Thursday, February 27, 2014

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Sarah Ellen (Bean) Humphrey, "Nellie", of North Bradford, Maine


1880s/1890s autograph album that belonged to Sarah Ellen (Bean) Humphrey, "Nellie", of North Bradford, Maine.  Nellie was the wife of Daniel S. Humphrey.


This beautiful album is approximately 8-1/2" x 7" and contains the sentiments of about 40 of Nellie's relatives and friends; a few also signed group pages.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

The album has several tissue-protected Illman Brothers engravings scattered throughout.  [More information on the Illman Brothers, and images of the rest of the engravings, can be seen near the end of this post.]


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

Sarah Ellen (Bean) Humphrey was born 16 June 1848 at Corinth, Maine, the daughter of Carlos and Sarah Jane (Gray) Bean.  Nellie's mother Sarah of East Corinth, Maine, signed a page in the album on March 11, 1883.  Sarah Jane (Gray) Bean was born 26 March 1819 at China, Maine, the daughter of Daniel and Sally (Herman) Gray.  She would live long past the signing of this page; she died at Corinth, Maine, on 28 December 1900.


Nellie's younger brother, William Hartson Bean, and his first wife May E. (Drummond) Bean of East Corinth, Maine, signed a page on October 23, 1889, though I don't know which one of them actually inscribed the page.


Nellie younger brother George Carlos Bean of Corinth, Maine, took great care in the page he signed on March 10, 1883.


Nellie's older sister Fannie A. McGregory signed a page at Atkinson, Maine, on March 11, 1883.  She was Frances Ann (Bean) McGregory, wife of Frank H. McGregory.


Nellie's younger sister Maria A. Soule signed a page at Corinth, Maine, on March 11, 1883.  She was Maria Augusta (Bean) Soule, wife of Leonard Hathaway Sawyer.


On 13 October 1870 at Bradford, Maine, Sarah Ellen Bean, "Nellie", married Daniel S. Humphrey, son of Caleb and Anna M. (Fogg) Humphrey.  Daniel was born 22 January 1844 at Bradford, Maine.  I believe he is the D. S. Humphrey who signed a page in Nellie's album at North Bradford, Maine, on May 13, 1888.


Nellie and Daniel had, I believe, four children, two of whom survived infancy, daughters Mabel A. Humphrey and Maud F. Humphrey.  They each signed a page in their mother's album, as well as contributing to a group page.  Mabel Humphrey of North Bradford, Maine, signed a page on January 15, 1889.


Maud F. Humphrey signed a page at North Bradford, Maine, on July 20, 1884 and indicated she was then eight years old.


A page signed by eight people on January 1, 1893 included the autographs of Maud and Mabel.


One of the signers on the group page above is Mildred C. Pearson, who indicated on another page that she wished Nellie to remember her as a daughter.  Mildred, the daughter of  Charles and Elizabeth Pearson, also wrote the initials H. C. I., which presumably stood for Higgins Classical Institute at Charleston, Maine.  It's possible that Nellie was either a house mother there or a very welcoming presence to boarding students there.


Another signer, Maude Boadway of Portland, Maine, who signed at Charleston, Maine, on February 3, 1892, also called Nellie mother, and I believe this was the same situation as with Mildred C. Pearson.


Sadly Nellie lost both her daughter Maud F. Humphrey, in 1901, and her husband, in 1909.  She and daughter Mabel lived together, at Charleston, Maine, at shown by the 1910 Census, and then finally at Bangor, Maine, during which time Mabel married Harry M. Hall.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Surnames in the album   [Many appear multiple times.]

Bean
Boadway
Brackett
Coy
Doore
Gibbs
Gowen
Gubtil
Hanson
Haynes
Hill
Humphrey
Huntington
King
Kingsbury
McAvey
McGregor
McGregory
Merrill
Nason
Osgood
Pearson
Sawyer
Silver
Thayer
Towle
Wentworth
White

Signers in the album   [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

  • Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Bean of East Corinth, Maine, signed on October 23, 1889.  Presumably Nellie's brother William Hartson Bean and his first wife May E. (Drummond) Bean
  • Mattie E. Bean of Manchester, New Hampshire, signed on August 29, 1883; Nellie's niece.  She was the daughter of Nellie's oldest brother Randall Wayland Bean and his wife Mary Estelle (Wilkinson) Bean
  • George C. Bean, signed at Corinth, Maine, on March 10, 1883; Nellie's youngest brother George Carlos Bean.
  • Sarah J. Bean of East Corinth, Maine, signed on March 11, 1883; "your affectionate Mother".  She was Sarah Jane (Gray) Bean, Nellie's mother.  She was born 26 March 1819 at China, Maine, daughter of Daniel and Sally (Herman) Gray.  Sarah Jane (Gray) Bean would live until 28 December 1900; she died at Corinth, Maine.
  • Maude M. Boadway; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Maude Boadway of Portland, Maine, signed at Charleston, Maine, on February 3, 1892; called herself Nellie's daughter.  Nellie did have a daughter Maud but I don't think she ever married, and she died in 1901.  It's possible that this Maude attended Higgins Classical Institute, where Nellie may have been a house mother or had another close relationship with Maude.
  • Ida M. Brackett of East Bradford, M aine, signed on September 9, 1884
  • Grace M. Coy; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
  • R. N. Doore of Bradford, Maine, signed on January 11, 1891
  • Bernard A. Gibbs; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Mrs. Maria J. Gowen of North Bradford, Maine, signed on July 5, 1885
  • Laura F. Gubtil, signed at North Bradford, Maine, on February 17, 1883.  She was Laura F. (McGregor) Gubtil, wife of George E. Gubtil
  • May E. Hanson of Bradford, Maine, signed on March 14, 1886
  • Flossie F. Haynes; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
  • Cyrus Hill, signed on October 10, 1886 at Foxcroft, Maine
  • Mrs. S. C. Hill of Foxcroft, Maine, signed on October 10, 1886
  • Mrs. D. S. Humphrey of North Bradford, Maine, signed on January 1, 1883.  She was Sarah Ellen Bean, "Nellie", album owner.
  • William F. Humphrey of North Bradford, Maine, signed on May 13, 1888; older brother of Nellie's husband Daniel S. Humphrey.
  • Maud F. Humphrey; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  •  Mabel Humphrey; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Mabel Humphrey of North Bradford, Maine, signed on January 15, 1889; Nellie's daughter
  • D. S. Humphrey, signed at North Bradford, Maine, on May 13, 1888; presumably Daniel S. Humphrey, Nellie's husband
  • "your little girl Maud", signed at North Bradford, Maine, on July  20, 1884; Nellie's daughter Maud F. Humphrey
  • Florence M. Huntington, signed at North Bradford, Maine, on June 2, 1883
  • Mrs. Lottie Huntington, signed at North Bradford, Maine, on May 29, 1883
  • M. L. King of West Charleston, Maine, signed on July 5, 1884
  • Mrs. Anna G. Kingsbury of Brewer Village, Maine, signed at Bradford, Maine, on July 5, 1885
  • Mattie M. McAvey; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
  • Blanche E. McGregor, signed at North Bradford, Maine, on January 18, 1889
  • Hattie McGregor, signed at Lowell [no state written], on February 17, 1883
  • Fannie A. McGregory, signed at Atkinson, Maine, on March 11, 1883; Nellie's sister Frances Ann (Bean) McGregory, who married Frank H. McGregory
  • Florence Merrill of Stillwater, Maine, signed on August 19, 1888
  • Ella P. Merrill of Farmington, Maine, signed on February 3, 1895
  • Herbert E. Nason of Charleston, Maine, signed on May 1, 1894
  • Frank E. Nason; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Herbert E. Nason; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Florence E. Osgood; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
  • Mildred C. Pearson; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Mildred C. Pearson of East Corinth, Maine, signed at Higgins Classical Institute on February 3, 1892; "Remember me as your daughter".  Mildred was the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Pearson and was apparently very close to Nellie.  It's possible that Nellie was a house mother at Higgins Classical Institute.
  • Maria A. Sawyer, signed at Corinth, Maine, on March 11, 1883.  She was Maria Augusta (Bean) Sawyer, Nellie's younger sister and wife of Leonard Hathaway Sawyer.
  • Minnie E. Silver of West Charleston, Maine, signed on July 5, 1884
  • Bessie M. Thayer; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
  • Page signed by Mr. Bill Towle and Mrs. Caroline Towle, signed at Exeter, Maine, on March 5, 1883.  Mr. Towle indicated he was born at Fisherfield, New Hampshire on December 25, 1805.  Caroline Towle was born at Sutton, New Hampshire, on January 9, 1820.  They were Benjamin Wells Towle and Caroline (Bean) Towle, who was a sister to Nellie's father Carlos Bean.
  • George E. Wentworth; shared a page signed on January 1, 1893, by 7 other people
  • Maude C. White; shared the page with five other signers at Charleston, Maine, on February 12, 1901
Other engravings in the album









Bradford, Corinth, and Charleston, Maine  [Zoom out one click to see all of them.]


Thanks for stopping by!



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