Thursday, February 14, 2019

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


November 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 December 1876 and October 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 (1858-1923), 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.

On September 4, 1876, Ida, then only sixteen, began teaching school in Sanford, Maine; the term would last until early November 1876.



Sunday, October 29, 1876:  Fair. Went to meeting in the forenoon, afternoon and in the evening.  Read.

Monday, October 30, 1876:  Fair. Taught school.  Mr. Ufford and Frank Tompson took supper at Mr. Plummer's.  Went to meeting in the evening.

Tuesday, October 31, 1876:  Fair. Taught school.  Mr. Mugridge, Mr. Alford  visited my school.  Went to meeting in the evening.  Are having very nice meetings.

Wednesday, November 1, 1876:  Cloudy. Taught school. Went to meeting in the evening.



Thursday, November 2, 1876:  Cloudy. Taught school. Jennie went to Mrs. Jane Chadbourne's to talk with her concerning Mar. Angie and Joseph came into school. Clarence called in at recess.  Went to meeting in the evening. Rode with the girls and Joseph.

Friday, November 3, 1876:  Cloudy, then cleared off fair.  My school closed. Georgie Hanson came in, wanted me to go to Lyman [?] with him. Charlie Bedell and "Manda Susie Chadbourne, Levi Chadbourne, Rufus Moulton, Charlie Hanson, Willie Plummer and Clarence came in. Went to meeting.

Saturday, November 4, 1876:  Fair. Father came over after me. Went to Springvale and Sanford Corner. Joseph Hill and Clarence came in to see me off, I guess.  Said they wished I could stay longer and that I could teach there next Fall.

Sunday, November 5, 1876:  Fair. At home again after being away the most of the time for seventeen weeks.  Read. It seems very lonesome here after being away so long in such lovely company.



Monday, November 6, 1876:  Fair. Sewed. Darned my stockings.  Aunt Lucy and Uncle Sawyer went home. I called down to Hattie's.  Andrew Hilton came in a few minutes in the evening.

Tuesday, November 7, 1876:  Rain & Fog.  Mother washed and Ironed the calicos that she dried in the house.  I sewed and mended the clothes that were ripped; also trimmed me a common hat. 

Wednesday, November 8, 1876:  Rainy. Sewed.  Laura, Sadie and Hattie came in, stayed quite a while.

Thursday, November 9, 1876:  Cloudy. Chored around.  Went to Lock Prescott's and to George Prescott's. Mr. Lovering came here. Bought me a Cashmere dress, a pair of kid gloves.  Mother bought her cloth to make a basque and overskirt, ___ skirt and eleven spools of thread.



Friday, November 10, 1876:  Rainy, Ironed.  Mr & Mrs. Plummer and Angie came over in the PM. I was very glad to see them. It rained very hard before they went away. I fear they would get cold.

Saturday, November 11, 1876:  Rainy. Sewed on my dress.
Went to Lottie's of an errand and to Hattie's. Went down there a short time in the evening. She came up and stayed with me all night.

Sunday, November 12, 1876:  Rain in the forenoon. Cleared off in P.M. Went to Lebanon to church. Some of the young men of the Christian Association were there. Mr. Henry Allen, Frank Tompson, Tave Hamilton, Walter Mugridge that I am acquainted with. Had a Baptism at Mr. Mugridge;s Church. Eight went forward to get Baptized.

Monday, November 13, 1876:  Cloudy. Mr. Allen said Clarence, Joseph, Walter, Charlie Carroll and the others I think I am not acquainted with were Baptised yesterday.



Tuesday, November 14, 1876:  Fair. Sewed on my dress. Went to singing school.

Wednesday, November 15, 1876:  Cloudy. Sewed on my dress. Went to George Prescott's a few minutes. Sadie, Clara and Lottie came in a few minutes. Thomas came in a few minutes.

Thursday, November 16, 1876:  Fair. A nice day for Nov. Father and I went to the Falls. Had Andrew Hilton's horse. Took dinner at Almon James'. Bought me a pair of kid boots, Some brown cloth for to fix a dress. Did quite a lot of shopping. Enoch came in in the evening.


Friday, November 17, 1876:  Cloudy. Sewed on my dress. Sadie came after her things, seemed satisfied. She and Clara are coming down tomorrow afternoon.  Hattie came after her things. Mary Sherman came in. Went to a Singing school.



Saturday, November 18, 1876:  Fair. Sewed on my dress. Sadie and Clara came down to spend the afternoon. They intended to spend the evening; but Georgia came down saying that Miss M. A. Jordan, ("Our old school teacher") and Mrs. Andrew Hilton were up there. So I went up there with them.

Sunday, November 19, 1876:  Cloudy. Stayed to George Prescott's all night.  Went to the Corner to meeting. Text [?] Nehemiah.  A. B. [not sure of initials] Wentworth; J. B. Stevens.  Hattie came up after my singing book. Went down there to sing.  Mr. Lord and Mr. Woodsum was there. We Sung. Thomas and Andrew came in here.

Monday, November 20, 1876:  Snow & Rain. Finished my black dress. Mother cut out part of her dress.  Hattie came up here in the afternoon, also in evening. Went down there after the mail.  Father went to Aunt Lucy's. Went to meet the drove at Union Village.

Tuesday, November 21, 1876:  Wet. Quilted. Father has not got home yet.



Wednesday, November 22, 1876:  ___. Quilted.  Father got home. Got a yoke of oxen, Paid $100.00.

Thursday, November 23, 1876:  Fair. Quilted.  Had a singing school; did not go.

Friday, November 24, 1876:  Fair. Quilted. Ironed some. In the evening went to Emeline Hilton's.  Had a school meeting; voted to have a female teacher.

Saturday, November 25, 1876:  Fair. Quilted. Sadie, Clara, Walter & Georgia came in and helped me a while. Charlie came home from the "Vineyard".



Sunday, November 26, 1876:  Fair. Read. Wrote to Emma Cowell.  Dempster called to find out about the school where I taught.  Mrs. Boston came in.

Monday, November 27, 1876:  Fair. Quilted.

Tuesday, November 28, 1876:  Fair. Quilted.

Wednesday, November 29, 1876:  Fair. Cooked for Tomorrow. Sewed. Sadie and Charlie, Clara and Lute came down and spent the evening.  Sam came home. Brought me a pair of scissors. 




Thursday, November 30, 1876:  Fair. Thanksgiving. Sewed. Uncle Sawyer and Aunt Lucy came and spent the day.  We went to Hattie's in the evening. Elbridge was there. The girls were there, too.



Friday, December 1, 1876:  Fair. Sewed on my dress. I went to George Prescott's a short time in the evening. Intended to have called on Laura's but she had gone up to the "Mills". When I got home I helped Mother tack a comforter.  Sam went to the "Falls".  Mr. Toothaker called here.



Saturday, December 2, 1876:  Snow. Finished my brown dress. Fixed my drab dress. Trimmed my turban hat.  Mother went to Mrs. Hilton's to sew for Charlie.  He is going to Boston Monday. Going to work for Elisha Stacy in Quincy Market. He and Sadie called tonight.


Sunday, December 3, 1876:  Fair. Read. Went to Mr. Stevens'.  Emma came up.  Charlie called. Did not even thank Mother for what she did.

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 December/Memoranda 1876 or return to October 1876.




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