Thursday, October 22, 2020

1854-1856 Autograph Album of Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham (1834-1909) of Newcastle, Maine



1854-1856 autograph album that belonged to Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham (1834-1909), "Lizzie", apparently started not long after her marriage to George Cunningham (1832-1905).

The album appears to have been given to Lizzie by P. J. or P. G. or ?, at Bath, Maine, on 6 March 1854.   If the P. can be construed as an R, with G as the surname initial, the gifter could have been multiple inscriber Roxanna T. (Given) Kelley Blake (about 1834-1875).

The album measures approximately 8" by 6-1/4" and contains nearly 40 sentiments, although several of the inscribers contributed multiple inscriptions. An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post. Inscribers appear, mostly, to have been Lizzie's contemporaries, born in the 1820s and 1830s.

From brief online research, hopefully correct - corrections and additions requested:

Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham was born 5 January 1834 at Bristol, Maine, the daughter of mariner Josiah Wallace and Sarah (Curtis) Wallace. I haven't found a marriage record, but it's assumed that Lizzie and George Cunningham married about the time that the album was gifted, in March 1854.  George's parents were Alexander Cunningham and Charlotte (Campbell) Cunningham.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or to the information provided in the alphabetical list of inscribers below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Alphabetical List of Inscribers

  • P. G. or P. J. [not sure of either initial]; inscribed a religious saying on the ownership page - perhaps the person who gifted the album to Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham (1834-1909). If the P. can be construed as an R, with G as the surname initial, the gifter could have been multiple inscriber Roxanna T. (Given) Kelley Blake (about 1834-1875)
  • Unsigned, a "Good Bye"; inscribed at Bath, Maine, on March 6, 1854. Perhaps upon the marriage of album owner Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham (1834-1909
  • S. N. D., not sure of middle initial; inscribed possibly in 1854 written backwards.  Perhaps Sarah N. Decker (1835-1924) who married William H. Vivian in 1861.
  • Unsigned
  • S. H. C.; not sure of middle initial.
  • N. G. L., presumably Nathaniel G. Light (1810-1886), husband of inscriber Mary Ann (Kelley) Light (1820-1904).  
  • A Friend; inscribed at Topsham, Maine, on February 26, 1854
  • Lines from a Sister
  • Cordelia, "Your Sister"; inscribed at Pleasant Cove on March 18, presumably the Pleasant Cove in Boothbay, Maine. Presumably Cordelia A. (Reed) Kelley Pinkham Welch (1829-1885), wife of, or widow of, depending on when inscribed, of Benjamin Kelley (1824-1854). She later married Paul Giles Pinkham and John H. Welch. 
  • Une Amie; inscribed in Alna, Maine, in 1854
  • Name written in ancient Greek; inscribed at Bath, Maine, on March 6, 1854. The word means "Theophile", in case that's a clue. Perhaps Theophilus?
  • Unsigned
  • Isabelle; inscribed on June 14, 1856
  • Mae; shared the page with Sae
  • Sae; shared the page with Mae. Sae might have been inscriber Sarah Neal Decker or inscriber Helen Sae Campbell
  • Emma
  • Lydia Jane Averill, inscribed at Bath, Maine, on March 5, 1854; Lydia Jane (Kelley) Averill (1828-1873), wife of John W. Averill and sister of several inscribers. Shared the page with Sae Neal
  • Car Fran Campbell; perhaps Caroline Frances Campbell (about 1835-1910), who would marry Daniel P. Haggett. 
  • Hellen S. Campbell; inscribed at Edgecomb, Maine, on August 29, 1854. Perhaps Sarah Helen Campbell (abt 1838-), sister of Caroline Frances (Campbell) Haggett (abt 1835-1910)
  • Helen Sae Campbell.  Perhaps Sarah Helen Campbell (abt 1838-), sister of Caroline Frances (Campbell) Haggett (abt 1835-1910)
  • E. ? Carney; perhaps a member of the Carney family that lived in Newcastle, Maine. If E. W. Carney, the inscriber may have been Eliza Wheeler Carney (1826-1861), who married Parker C. Harley in 1859. 
  • Nancy Elizabeth (Wallace) Cunningham (1834-1909) of Newcastle, Maine; album owner, her name on a page inscribed in 1854 by herself or by the person who gifted her the album
  • Clara M. Decker at Alna, Maine, on July 20, 1854. Perhaps the Clara M. Decker (abt 1838-1905) who married Henry Martyn Pearson. 
  • S. N. D., not sure of middle initial; inscribed possibly in 1854 written backwards.  Perhaps Sarah N. Decker (1835-1924) who married William H. Vivian in 1861.
  • Sae or Sar Neal and, on the same page, Sae or Sar Neal Decker, at Alna, Maine, in July 1854. Shared the page with Margaret Rideout. Perhaps the Sarah N. Decker (1835-1924) who married William H. Vivian in 1861.
  • 2 page inscription by Sarah N. Decker; perhaps the Sarah N. Decker (abt 1835-1924) who married William H. Vivian in 1861. 
  • Sae Neal Decker; inscribed at Alna, Maine, in May 1854. Perhaps the Sarah N. Decker (abt 1835-1924) who married William Henry Vivian (1816-1884).  
  • Lettice S. Given; inscribed at Bowdoinham, Maine, on March 1, 1854. Presumably Lettice Sandford Given (1838-1878) who married Asa D. Fox (abt 1837-1893). 
  • Roxanna T. Given; inscribed at Topsham, Maine, on February 25, 1854. Roxanna T. Given (about 1834-1875) first married inscriber Dexter Kelley, who died shortly thereafter in 1856; she then married Sylvanus C. Blake in 1861.
  • Roxanna T. Given; inscribed  at Topsham, Maine, on January 21, 1855. Roxanna T. Given (about 1834-1875) first married inscriber Dexter Kelley, who died shortly thereafter in 1856; she then married Sylvanus C. Blake in 1861.
  • Roxanna T. Given, inscribed at Topsham, Maine, on March 1, 1854.  "Let your memory oft  ___ the hours we have spent in Bath Maine". Roxanna T. Given (about 1834-1875) first married inscriber Dexter Kelley, who died shortly thereafter in 1856; she then married Sylvanus C. Blake in 1861.
  • Roxanna T. Given, signed in two places on the page. Roxanna T. Given (about 1834-1875) first married inscriber Dexter Kelley, who died shortly thereafter in 1856; she then married Sylvanus C. Blake in 1861.
  • Samuel Given; inscribed at Bath, Maine, on March 19, 1854.  There were several men by that name in that era in the area of Bath, Maine, and Topsham, Maine.
  • C. A. Kelley, or C. R. Kelley; inscribed at Pleasant Cove on March 18, presumably in 1854-1856 and presumably the Pleasant Cove in the Boothbay, Maine, area. Perhaps Cordelia (Reed) Kelley (1829-1885), wife of, or widow of, depending on when inscribed, of Benjamin Kelley (1824-1854). She later married Paul Giles Pinkham and John H. Welch. 
  • Cordelia, "Your Sister"; inscribed at Pleasant Cove on March 18, presumably the Pleasant Cove in Boothbay, Maine. Presumably Cordelia (Reed) Kelley (1829-1885), wife of, or widow of, depending on when inscribed, of Benjamin Kelley (1824-1854). She later married Paul Giles Pinkham and John H. Welch. 
  • Dexter W. Kelley, presumably the Dexter Kelley (abt 1834-1856) who would marry multiple inscriber Roxanna T. Given (about 1834-1875)
  • Frances S. Kelley; inscribed at Boothbay, Maine, on January 21, 1855. Perhaps Sarah Frances Kelley (1835-1863), who would marry Benjamin P. Reed later on in 1855. 
  • Sarah Frances Kelley; inscribed at Newcastle, Maine, on May 14, 1854 [or May 19, 1854]. Perhaps Sarah Frances Kelley (1835-1863), who would marry Benjamin P. Reed later on in 1855. 
  • M. A. Light; inscribed at Boothbay, Maine, on March 16, 1854.  Perhaps Mary Ann (Kelley) Light (1820-1904), wife of Nathaniel G. Light (1810-1886) and sister of several inscribers.  
  • N. G. L., presumably Nathaniel G. Light (1810-1886), husband of inscriber Mary Ann (Kelley) Light (1820-1904).  
  • N. G. Light, inscribed at Boothbay, Maine, on March 15, 1854. Presumably Nathaniel G. Light (1810-1886), husband of inscriber Mary Ann (Kelley) Light (1820-1904).  
  • Margaret Rideout (middle initial possibly I or J), inscribed on March 4, 1854 at Bath, Maine; shared the page with Sae Neal Decker
  • Anna C. Swanton. Perhaps Anna Catherine Swanton (1835-1920) of Bath, Maine.  
Again, if you have corrections and/or additions to any of the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.


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