Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about the photos she found in an old Nantucket scrapbook; many of the families shown have direct lines to the Mayflower Pilgrims. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.
Today I continue exploring the Nantucket, Massachusetts, scrapbook digitized by the Nantucket Historical Association that features fond memorabilia on the families who lived on the island. Many of the subjects are the offshoots of Mayflower passengers.
The scrapbook was compiled by Dr. George Danford Richmond (1875-1939), a former member of the Nantucket Historical Society.
Alden Hammond Adams (1820-1910)
My last story featured Captain Alden Hammond Adams and his wife. Alden was the son of Alpheus Adams and Abigail Winslow Wing, and a descendant of Mayflower passengers William Brewster and Thomas Rogers. (See: Part 1.)
On 1 January 1910 Alden celebrated 65 years of marriage to Electra Morton Hinckley Adams (1822-1910), born to Heman Hinckley and Prudence Bourne, and a descendant of Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley.
In the same year as that special event, Alden and Electra both passed away. The scrapbook has an obituary for Alden, who died on 5 September 1910.
According to this obituary, Alden came to Nantucket as a small boy to work on the farms owned by Edward Cary and, later, Prince Gardner. At the age of 15, Alden’s maritime career began. He accompanied his brother Capt. Freeman E. Adams on a deep-sea voyage, then later commanded his own ships. This obituary reported:
He then followed ‘‘boating’’ at Nantucket, and for years was pioneer of the local boatmen, being well known to residents. and summer visitors as the venerable skipper of the catboat L. Roberta (now sailed by his son) which has the most years of service to her credit of any boat in the Nantucket fleet. The sign ‘‘A. H. Adams – Oil Clothing’’ is still noticeable on the front of the building on Steamboat wharf, and although for several years the condition of his health prevented him from visiting “the shanty’’ on the wharf, except upon rare occasions, he always maintained a keen interest in the happenings along the waterfront, his memory and intellect remaining alert to the very last.
Joseph Myrick Folger (1815-1895)
Joseph Myrick Folger, a Nantucket farmer, was born to Peleg Folger and Sarah Addington. He was a direct descendant of Phinehas Pratt and Mary Priest (daughter of Mayflower passenger Degory Priest), as well as Tristram Coffin, George Bunker, Peter Folger, Richard Pinkham, Joseph Grafton, and Thomas Gardner. He married Sarah Wheldon Kelley (1815-1891).
On another page of the scrapbook is a newspaper clip dated 5 November 1910, entitled “Reminiscences.”
This article reported that 45 years ago, in 1865:
Joseph M. Folger [Sr.] held a husking bee on Wednesday evening.
Folger’s farm was located on Polpis Road, as shown by the red arrow on this map.
You can view the contents of the whole map at Nantucket Historical Association.
According to Frances Karttunen of the Nantucket Historical Society, in 1854 Joseph M. Folger purchased the Quaise farm of his uncle Hiram Folger. He invited one and all to old-fashioned corn husking parties on his fine farm.
Folger was frequently in Agricultural Society news, entering his livestock in competitions, participating in plowing contests, and making donations to the annual agricultural fair.
Here is a marriage announcement for Joseph Folger to Sarah Kelley, from the Nantucket Inquirer.
Joseph and Sarah left many descendants, including Joseph Jr.
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Note on the header image: Sarah Wheldon Kelley, daughter of Levi Kelley and Sally Wheldon. She was a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers George Soule, Myles Standish, George Sampson, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins. She married Joseph Folger.
To be continued…
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