Wednesday, October 24, 2012

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Meribah Gifford (Mosher) Pettey of Westport, Massachusetts


1880s/1890s autograph album that belonged, I suspect, to Meribah Gifford (Mosher) Pettey of Westport, Massachusetts.   

My guess is based on the facts that one of the signers, Lottie A. Bly called herself the owner's sister.  I believe she was Charlotte A. (Mosher) Bly of North Westport, Massachusetts, married to John A. Bly, who also signed a page.





Lottie's sister Meribah Gifford Mosher married Eli Franklin Petty, whose mother was Peace (Tripp) Pettey.  One of the signers, Peace Petty [Pettey?] called herself the owner's mother; hopefully she was actually the owner's mother-in-law.



The album is approximately 5-1/4" x 3-1/4" and contains 36 pages signed by relatives and friends.  An alphabetized list of signers appears at the end of this post.



Meribah Gifford Mosher was born about February 1857, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Mosher and Charity Vaughn (Benson) Mosher, who were born at Westport, Massachusetts and Rochester, Massachusetts, respectively.

Her paternal grandparents were George and Phoebe (Brownell) Mosher.  Her maternal grandparents were Jabez and Celestia (Hammond) Benson.

On 14 February 1890 at Westport, Massachusetts, Meribah Gifford (Mosher) Pettey married Eli Franklin Pettey, son of Pardon and Peace (Tripp) Pettey.  He was born 27 October 1855 at Westport, Massachusetts.  Eli signed the page shown below in 1886, before their marriage.



The couple had a daughter Helen May Pettey, born 18 June 1898 at Westport, Massachusetts.  Sadly, she died on the day of her birth.

Meribah Gifford (Mosher) Pettey died in 1907 at Westport, Massachusetts.   

If you have corrections to the information above, especially if you think the album belonged to someone other than Meribah Gifford (Mosher) Pettey, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Complete list of signers, in alphabetical order [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alpha order.]


  • Jessie, 1886; friend
  • Friend, 1886
  • Lottie A. Bly of North Westport, Massachusetts; Meribah's sister sister, Charlotte A. Mosher, who married John A. Bly
  • John A. Bly, husband of Meribah's younger sister Charlotte A. Mosher, who also signed a page.
  • Susan E. Borden of Westport, Massachusetts, 1886
  • Susie R. Brownell of South Westport, Massachusetts, 1886
  • Ruth E. Brown of Freetown, Massachusetts, 1887
  • S. A. Brownell of Westport, Massachusetts, 1886
  • L. Brownell, 1886
  • Benjamin Butterworth of Warren, Rhode Island, 1888
  • Nannie G. Chace of Westport, Massachusetts, 1886
  • C. H. Keyes of Middleboro, Massachusetts, 1887
  • Nellie E. Lawton, 1886
  • ? S. Macomber of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1873.  First initial possibly H or W
  • Agnes Milberry; friend
  • Meribah Gifford Mosher; album owner.  Wife of Eli Franklin Pettey
  • Lizzie M. Mosher of Freetown, Massachusetts, 1887
  • Nettie R. Nelson of Taunton, Massachusetts, 1893
  • Miles G. Nelson of Taunton, Massachusetts, signed at Westport, Massachusetts, 1893
  • Victoria Pettey of Westport, Massachusetts, 1889
  • Harry S. Pettey of Westport, Massachusetts, 1889
  • John F. Pettey of Westport, Massachusetts, 1889
  • Lizzie Pettey, 1886
  • E. Frank Pettey, 1886; Meribah's husband
  • "From your Mother, Peace Petty" [Pettey?]; May's mother-in-law  Peace (Tripp) Pettey, mother of her husband Eli Frank Pettey.  
  • M. R. Phetteplace; friend
  • L. R. Phetteplace, 1886; friend
  • Marshall Phetteplace of Gould, Rhode Island, 1886
  • Gertie A. Phetteplace of Gould, Rhode Island, 1886
  • Lettie H. Brownell of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1894
  • Lester F. Reynolds of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1894
  • F. W. Richardson of Fall River, Massachusetts, 1893. 
  • Rachel T. Richardson of Fall River, Massachusetts, 1893
  • Charles G. Russell of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1888
  • Patience Sanford, 1886
  • C. H. Sweet of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1893
  • Susan T. Tripp of South Westport, Massachusetts, 1886


Westport, Massachusetts


Thanks for stopping by!



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