Monday, February 24, 2014

1880s Autograph Album of Margaret Brockway Comstock of Hadlyme, Connecticut


1880s autograph album that belonged to Margaret Brockway Comstock, "Maggie", of Hadlyme, Connecticut.  The album was a gift from Helen and may have been from Helen L. Jillson, a cousin.



Maggie herself signed the inside back cover of the album at Hadlyme, Connecticut, on December 25, 1887.


The album is approximately 5-1/2" x 3-1/3" and contains the sentiments of over 60 of Maggie's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.


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

Margaret Brockway Comstock was born 1 July 1879 at Hadlyme, Connecticut, the daughter of John and Celia A. (Brockway) Comstock.  Maggie's father signed a page in her album


Maggie's sister Grace O. Comstock of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed a page in the album on July 9, 1888.


Maggie's mother, Celia A. (Brockway) Comstock died in 1892.  Her father subsequently married Mary Annis Bigelow and had a daughter Ruth B. Comstock.  I believe the page below, the last in the album, except for the Maggie's inscription on the inside back cover, was signed by Maggie's half-sister Ruth Comstock.


Ruth and Margaret were listed together in the 1940 Census of Lyme, Connecticut; apparently neither had ever married.  In the 1930 Census of Lyme, Connecticut, their father John had been living with them.  There's a listing on eBay for the handbook "Rush Seats for Chairs" by a Ruth B. Comstock; I wonder if it's the same Ruth.

Other relatives signed the album, including people named Brockway; refer to the list of signers below.

One page was signed on December 6, 1889 by Musical Artist and Comedian Harry W. Durand, who drew a sketch of a fiddle and a banjo.  He shared the page with Lewis H. Reid of Hartford, Connecticut, who had signed earlier on September 8, 1889.


Surnames in the album:  [Some appear multiple times.]
Alger
Arnold
Bigelow
Brockway
Burnham
Clough
Comstock
Curtis
Durand
Durr
Ely
Fowler
Gatten
Geer
Griffin
Grow
Hall
Hayden
Hineline
Holmes
Hungerford
Jillson
Marsh
Mitchell
Morgan
Phelps
Reid
Rich
Rogers
Rundell
Selden
Tiffany
Tracy
Tucker
Ward
Weir
Weiss

Signers in the album:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • Helen, who presented the album to Maggie; possibly Helen L. Jillson of Preston, Connecticut
  • Klepsa Vaclav of N.Y.; not sure of either name
A
  • A. L. Alger of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on June 1, 1889
  • Nellie L. Alger of Hartford, Connecticut, signed on March 1, 1889
  • Jennie H. Arnold of East Haddam, Connecticut, signed on March 13, 1889
B
  • E. V. Bigelow of New Haven, Connecticut, signed at Seattle, Washington, or vice versa, on November 2, 1889
  • Sarah E. Brockway of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on January 2, 1888
  • Lillian Brockway of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on January 4, 1889; Maggie's cousin
  • Arthur W. Brockway of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 14, 1889; Maggie's cousin
  • Edith L. Brockway of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 13, 1888; Maggie's cousin
  • C. E. Brockway of Middletown, Connecticut, on August 20, 1888
  • Francis H. Burnham of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 13, 1888
C
  • Gertrude M. Clough of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on December 30, 1887
  • Carrie E. Clough of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on December 30, 1887
  • Margaret B. Comstock, "Maggie", of Hadlyme, Connecticut; album owner
  • Ruth B. Comstock of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 26, 1912; Maggie's half-sister
  • John Comstock, signed at Hadlyme, Connecticut, on February 17, 1880; Maggie's father
  • Grace O. Comstock of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on July 9, 1888; Maggie's sister
  • Mrs. Ada G. Curtis of Hartford, Connecticut, signed on May 19, 1889
D
  • Harry W. Durand, Musical Artist & Comedian, signed on December 6, 1889; shared a page with Lewis H. Reid of Hartford, Connecticut, signed on September 8, 1889
  • Rosa Durr of New York City, signed on August 24, 1888
  • Mary Durr of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on August 2, 1888
E
  • Nancy W. Ely of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on December 30, 1887
  • Bertie A. Ely of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 14, 1888
F
  • Miss Lizzie Fowler of Preston, Connecticut, signed on August 15, 1889
  • Cora E. Fowler of Preston, Connecticut, signed on August 14, 1889
  • E. M. Fowler of Preston, Connecticut, signed on August 14, 1889
  • Mrs. G. E. Fowler of Preston, Connecticut, on August 15, 1889
G
  • Maggie M. Gatten of Hadlyme, Connecticut, on May 17, 1888
  • Elene E. Geer of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed in 1888
  • Ethel E. Geer of Hadlyme, Connecticut, on January 7, 1889
  • E. J. E. Geer of The Ledges, signed on January 5, 1889
  • Arthur G. Griffin of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 4, 1888
  • Frances A. Griffin, signed on February 2, 1888
  • Elbertine E. Griffin of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on February 3, 1888
  • W. A. Grow of 19 E.D.G., New Haven, Connecticut, signed at Hadlyme, Connecticut on October 27, 1889
H
  • George E. Hall of Berlin, Connecticut, signed at Hadlyme, Connecticut, on December 31, 1887
  • Minnie B. Hayden of Essex, Connecticut, signed at Hadlyme, Connecticut on May 27, 1889
  • Louis S. Hayden of Essex, Connecticut, signed at Hadlyme, Connecticut, on October 29, 1889
  • Gertrude B. Hineline of Chester, Connecticut
  • Annie Holmes, signed on March 12, 1888
  • C. Holmes, signed on January 28, 1888
  • Sophronia R. Holmes of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on March 31, 1888
  • Nellie A. Hungerford of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on March 28, 1889
J
  • Helen L. Jillson of Preston, Connecticut, signed on July 31, 1889
  • L. C. Jillson of Norwich, Connecticut, signed on August 12, 1888; Maggie's cousin.  Presumably Leora C. Jillson, sister of signer Helen L. Jillson.
M
  • George E. Marsh of Cromwell, Connecticut, signed on May 19, 1889
  • Mrs. George E. Marsh of Cromwell, Connecticut, signed on May 19, 1889
  • A. D. Mitchell of Hartford, Connecticut, signed on August 2, 1888
  • Sidney E. Morgan of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed in October 1888
P
  • Alice Phelps; not sure of surname
  • R. W. Phelps of Hadlyme, Connecticut
R
  • Lewis H. Reid of Hartford, Connecticut, signed on September 8, 1889; shared a page with Harry W. Durand, Musical Artist & Comedian, signed on December 6, 1889
  • Carrie L. Rich of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on March 28, 1889
  • Marion C. Rogers of Norwich, Connecticut, signed on March 23, 1889
  • Lizzie Rundell of Hadlyme, Connecticut, signed on January 18, 1889
S
  • Amelia W. Selden of Hadlyme, Connecticut, on May 17, 1888
T
  • Georgia May Tiffany of Hamburgh, Connecticut, signed on January 9, 1889
  • Lillie B. Tracy of Preston, Connecticut, signed July 31, 1889
  • LeRoy P. Tucker of Norwich, Connecticut, signed on July 31, 1889
W
  • Ella N. Ward of Newark, New Jersey, signed on August 11, 1888
  • Grace L. Weir of Hartford, Connecticut
  • George C. Weiss of New Haven, Connecticut, signed on Hadlyme, Connecticut, on November 10, 1889
Hadlyme, Connecticut


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