yesterday to board.

Tuesday, May 16, 1876:  Fair. Went to School.  Joe went away. Miss Yeaton also went away.  She was sick.

Wednesday, May 17, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Feel very sober or sad, I might say.  I don't know why I should.  (Joe told Mrs. Cowell he liked me.)


Thursday, May 18, 1876:  Rainy. Went to school.

Friday, May 19, 1876:  Fair. I came home. Emma came down to Laura's with me.  Went to school.  Went to Zak's & Laura's. Charlie & Sadie came down.  Mary J. Buzzel left school.

Saturday, May 20, 1876:  Fair. Fixed one dress and part of another.  Emma & Laura came down a-visiting.

Sunday, May 21, 1876:  Fair. Quite warm. Came up to Mrs. Cowell's. Am nearly sick with a headache; walked up here.


Monday May 22, 1876:  Fair. Very Warm. It Rained in the P.M.  Went to school.  Emma has a very bad cold so she cannot go to school.

Tuesday, May 23, 1876:  Fair. Colder than yesterday. Went to school. Emma a little better. Mr. G. Lovering (Dry Goods) called here. (The Dr. Y. called)  Went to the store. Seen Dr. Yeaton & a "pretty man", forget his name; wanted me to go down to the "Auction".

Wednesday, May 24, 1876:  Fair. Went to School.

Thursday, May 25, 1876:  Fair. Went to School


Friday, May 26, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Came home.

Saturday, May 27, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. Helped Mother a little.  Went to Sanford after a school. Got it. Went to SpringVale to be examined. Howard Frost examined me.

Sunday, May 28, 1876:  Fair. Read. Went up to the Mills.

Monday, May 29, 1876:  Fair. Went to School. Dr. Yeaton came over.  Mr. Copp & Mr. James Demeritt left the Mills.


Tuesday, May 30, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Sewed. Dr. Yeaton came over again.

Wednesday, May 31, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Sewed. Expected Mr. Dillon & C. Hanscom Over; did not come.  Mr. Collins sent word for me to go into the Tailor Shop; did not go.

Thursday, June 1, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Sewed. The Dr. Came over.

Friday, June 2, 1876:  Fair. Went to school. Closed up. Expected to come home but father did not come after me. "The Dr" came over; stayed til about 11 O'clock.

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 June 1876 or return to April 1876.

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