Tuesday, September 6, 2022

1884-1910 Autograph Album of Martha R. Dickson (1864-1947) of Gorham, New Hampshire, and Lee, Maine; would marry Ralph L. Fifield

1884-1910 autograph album that belonged to Martha R. Dickson (1864-1947), "Mattie",  living in 1884 in Gorham, New Hampshire, with family in Lee, Maine.  

The album measures approximately 7" by 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over forty of Mattie's relatives, friends and pastor, Theodore C. Jerome (1850-1886) and wife Annie E. (Swan) Jerome. Jerome and his three oldest children downed in Lake Winnepesaukee in May 1886. 

An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this list.

Surnames in the Album

??JJerome [2]SSmart
CCarterKKilgore [2]Smith
CorbettLLaneSwan
DDickson [6]MMerrill [2]TTrueworthy
GGraves [2]NNoonanWWatson
Griffin [2]PPeabody [3]Webb
HHale [5]PerryWelch
HarrisRRich [3]Wight [3]
HoughtonRideout

Most of the autographs date from 1884 but Mattie's cousin Lena Alice Merrill (1890-1968) of Lee, Maine, inscribed a sentiment in 1910. I believe this is the Lena who would marry 1) Nelson Harry Scribner; 2) Bertram Francis Smith.


Mattie's parents, Charles Dixon and Rosella (Duplissea [variant spellings] Dixon inscribed pages in the album as did several of Mattie's siblings and cousins.

Charles Arthur Dickson (1821-1912), a native of Miramichi, New Brunswick


Siblings who inscribed pages - there may be others who didn't specify a relationship
  • John Grogan Dixon (1868-1945)
  • Lanor Jane Dickson (1866-1943)
  • Emily Ella Dickson (1879-1939)
  • Susannah M. (Dickson) Perry (1860-1905 and her husband Nathan Perry

Cousins in Lee, Maine, who inscribed pages - there may be others who didn't specify a relationship
  • Isabel Hale of Lee, Maine; would marry Leander G. Tuck
  • Lucy A. Hale of Lee, Maine; would marry Frank Elmer Cimpher
  • Mattie J. Hale of Lee, Maine; would marry 1) Alfred W. Emerson; 2) Harold D. Eaton
  • Gussie A. Rich (1872-1945) of Lee, Maine; would marry Ernest Melvin Carll
  • Dora, "your cousin, inscribed at Lee, Maine, on May 4, 1884. Presumably Eldoria or Eudoria  D. Hale (1864-1912); would marry Alan T. Reed
  • Ella Rich, "your cousin", inscribed on April 11, 1886 at Lee, Maine. Possibly Ella (Fifield) Rich (1848-1915), wife of Henry Bagley Rich
  • Leo V. Rich of Lee, Maine; inscribed on April 10, 1886. Presumably Martha's cousin Leonard V. Rich (1870-1936)

Album owner Martha R. Dickson (1864-1947) would marry Ralph L. Fifield in 1884 in Shelburne, New Hampshire.  On her marriage record, Mattie's birthplace is shown as St. Stephen Quebec, but it was more likely to have been St. Stephen, New Brunswick.  Another discrepancy found during research is her obituary, where her late husband was identified as Dr. William W. Fifield, who was, in fact, her son William Withee Fifield (1889-1919).

If you have information to share on any of the people mentioned, please leave a comment for the benefit of other family historians.

Alphabetical List of Inscribers
  • Dora, "your cousin, inscribed at Lee, Maine, on May 4, 1884. Presumably Eldoria or Eudoria  D. Hale (1864-1912); would marry Alan T. Reed
  • Alonzo Carter of Brookfield, Nova Scotia; inscribed on June 9, 1884.  Perhaps Alonzo Carter (1856-1940)
  • Lillian Corbett of Lee, Maine, inscribed on December 17, 1889
  • Charles Dickson, "Your Father", inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire.  Charles Arthur Dickson (1821-1912)
  • Emily E. Dickson, "Your Loving Sister", inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire.  Emily Ella Dickson (1879-1939), who would marry George Augherton
  • John G. Dickson, "your Brother", inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire. John Grogan Dixon (1868-1945)
  • Lanor J. Dickson, "Your Loving Sister", inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire.  Lanor Jane Dickson (1866-1943); would marry Robert N. Campbell
  • Martha R. Dickson (1864-1947), "Mattie", album owner, of Gorham, New Hampshire. She would marry Ralph L. Fifield (1861-1926) and move to Lee, Maine; then Old Town, Maine; and finally Bangor, Maine
  • Rosilla Dickson, "your Mother", inscribed on January 20, 1881 in Gorham, New Hampshire.  Rosella (Duplisea) Dickson (1837-1914)
  • Alice U. Graves. H. Graves inscribed the right facing page.
  • H. Graves. Alice U. Graves inscribed the left facing page.
  • Lizzie D. Griffin, "your Sister, inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire.  Elizabeth (Dickson) Griffin (1862-1949), wife of Nathan Griffin who inscribed the left facing page.
  • Nathan Griffin, "your brother", inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire. Nathan was the husband of Martha's sister Elizabeth (Dickson) Griffin (1862-1949), "Lizzie", who inscribed the right facing page.
  • Annie E. Hale, inscribed at Lee, Maine, on May 3, 1884. Annie Elizabeth (Hale) Hale (abt 1863-1937)
  • Dora, "your cousin, inscribed at Lee, Maine, on May 4, 1884. Presumably Eldoria or Eudoria  D. Hale (1864-1912); would marry Alan T. Reed
  • Isabel Hale of Lee, Maine; inscribed on May 1, 1884. Martha's Cousin
  • Lucy A. Hale of Lee, Maine; inscribed on May 3, 1884.  Martha's cousin
  • Mattie J. Hale of Lee, Maine; inscribed on May 3, 1884.  Martha's cousin
  • Millie J. Harris; inscribed on May 24, 1886 at Lee, Maine.  Millie J. Harris (1872-1901); would marry Frank C. Philbrook
  • E. W. Houghton; inscribed on July 25, 1886 at Lee, Maine
  • Annie E. Jerome; inscribed at Shelburne Sunny Side, presumably in New Hampshire, on January 6, 1884.  Annie Elizabeth (Swan) Jerome (1852-1937), wife of inscriber Theodore Charles Jerome (1850-1886)
  • Theodore C. Jerome; inscribed in January 1884 at Shelburne, Sunny Side, presumably in New Hampshire. Martha's pastor Theodore Charles Jerome (1850-1886)
  • Laura A. Kilgore; inscribed on May 15, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • Millie G. Kilgore, inscribed on May 14, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • Avice C. Lane; inscribed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1885
  • Lena A. Merrill; inscribed at Lee, Maine, on March 17, 1910.  Possibly Lena Alice Merrill (1890-1968), who would marry 1) Nelson Harry Scribner; 2) Bertram Francis Smith
  • Myra E. Merrill of Lee, Maine; inscribed on September 5, 1886
  • J. F. Noonan; inscribed on June 5, 1884.  Perhaps John F. Noonan of Gorham, New Hampshire.
  • Alice R. Peabody; inscribed on June 26, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • Frank W. Peabody; inscribed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on November 7, 1884
  • Grace A. Peabody; inscribed on June 28, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • Susie M. Perry, "Your Sister", inscribed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on January 20, 1884.  Susannah M. (Dickson) Perry (1860-1905), wife of Gilbert Perry
  • Ella Rich, "your cousin", inscribed on April 11, 1886 at Lee, Maine. Possibly Ella (Fifield) Rich (1848-1915), wife of Henry Bagley Rich
  • Gussie A. Rich of Lee, Maine; inscribed on March 19, 1886. Martha's cousin. Gussie A. Rich (1872-1945)
  • Leo V. Rich of Lee, Maine; inscribed on April 10, 1886. Presumably Martha's cousin Leonard V. Rich (1870-1936)
  • Sabra E. Rideout; inscribed at Lee, Maine in August 1885
  • Mrs. Sadie C. Smart; inscribed on August 17, 1886 at Lee, Maine.  Presumably Sarah Crosby (Phillips) Smart (1849-1929), wife of Isaac Smart
  • John H. Smith; inscribed at Lee, Maine, on August 25, 1889
  • Kate B. Swan; inscribed at Shelburne Sunny Side, presumably in New Hampshire, on January 9. 1884
  • Emma Trueworthy; inscribed at Lee, Maine, on April 1, 1887
  • Mrs. E. M. Watson; inscribed on May 17, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • Seth L. Webb; inscribed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1885
  • James F. Welch; inscribed on January 20, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire
  • E. M. Wight, M.D.  Edward Mayberry Wight, M.D. (1834-1910)
  • Thomas Wight; inscribed on June 9, 1884 at Gorham, New Hampshire.
  • W. S. Wight, inscribed at West Bethel, Maine, on May 23, 1884

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