Friday, March 7, 2014

1884-1893 Autograph Album of Bertha Butterfield of Providence, Rhode Island, and Meredith, New Hampshire


Note of April 27, 2014: Please check the comments section as a reader has provided more information on Bertha Butterfield and her family, including the fact that she married one of the signers in her album, Will H. Mixer of Providence, Rhode Island.

1884-1893 autograph album that belonged to Bertha Butterfield who indicated in the album that her residence was Providence, Rhode Island, but the family had also lived at Meredith, New Hampshire.  There are autographs from both areas.


The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 36 of Bertha's friends, schoolmates, teacher and aunt.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.


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

Bertha Butterfield was born about 1874 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Isaac and Martha Butterfield, who were born about 1850, in New York and Pennsylvania, respectively.  The 1880 Federal Census found the family living at Meredith, New Hampshire; Isaac was listed as a machinist.

There's a Find-a-Grave listing for an Isaac Butterfield at the Locust Grove Cemetery at Providence, Rhode Island.  He was born 12 November 1849 and died 30 June 1898.  There are no other Butterfields buried at this cemetery, according to the listing.  Whether this Isaac is Bertha's father or not, I don't know, but it's interesting that the Isaac Butterfield who's listed in 1890s city directories of Providence, Rhode Island, is also a machinist.

Bertha married Will H. Mixer on 22 February 1893.  He had signed a page in her album shortly before their marriage, on January 15, 1893.  [Once I received this information from a reader, I added the image of the page that Will signed, below.]


Bertha and Will had two daughters, Alice Lucille Mixer and Pauline Violet Mixer, neither of whom had children of their own.  [Again, thanks to a reader for this information.]


One signer indicated that she was Bertha's aunt.  I think her name was Dianna Beeman of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on January 24, 1885.  Whether Dianna was a blood relative, an in-law or someone who felt close to Bertha, I don't know.


If you can add details to the lives of Isaac and Martha Butterfield and their daughter Bertha, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Bertha's teacher, Mrs. Cora Cram of Centre Harbor, New Hampshire, signed a page on March 1, 1884.


I couldn't make out the name of one signer.  If you can make a determination, or even a guess, please let me know.


Surnames in the album   [Some appear multiple times; one is undetermined.]

?
Ambrose
Ames
Avery
Beeman
Boyd
Butterfield
Carey
Corey
Cram
Davis
Ellsworth
Gray
James
Jenkins
Kendrick
Kimball
Knowles
Lang
Marsh
Meloon
Mixer
Moses
Palmer
Pease
Roberts
Seavey
Taylor

Signers in the album  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • ? of West Campton, New Hampshire; initials possibly J. L.; see image above
  • D. A. Ambrose of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on January 30, 1884
  • Mary R. Ambrose of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed on January 26, 1884
  • Gertie J. Ames, signed at Meredith Village, New Hampshire, on June 12, 1884
  • Frank M. Avery, signed at Meredith, New Hampshire, on September 11, 1884
  • Dianna Beeman [?] of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on January 24, 1885; Bertha's aunt
  • Lizzie A. Boyd of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on October 7, 1891
  • Bertha Butterfield of Providence, Rhode Island
  • Nettie H. Carey, signed at Meredith, New Hampshire, on June 10, 1884
  • Maud A. Corey, signed on  March 6, 1884; Bertha's schoolmate for the Spring term
  • Mary E. Cram of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed on February 28, 1884
  • Mrs. Cora Cram of Centre Harbor, New Hampshire, signed on March 1, 1884; Bertha's teacher
  • C. W. Davis of Ashland, New Hampshire, signed on January 23, 1884
  • Mary A. Davis, signed on January 4, 1884
  • Nellie G. Ellsworth of Wentworth, New Hampshire, signed at Meredith, New Hampshire, on December 12, 1884
  • P. A. Ellsworth of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on June 24, 1884
  • Annie M. Gray of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed on December 19, 1887
  • Hattie James, signed on March 5, 1884
  • George Jenkins
  • Alice E. Kendrick; Bertha's schoolmate
  • Lettie C. Kimball of Wentworth, New Hampshire, signed at Meredith Village, New Hampshire, on December 12, 1884
  • Herbert S. Knowles of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on February 21, 1886
  • Lula May Knowles of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on February 18, 1886
  • Elizabeth W. Lang, signed at Meredith, New Hampshire, on June 5, 1884
  • Nellie M. Marsh of Weirs, New Hampshire, signed on February 21, 1886
  • Lottie I. Meloon of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on June 11, 1884
  • Nora S. Meloon of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on June 11, 1884
  • Minnie E. Meloon of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed on April 11, 1884
  • Will H. Mixer of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 15, 1893; he would marry Bertha Butterfield about five weeks later.
  • Geneva A. Moses of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on April 17, 1884
  • Hattie M. Palmer of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on March 7 [no year written]
  • Frank P. Pease of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed on September 10, 1884
  • Lucy May Roberts of Meredith Village, New Hampshire, signed  in June 1884
  • Mabel A. Seavey of Meredith, New Hampshire, signed on March 6, 1884
  • Emma Taylor of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on January 5, 1888
  • George Taylor of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on November 27, 1887
  • Mabel A. Taylor of Providence, Rhode Island, signed on November 27, 1887
Meredith, New Hampshire


Thanks for stopping by!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the excuse to get some more practice in RI records.

    Bertha married autograph book signer Will H. Mixer of Providence, Rhode Island, five weeks after he signed her book on January 15, 1893. They had two children, neither of whom had children.

    from ancestry.com:
    Rhode Island, Marriages, 1851-1920 about William H Mixer
    Name: William H Mixer
    Spouse: Bertha Butterfield
    Marriage Date: 22 Feb 1893

    at familysearch.org:

    Bertha Butterfield Mixer is listed as the mother of Alice Lucille Mixer, born 30 May 1898, Providence and Pauline Violet Mixer, born and died 19 Jul 1904, Providence.

    She is also listed as the spouse of William Henry Mixer who died 8 Oct 1950, Providence.

    from ancestry.com, Alice L Mixer, age 41, was single and living with her parents in 1940 on Carolina Ave, Providence.

    from RI Historical Cemeteries
    All four: Lucille, William, Bertha (d 1950) and Alice (d 25 Apr 1984) are buried in the same cemetery as Bertha's father, Pine Grove Cemetery, Providence.

    -------------------
    as for Bertha's mother, I found her in 1905 but not afterward:

    1905 RI Census
    Martha J Butterfield, born 4 Dec 1855, widowed, a housekeeper at 115 Waverly, Providence Born in Pennsylvania, parents also. Had resided in RI for 20 years.

    She is not with William & Bertha Mixer in 1900, 1910, or 1915

    However,
    The only "Martha J" born in Pennsylvania who is iving in Rhode Island in 1910 is a Martha J Marshall, age 55, widowed, born in Pennsylvania, one child, one living.

    A woman by that name died in Philadelphia 10 Oct 1918. Her death record says her parents were Samuel Custard and Sarah Slutter.

    In 1870 in Stroud, Monroe County, PA, there was an Isaac Butterfield, 19, born in NY, boarding with an Abijah and Bertha Wallace family. four households down is Martha J Custard, 20, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Custard.

    I don't know if this is her for sure, but ... . The RI Historical Cemeteries are pretty complete and she isn't there, as you found out. Isaac and all four Mixers are in the same cemetery but not Martha.

    ReplyDelete