Thursday, June 5, 2014

1870s Autograph Album of Clement Adams Walker, Jr., of Boston, Massachusetts


1870s autograph album of Clement Adams Walker, Jr., of Boston, Massachusetts, received at Christmas 1875 and kept possibly while Clement was attending Boston Latin School.  He may have been a member of the class of 1879.


The album measures approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 31 of Clement's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers, with any residence or school information, appears at the end of this list.


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

Clement Adams Walker, Jr., was born 22 September 1862 at Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Dr. Clement Adams Walker, Sr., and Georgiana (Nichols) Walker, who were born at Fryeburg, Maine, and Black Rock, Connecticut, respectively.

Dr. Clement Adams Walker, Sr., signed the first page in the album after the title page, on Christmas Day in 1875.  It was presumably he who gifted the album to his son.  Dr. Walker served for thirty years as head of the Boston Lunatic Hospital in South Boston, Massachusetts.  Read more about Dr. Walker and how conditions vastly improved during his administration, here.


Dr. Clement Adams Walker's brother, Henry Durgin Walker, signed a page in the album on March 24, 1876.


Based on the several signers who indicated they were students at B.L.S., I believe that Clement Adams Walker, Jr., also attended B.L.S., which was presumably Boston Latin School.  One student, Clement W. Andrews, who signed his page on December 24, 1876, gave his graduating year as 1879.


Another B.L.S. student was John Newell of 611 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts, who signed his page on October 30, 1876.


Another page was signed by a student whose name was, I think, H. B. Hix of Rockland, Maine, signed on February 18, 1876.


Clement Adams Walker, Jr. married Elizabeth Lynch at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 8 December 1897.  I'm not sure if they had any children.  They lived at Philadelphia, where Clement worked as a clerk.  By 1930, Elizabeth had died, and Clement was living with his mother-in-law Tamar Hall at Philadelphia.

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.

Several interesting people signed pages in young Clement's album.

Alzire A. Chevaillier, signed a page on January 8, 1876.  She was a, suffragist, professional muckraker and, according to some, agitator.  She was hired by the San Francisco Chronicle to infiltrate the utopian "Fountaingrove" settlement at Santa Rosa, in 1891.  After a few months undercover, she cast aspersions on the character of Thomas Lake  Harris and got him tossed out of Fountaingrove, which he had started in 1875.  Alzire's parents were Jean Charles Chevaillier of France and his wife Sarah Conant (Clark) Chevaillier, who was born in Boston.


A. Goodrich Fay of 156 Second Avenue, New York, signed a page on March 26, 1876.  He was Alonzo Goodrich Fay, an attorney who was the husband of Harriet Amanda (Ransom) Fay.  156 Second Avenue was known as the Ransom House, which over time became the Cafe Boulevard, a famous Hungarian restaurant.

A. G. Ham signed a page at the Lincoln School on November 30, 1876.  He was Alonzo Garcelon Ham, master of the Lincoln School.  Two Alonzo G.'s in a row, but apparently unrelated.


Joseph H. Clinch signed a page on January 2, 1876.  He may have been Rev. Joseph Hart Clinch, D.D.


Surnames in the album

?
Andrews     [2]
Carter
Carver
Chevaillier
Clinch
Cummings
Dean
Easton
Fay
Freeborn
Ham
Hix
Hodgkins
Kennedy
Little
Merrill
Minchin
Munsie
Newell
Nichols
Ober
Pearson
Randall
Robbins
Smith
Stanford
Talbot
Walker     [3]

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

?
  • James Dike or James Pike
A
  • Joseph L. Andrews, signed in 1875; "B.L.S.", presumably Boston Latin School
  • Clement W. Andrews, Class of 1879, signed on December 24, 1876
C
  • J. T. Carter of Wheeling, West Virginia, signed on December 25, 1875. B.L.H., presumably Boston Latin High School. I wonder if he was the son of Dr. John T. Carter, who was associated with Boston Hospital in 1875.
  • Alex B. Carver
  • Alzire A. Chevaillier, signed on January 8, 1876; Christian Scientist, suffragist, professional muckraker and, according to some, agitator. Hired by the San Francisco Chronicle to infiltrate the utipian "Fountaingrove" at Santa Rosa, in 1891, she cast aspersions on the character of Thomas Lake Harris and got him tossed out of the commune he had started in 1875. Her parents were Jean Charles Chevaillier of France and his wife Sarah Conant (Clark) Chevaillier, who was born in Boston.
  • Joseph H. Clinch, signed on January 2, 1876. Presumably Rev. Joseph Hart Clinch, D.D.
  • Bradley N. Cummings, signed on March 11, 1876
D
  • Clitheroe Dean of 935 Broadway, South Boston, Massachusetts
E
  • Miss Lizzie Easton, signed on March 27, 1876
F
  • A. Goodrich Fay, 156 Second Avenue, New York City, signed on March 26, 1876. He was Alonzo Goodrich Fay, a lawyer, husband of Harriet Amanda (Ransom) Fay - they resided at 156 Second Avenue, the "Ransom House", which later became the famed Hungarian Cafe. See a photograph of the Ransom House: http://gvshp.org/blog/2011/05/13/second-avenue-mansions-of-yesteryear/
  • Frank W. Freeborn of Boston Latin School, signed in November 1877
H
  • A. G. Ham, signed at Lincoln School on November 30, 1876. He was Alonzo G. Ham, the Master of the Lincoln School
  • H. B. Hix of Rockland, Maine, signed on February 18, 1876 at B.L.H., presumably Boston Latin High School.
  • Charles F. Hodgkins of Chelsea, Massachusetts, signed on February 6, 1877
K
  • Seth Kennedy of No. 1 Salem, Boston, Massachusetts, signed on March 1, 1877
L
  • Samuel Little, signed on November 28, 1876
M
  • Willie B. Merrill of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, signed on February 21, 1877. "W.B."; "Fables"
  • W. A. Minchin of Grove Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, signed on November 9, 1877 at B.L.S., presumably Boston Latin School
  • Jessie S. Munsie of Green Hill, Nova Scotia, signed on March 10, 1877
N
  • John Newell of 611 Tremont Street, signed on October 30, 1876; B.L.S., presumably Boston Latin School
  • E. H. Nichols of Reading, Massachusetts, signed on February 21, 1877, at B.L.S., presumably Boston Latin School.
O
  • Frank B. Ober of Townshend, Vermont
P
  • Harry J. Pearson of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on February 21, 1877 at B.L.S., presumably Boston Latin School
R
  • Frank E. Randall, signed at Public Latin School in January 1876
  • Ella F. Robbins of Charlestown, Massachusetts, signed on January 20, 1876
S
  • Ada I. Smith of 946 Fourth Street, South Boston, Massachusetts, signed on April 3, 1877
  • E. M. Stanford, signed on November 4, 1876
T
  • Herbert C. Talbot of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, signed on February 21, 1877. "Public Reading"; "Old Keetel"
W
  • Clement A. Walker, Jr., Christmas 1875. He was Clement Adams Walker, Jr., son of Dr. Clement Adams Walker and Georgiana (Nichols) Walker of Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Clement A. Walker, signed at Christmas in 1875. He was the album owner's father, Dr. Clement Adams Walker, who presumably gifted the album to his son.
  • Henry D. Walker, signed on March 24, 1876. He was Henry Durgin Walker, a brother to the album owner's father, Dr. Clement Adams Walker.
Boston, Massachusetts


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