Thursday, December 20, 2012

1880s Autograph Album of Emily Boynton of Machias, Maine


1880s autograph album of Emily Boynton of Machias, Maine.



The album is approximately 4" x 2-1/2" and contains 33 pages signed by Emily herself, her relatives and friends, most of whom signed their messages in 1880.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections welcome!]

Emily Jane Boynton was born 15 October 1867, I believe at Machias, Maine, the daughter of Roscoe Green Boynton and Martha Ann (Bowker) Boynton, who were born at Machias, Maine, and Marshfield, Maine, respectively.

Emily's paternal grandparents were Stephen Boynton and his second wife Amira (Brown) Boynton.  Emily's maternal grandparents were Levi and Martha G. (Crocker) Bowker.

About 1890, Emily married Bradford J. Estey, son of Samuel Richard Estey and Eliza (Kelly) Estey.  Bradford was born 14 November 1865 at Whiting, Maine.

They settled at Whiting, Maine, and raised at least two children, daughters Cora Ruth Estey, born 14 June 1891, and Martha Kathline Estey, born 22 July 1983.  Bradford worked as a blacksmith and manager of a lumber company.

Three of Emily's siblings signed pages in her album.  One of them, Annie C. Boynton signed a page on 29 January 1880.  Sadly, she died a short time later, on 14 August 1880.



An Almira Boynton signed one of the first pages in Emily's album.  I believe this was the Almira who was Emily's older sister.  Sadly, Almira also died young, in 1884.



Emily's younger brother George B. Boynton signed a  page in 1881.  He went on to a successful career in the banking, canning and lumber industries.  He was born 13 October 1870 at Machias, Maine.  I believe he married at least twice: (1) Gertrude Frances Perry, daughter of John and Sylvia Perry and (2) Mrs. Florence (Bradford) Snow.



Emily's cousin Dora A. Boynton of Machias, Maine, signed a page in 1880.  She was the daughter of Emily's father's half-brother Amos Boynton, whose mother was Hannah (Jewett) Boynton.



A very faint page seems to have been signed by a May Boynton of Machias or Marshfield, Maine.   She may have been another one of Emily's cousins, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Boynton.  Thomas was a full brother of Dora's father Moses Boynton, and thus another older half-brother of Emily's father Roscoe Green Boynton.



If you have corrections to the information above or more information on the Boynton, Brown, Bowker, Crocker and Estey families, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

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


  • Eliza [possibly] of Machias, Maine, 1881.  Very faint
  • Minnie G. Albee of Machias, Maine, 1881
  • Edith Allen of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Mina Andrews of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Abbie O. Berry of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • R. E. Berry.  Possibly Rovenah E. (Crocker) Berry, married to James Berry
  • Fred Bosworth; signed facing pages
  • Lucy Bowers of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Emily Jane Boynton of Machias, Maine; album owner
  • Almira Boynton of Machias, Maine.  Almira Boynton, born 1862, a sister of Emily Jane Boynton.  Almira died in 1884.
  • Dora A. Boynton of Machias, Maine, 1880; Emily's cousin.  Her father Amos Boynton was an older half-brother to Emily's father Roscoe Green Boynton
  • Annie C. Boynton of Machias, Maine, 29 January 1880; Emily's sister.  Sadly, Annie died later that year, 14 August 1880.
  • George Boynton of Machias, Maine, 1881; likely George B. Boynton, Emily's brother
  • Very faint, but I believe the page was signed by May Boynton of a town that starts with M, possibly Machias, Maine, or Marshfield, Maine
  • Lizzie B. Conners of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Nettie C. Drew of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Julia Flannery of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Mary Foss of Machias, Maine, 
  • Mabel Furbush of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Possibly M. C. Hanscom of Machias, Maine
  • Florence Hanscom of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Edith G. Longfellow of Machias, Maine, 1880 or 1888
  • Ella Longfellow of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • J. C. M.; not sure of last initial
  • Rosa E. McCabe of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Fannie McPherson of Marchias, Maine, 1880
  • J. R. Ransom
  • Clara M. Smith of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Ettie Smith of Machias, Maine
  • Grace Stoddard of Machias, Maine
  • Lizzie F. Stratton of Machias, Maine, 1880
  • Lucy Williams of Machias, Maine, 1880


Machias, Maine  [About to celebrate its 250th anniversary]


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