Two weeks ago I wrote about the lovely autograph book of Maria Jane Peeples of Gloucester, Mass. from the 1890s. Last week I discussed the wonderful but unlabeled photograph collection of Maria Jane Peeples and included the first part of her collection, including unidentified family and friends from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and beyond.
Today’s entry will focus on her photographs of unidentified family or friends from Gloucester, Mass., where Maria lived for several years after moving from Nova Scotia. All of her siblings resided either briefly or permanently in Gloucester. Below is a brief genealogical sketch of her parents and siblings, taken from Canadian and U.S. Census records and Massachusetts vital records.
Thomas David Peeples was born at Nova Scotia, abt. 1828, son of James Peeples and Mary Crittenden. He died at prob. Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, 1891-1893. He married at prob. Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, by 1854, Jeanette Rogers. She was born at Nova Scotia, February 1835, daughter of William Rogers and Janet (McNair) Murray. She died at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., aft. 1910.
Thomas D. Peeples was a head of household at Guysborough County, Nova Scotia in the 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 Censuses of Canada.
Children of Thomas D. Peeples and Jane Rogers:
i. Martha Ann Peeples, b. at Pirate Harbor, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, March 1855; d. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 4 December 1906; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 25 February 1882, Charles W. McClellan.
ii. Gertrude Ernestine Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, November 1857; d. at prob. Gloucester, Essex, Mass., aft. 1910; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 23 August 1877, Ernest Robinson.
iii. James David Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, September 1861; d. at prob. Hartford, Conn., aft. 1900; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 28 October 1885, Mary McCormack.
iv. Thomas William Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, November 1863; d. at Danvers, Essex, Mass., 26 January 1902; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 14 February 1896, Edith Laurie.
v. Drusilla Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, 24 September 1864; d. at Seattle, King, Washington, 28 November 1925; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 8 February 1893, Henry Calder.
vi. Maria Jane Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, September 1867; d. at Beverly, Essex, Mass., 6 January 1919; m. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 24 January 1894, Willard Binnie Publicover. Willard was b. at Nova Scotia, 12 May 1867, son of Daniel Publicover and Elizabeth Firth; d. at Beverly, Essex, Mass., 12 April 1940.
vii. Susan Amelia Peeples, b. at Melford, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, December 1870; d. at Gloucester, Essex, Mass., 4 April 1903.
Perhaps descendants of Maria’s many friends, local historians, or historic photo buffs might be able to recognize the individuals in these images – and maybe give a face to the signatures from her autograph book! Included are transcriptions of the photographer’s labels. [For additional details and the scanned backs of several of the portraits, see the collection on Flickr].
Unidentified Portraits by Known Photographers
USA – Massachusetts – Gloucester, Mass.
One of my favorite photographs from this collection, featuring this unknown woman in a glittering cape and costume:
Cabinet, Jr.
What a splendid collection of photographs from that era. And how difficult to know that none of these treasures are labeled! You may be correct in your hunch that some faces might belong to some of the signatures in that autograph book you posted–well, all but one.
I wouldn’t be surprised if your favorite, the unusual one, was circulated as part of a theatrical production or promotional material for an actress. In my own family’s collection of pictures from that time period, I ended up with a few actresses and even a famous general. Some of these are labeled but that is not always so. In the case of the general, I did a blog post with only his picture featured, then put the link to the post in a query to each of the genealogy forums online (since he wearing a uniform, I wrote about it in the forums on military issues). Someone got back to me with an answer after about 6 months…and sure enough, checking Google Images, I was able to find several other copies of the picture in question posted online!
I know this post is a few years old, but the man in photo with the label(Unidentified Man, Gloucester, Mass. Photographer’s Label: E. Adams, 192 Main St., Gloucester, Mass.) looks very much like my grandfather and great great grandfather. Our last name is Friend. I think the picture above may be of William Friend(my great grandfather) born in 1881 in Gloucester. He was killed in a tractor accident in 1927. I have 2 pictures of Lemuel Friend (who would be his father). If you have the back of the picture that would be great. I may be able to read the handwriting. I unfortunately don’t have any photos of my great grandfather as many were lost over the years. But the man in that photo looks very much like me and my relatives on the Friend side.
Well, I just identified three of the people.
This is Ella Wilson Friend-(Unidentified Woman, Gloucester, Mass. Photographer’s Label: E. Adams, 192 Main St., Gloucester, Mass.
This is Albert Hale Friend-(Unidentified Man, Gloucester, Mass. Photographer’s Label: E. Adams, 192 Main St., Gloucester, Mass.)
Both are my great grandfathers siblings.
This is Mary Caroline Friend (Maiden name Rowe)-(Unidentified Woman, Gloucester, Mass., 1888. Photographer’s Label (back): Adams, No. 120 Main Street, Gloucester, Mass. 1888)
She is my great great grandmother!
I have another photo labeled with Mary and Albert. I put the photo of what I thought was Ella next to the others. She fit right in with the family. So its most likely her.
I am researching my wife’s genealogy and her family has many cabinet card photos from studios in Gloucester from the 1880-1890s – Dadmun & Kattell, E. Adams, Walter Gardner, etc. Have any records from these studios survived that may contain identities of customers? When the back of the card says “copyrighted 1889” is that the year the photo was printed?
I am researching the Triehy/Trehey family who lived in Rockport, Massachusetts. The Triehys originated in Ireland. Out of seven children I only have identified photos of one of them but many photos of what I assume are siblings. Some of them married into the Erwin, Pool, McCarthy, Murphy and Gibbs families.
I am scanning in about 200 photos, mostly unidentified cabinet cards from Cape Breton/Nova Scotia and Beverly, Lynn and Boston, Massachusetts. The collection belonged to my great-grandparents who were born in Cape Breton, NS, married in Boston in 1904 and raised a family in Somerville, MA. My great-grandmother was talented at sewing/tailoring – it was her family’s trade.
My great-grandfather worked for a furniture company and later as elevator operator. One cabinet card in our collection is very similar to yours and comes from the same studio as your Unidentified Man, Gloucester, Mass. Photographer’s Label: E. Adams, 192 Main St. I’m not sure right now what the connection to Beverly/Lynn/Gloucester area could be. If you have further suggestions for identifying people please let me know. Thank you!
I have a photo of an unidentified man recovered from our family collection of old photos. It was taken at Silver Studio, 192 Main / 125 Prospect (photography studio owner’s home address) in Gloucester. Owner listed as Manuel S. Silver in Gloucester Directory of 1899. Based on the man’s appearance, dress, etc., I believe it to be of my great-great-grandfather, Timothy Sheahan, d.1906, and taken around the time of the directory’s publication. Are you aware of any catalog of Silver’s Studio, perhaps at the Gloucester historical society or library?