Monday, October 1, 2012

1870s Autograph Album of Rosa Belle Plimpton of Le Roy, New York


1870s autograph album of Rosa Belle Plimpton of Le Roy, New York.  There's one autograph from 1860 before Belle was born, so the album may have been intended for an older sibling.

Note: See a reader's comment below for information on one of the signers, Ned Crego, who was Edward H. Crego, born 1858, son of Hiram and Josephine Crego.





The album is approximately 5" x 4" and contains approximately 60 pages signed by Belle and her relatives and friends.  A complete list of the signers in alphabetical order appears at the end of this post.



Rosa Belle Plimpton [Rosana, Rosina, Rosy, Rose] was born about 1863 in Wisconsin, daughter of Moses and Harriet (Brabon or Braman possibly) Plimpton, who were born in New York and England, respectively.

Belle was born while her parents were living in the Midwest.  Her father died at Peoria, Illinois about 1870.

I assume the M. P. of West Bloomfield, New York, who signed the second to the last page in the album in 1860 and called himself "Father" was Moses Plimpton, Belle's father.  Since Belle wasn't born yet, the album may have been intended for an older sibling of Belle.
  
Belle's mother Harriet signed the last page in the album and inscribed it to Rosy, but didn't date it.  Perhaps she had found her first husband's page and added her page after it, at some point after Belle's birth.  Or perhaps there was an earlier Belle who didn't survive.

Harriet also signed a page near the front of the album, in 1876, by which time Moses had died and Harriet was married to Civil War veteran Henry M. EnEarl and living at Le Roy, New York.

Belle's older brother Arthur W. Plimpton of Le Roy, New York, signed a page in 1876.

Belle's stepsister Clara C. EnEarl of Le Roy, New York, signed a page in 1879.

I believe the H. M. EnEarl who signed a page at Le Roy, New York, in 1876 was Clara's father and Belle's stepfather.

John H. Emerson of Le Roy, New York signed a page in 1880 and referred to himself as Uncle John.

Two people called themselves Belle's teachers.  

Teacher Sarah J. Cook signed a page at Le Roy, New York, in 1876.

Edwin D. Shepard signed a page at Le Roy, New York, in 1879.

Sadly, Belle died about 1886, according to an item in the Union & Advertiser newspaper of Rochester, New York, found on rootsweb.  The issue was dated 2 January 1886 and referred to Belle's funeral, so I assume she died in late December of 1885.

Henry M. EnEarl died about a year later on 1 December 1886.  Clara C. Enearl died in 1899.  Harriet lived at least past the enumeration of the 1910 Census of Wheatland, New York.

I'm interested in learning the names of Harriet's parents.  I found some sources that showed her name as possibly Braman.  But it was interesting to note that a Reuben Brabon, born in England, possibly in Sussex, was living in the household of Moses and Harriet at West Bloomfield, New York, as noted in the 1860 Census. 

At the time of the 1850 Census, Reuben was living with his parents Robert and Abigail and siblings Margaret, Albert and Francis at District 24, Grant, Wisconsin.  Wisconsin was Belle's birthplace, leading me to wonder if Harriet may have been related to this family.  Some Brabons lived in Monroe County, New York, including Wheatland, where Harriet spent her final years.  The name may have evolved from Braband.

Or the Brabon connection could be non-existent, and Harriet's name Braman or something similar.

As expressed in the Note near the top of this post, a reader has expressed interest in one of the signers, Ned H. Crego of Albion, New York.  Here is the page he signed.



If you have corrections or clarifications to the information above or insights into any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!


Hatty E. Br*, possibly Brown, 1871; not sure of 1871
Keppie or Heppie, 1876
George M* of Le Roy, New York, 1879
George G. Allison of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1880
Fanny L. Averill of Le Roy, New York, 1878
Will C. Bentley, 1877; friend
Flora Bliss of LaGrange, New York, 1876
Isadore Burlingame of Le Roy, New York, 1879; friend and schoolmate
Clara Calley of Liverpool, New York, 1877
Sarah J. Cook of Le Roy, New York, or signed there, 1876; teacher
Ned Crego of Albion, New York; middle initial could be H or K
R. B. Crouch, 1876
Lydia Davis of Le Roy, New York
Millicent Dix, 1876; friend
John H. Emerson of Le Roy, New York, 1880; refers to himself as "Uncle John"
H. M. EnEarl of Le Roy, New York, or signed there, 1876; likely this was Belle's stepfather Henry M. EnEarl
Clara C. EnEarl of Le Roy, New York, 1879; Belle's stepsister
Martin M. Garrison of Waterloo, New York
Willie E. Gillette of Le Roy, New York, 1871
F. A. Gowin of Le Roy, New York, or signed there, 1877
N. C. H. of Le Roy, New York, 1879
Jennie E. H. of Le Roy, New York, 1878
Mary B. Howe of Le Roy, New York, 1876
Lizzie A. Howe of Le Roy, New York, 1878
M. G. Howe of Le Roy, New York, or signed there, 1878; friend
George E. Huffman, possibly of Baltimore, Maryland, signed at Le Roy, New York, 1880; friend
Sophia Lix of Le Roy, New York, 1876
Lizzie Luttrell, 1880
W. H. Martin of Buffalo, New York
James H. McManus of Le Roy, New York; age 12
Belle A. McPherson, 1879
Lizzie McQueen of Mumford, New York, 1879
Floss M. McQueen, 1879; schoolmate
Emma L. Morris of Le Roy, New York, 1877; friend
Amelia Orchard of Rochester, New York, 1880
R. B. P., 1879; sketch of bird
Lyman G. Paul of Le Roy, New York, 1879; friend
Rosa Belle Plimpton of Wisconsin and Le Roy, New York; album owner
Arthur W. Plimpton of Le Roy, New York, 1876; Belle's brother
Harriet (possibly Braman) Plimpton, of Le Roy, New York, 1876; Belle's mother; signed two pages
Moses Plimpton of West Bloomfield, New York, 1860; father.  The date is confusing since Belle wasn't born by 1860.  Perhaps this album was originally intended for an older sibling.
Cora J. Seekins of Le Roy, New York, 1879
Rose Sellinger, friend
George G. Seyffer of Le Roy, New York, 1877; friend
Carrie L. Seyffer of Le Roy, New York, 1877; schoolmate
Edwin D. Shepard of Le Roy,  New York, or signed there in 1879; teacher
? B. Sherman of Le Roy, New York, or signed there, 1880; friend.  First name could be Huby, Cuby or Ruby, etc.
Jennie H. Sherman of Le Roy, New York, 1880
Lutie M. Sherwood of Le Roy, New York, 1879; friend
Edna O. Sisson of Le Roy, New York, 1878
Edward C. Strobel of Le Roy,  New York; friend
Will R. Teepell, 1880
Charles M. Tillou of Le Roy, New Yorki, 1879; friend
Wilbur Trick of Stafford, New York
? M. Vary of Le Roy, New York, 1879; could be Linda.  There was a Lucinda Vary in LeRoy, New York in the 1880 Census
Lena Weeks of Le Roy, New York, 1876; friend
F. E. Wiederway of Le Roy, New York, 1880; friend
Fanny A. Woodward, 1876
G. F. Yockey of Rochester, New York
Will C. Yorkey of Rochester, New York


Le Roy, New York


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Thanks for stopping by!


6 comments:

  1. Ned Crego of Albion, NY was Edward H. Crego (b. c.1858), son of Hiram H. and Josephine Crego. He was married twice, first to a woman named Ida, and in 1906 to Minnie Power. The nickname Ned also appears on the 1915 NY State Census (3rd Elect. Dist, Albion, Orleans co., page 22).

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  2. Thanks for your input! I hope you got a kick out of seeing your relative's name. Let me know if you would like to see a scan of his page.

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  3. Sure. If there are any family references, I may be able to identify them.

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  4. Since I wasn't able to incorporate the image in this comment, I amended the post to add the image. It's just before the section listing the names of the signers. Nice handwriting, eh?

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  5. The Moses Plimpton signed "father" may very well be Moses Adams Plimpton who lived from 1786 to April 29th, 1860, and died there in West Bloomfield. Just the way it is worded, it sounds sort of like a "good-bye". This Moses Plimpton would die just a few months later. His son was also Moses Plimpton born 1826, and I assume this is Belle's father as I have no info on this line of Plimptons. Moses Adam's Plimpton, the one who died in 1860, is my 4th great grandfather. So either way, that signature is either from my grandfather, or very great uncle, and Belle would have been a cousin. I am descended from John Plimpton who came to Wisconsin.

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing this, Eric. Assuming the most interesting relationship, I hope you got a kick out of seeing your 4th great grandfather's handwriting!

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