Sarah Ann Dobbs E-Book

Christiane Lindner

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 129

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

The book "Sarah Ann Dobbs" describes the extraordinary life of a Victorian lady told by her autograph Album. Over 150 years old, the autograph Album of Sarah Dobbs containing beautifully handwritten poems, dating from 1862 to 1871, is a remarkable and fascinating document of the Victorian age. By steamship it made its way from Wales, UK, to the USA around 1868 as its owner Sarah Dobbs immigrated as one of the early pioneers to Kansas, USA. This book contains all Album entries, for better reading they were transcribed and where possible identified. The author also added a genealogy research, underlined by newspaper articles which were all transcribed, of Sarah Dobbs, her family and the family of her husband Henry Poolly Cooper. Before their immigration to the USA both of them lived in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Sarah Dobbs as innkeeper daughter of the White Hart Inn, Beaufort Square, Chepstow, Wales, UK.

Leseprobe

In Memoriam of Sarah Ann Dobbs Gone, Found and Not Forgotten

Contents

Introduction

PART I

Description of the Album of Sarah Dobbs

The Watermark: R TURNER CHAFFORD MILLS

Lace Paper stamp marked KERSHAW & SON

Stamp marked ROCK & CO. LONDON

The Fern

Who was Sarah Dobbs?

The Genealogy Research

Where did Sarah live and who belonged to her family?

James and Elizabeth Dobbs, Sarah`s parents

The Lamb & Flag Inn, High Street, Newnham, England

The White Hart Inn, Beaufort Square, Chepstow, Wales, UK

Sarah`s birth date, birth place and baptism date

Sarah`s brothers and sisters

James Dobbs – “The 4 in hand coacher”

Elizabeth Dobbs

Thomas Addis Dobbs

John Bennett Dobbs – J. B. Dobbs Shoeing Forge

Mary Ann Dobbs

William Dobbs

Charles Dobbs –and The Bell Inn, Bank Street, Chepstow

Henry Dobbs

Catherine Mary Dobbs- and Richard Hawkesford

Anne Dobbs

Eliza Dobbs

Religious Denomination-Anglicanismus

The Marriage of Sarah Dobbs

Sarah`s husband Henry Poolly Cooper

William Cooper

Charlotte Poolly

Clara Maria Strode

Thomas Poolly Cooper

Lucy Harriet Harrison – Houghton Hall

Ellen Scruton

Henry Poolly`s daughters-Charlotte Elizabeth and Ellen Mary

Did Sarah immigrate to the USA?

Henry Poolly Cooper`s and Sarah`s life path

Youth at Wales, UK

Grandfather master mariner Capt. Simpson Cooper

Residence at Yorkshire, England, UK

Immigration to USA

American Civil War

79

th

Regiment Highland, Company C (battle of Manassas)

Copartnership in Lithographic Printing Business, Fulton Street, New York, USA

The year 1867-death of Ellen and marriage to Sarah

Pythian Polling- Amity Lodge No 50, Brooklyn, NY

Residence Lincoln township, Washington country, Kansas, USA

The law office in Waterville, Marshall country, Kansas, USA

Marshall country Savings Bank

The Law office in Salina, Salina country, Kansas, USA

Law partnership Tupper & Cooper, Salina country

Residence Iuka township, Pratt country, Kansas, USA

Law partnership Anderson & Cooper, Pratt country

The farm, Iuka township, Pratt country, Kansas, USA

Copartnership Milling Business Ninnescah Milling Company

Residence Denver, Arapahoe country, Colorado, USA

The LINDELL HOTEL, Iuka, Pratt Country, Kansas

Death of Henry P. Cooper and Denver Lodge No 5, A. F. and A. M.

Jamaica Lodge, No 546, F. and A. M.

Death of Sarah, Charlotte E and Ellen M Cooper

PART II

The Front Cover of the Album of Sarah Dobbs (spine fixed)

The hand-painted pasted mask by Sarah Dobbs

Hand coloured engraving: “Friendship Vase”

Albumen print Queen Victoria and her family by Mayall

Albumen print (unidentified) “Castaway”

Lace paper stamp marked KERSHAW & SON

Cat image surrounded by stamp

Albumen print “Shoeing the bay mare” by E.H.Landseer

Albumen print of gentleman, likely Henry Poolly Cooper

Pencil painting “The butterfly and the bird”

Albumen print Queen Victoria by Mayall

Pencil painting “Flower”

Albumen print of Lord Bishop Charles Richard Sumner

Albumen print of two young girls (unidentified)

Albumen print the “Macaw” by E.H. Landseer

Lace paper KERSHAW&SON: “A friendly Wish”

Albumen print The Unknown Man impersonating Guiseppe Garibaldi (by Z. Bioni, Marsala, Two Sicilies)

Albumen print of “The Holy Family with the Infant St John” by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1788-1789)

Albumen print “Newfoundland dog saving a child” by E.H. Landseer

Watercolour painting “Birdsong”

Watercolour painting “Flowers”

Watercolour painting “Rose”

Part III

Introductory Album Page by Sarah Dobbs

Good Bye

I`m a general lover….

If wisdom ways…

Tonis ad resto mare…

On Parting…

In the morning sow the seed…

Always the same…

Epitaph on the tombstone of Elizabeth H.

Remember me…

Short biography of Cecilia Wreyford –

The George Hotel, Chepstow, Wales

In Memory Annie Ford

Thou art lovely

Prayer

Oh woman, …

The Sailor`s Evening Song

Upon a Visit …

A Blessing..

As thro`the land at eve we went

Do not think I doubt you

Dirge

Separation

How to treat a Husband

Memory

The Inchcape Rock

Will thou remember me

A Scripturo Riddle

Sympathy

In Memory of Sarah Anne Fuinan

In Kansas

The Wish

Memory – At midnight hour

The Stormy Petrel

Short biography of Edwart Bartlett

In Memory of J Susan Marshall

I dream of thee

The Village Pride

Remember me

Let the Heart be Beautiful

The Wish – Wherever you dwell

The arrow and the song

Oft will tender recollections

This book dear young lady

Happy Happy be thy Dreams

A friendly wish

He never has deceived me yet

Virtue an Ornament

In Memory- Tom P Cooper and Tom Robinson

The Lovers

O Sarah, Sarah..

I`ve thought of thee!

Introduction

My journey into the past started on 13th July 2018, the day I purchased from internet an autograph Album. The Album was offered by a seller located at Upper East Side, Manhattan, United States of America (USA), with the words: “Victorian Wales 1862 handwritten Album Sarah Dobbs Chepstow Wales”.

After some weeks, the Album was delivered in Germany, the country I live.

I was astonished about the excellent condition of the Album taking into account its age of around 150 years and so I decided to write a book about this unique and exceptional Album and her owner Sarah Dobbs.

This book is divided into three parts:

Part I

Description of the Album itself and a genealogy research of Sarah Dobbs` s family and the family of her husband, underlined by newspaper articles. As the scans of the newspaper articles were sometimes difficult to read, they were all transcribed for better reading.

Part II

Scans of the Albumen prints, lace papers and pencil paintings of the Album

Part III

Scans of each Album page, all poems were transcribed and where possible identified.

I want to thank my two children Thorben and Melissa and my husband Andreas for their patience and for sharing ideas which supported the creation of this book so well. Furthermore, a big “Thank you” to all people who supported my research by sharing information which made this research project amazingly interesting.

Last year I even had the pleasure to travel to Chepstow, Wales, United Kingdom, and the visit of Sarah`s home town strengthened my vision of writing this book.

Sofar not all questions could be answered, so if you have corrections and / or any additions to the content of this book, please feel free to send an email to my account: [email protected]. Your feedback is appreciated!

So, please enjoy reading!

Dear reader,

you might have already noticed that I`m not a native English speaker. Therefore, kindly apologise for any English language or grammar mistake in my writing, they are caused solely by myself.

PART I

Description of the Album of Sarah Dobbs

Description of the Album as purchased:

Autograph Album with Albumen prints and beautiful calligraphy penmanship.

Hardcover, brown leather over-board, missing the spine.

66 pages, size: approximately 9 inches (230mm) by 7 ¼ inches (185mm), majority of pages are white, but there are a few coloured pages (brown, pink, turquoise, grey and dark blue) and embossed papers, all pages with gilt edge.

The decorative stamping on the front and back cover forms a border (stamp publisher ROCK. & Co London).

The stamped image on both the front and back cover is gilded and is the same image. The front and back cover displays the word ALBUM which is gilded, too.

The very first page of the Album shows a hand coloured engraving of a richly decorated vase with two pigeons and various kind of flowers (please refer to enlarged image in book part II), no artist named.

The Album is without any stationer`s label on the inside of either the front or back cover, no publisher is mentioned.

First dated entry: 22 Jan 1862, last dated entry: 11 Feb 1871.

During internet research I became aware that similar Albums were published and sold by John C. Riker (publisher, author, printer) in New York, USA, from around 1827 to 1859. He published at 129 Fulton Street, New York, between 1844 and 1855. John C. Riker died in 1865.

Example of a John C. Riker–Album The Dream that belonged originally to Jane B. Alden, Vermount, USA, with first dated entry in 1847:

As the Album of Sarah Dobbs was missing the spine I decided to give it to a master bookbinder to restore the spine in order to save the Album for the future. As working copy for my research I scanned each page of the Album to use it like a photobook. In this way there was no need to touch the original Album too often.

I put the original in an acid free box.

The Watermark: R TURNER CHAFFORD MILLS

How can it be proved that the Album is an original?

On 5 pages of the Album I found the watermark R TURNER CHAFFORD MILLS (Figure 1 and 2)

Figure 1: Watermark

Figure 2: Watermark

This finding proves that it is an original Album.

Based on the watermark image the paper of the Album dates from the 1850s. At this time paper was made by hand, sheet by sheet, on a pair of moulds. The paper was made on both moulds as the tail of the R in Chafford within the watermark image is different on figure 1 and 2. It is known that watermarks on pairs of moulds were rarely identical.

The Chafford Mill was located at Fordcombe on the river Medway in Kent, England, United Kingdom (UK), and had a 160 years history until it was demolished in the early twentieth century. Only the mill owner´s house has survived.

On 17th September 1834 the Mill owner Mrs Turner was visited by Princess Victoria and her mother the Duchess of Kent.

The paper was of such excellent quality that even the famous English author Jane Austen wrote some letters in 1810 / 1813 on paper with watermark W Turner & Son Chafford Mill Penshurst Kent.

William Turner was the father of Richard and George William Turner. He died in 1828 and his two sons took over the mill. In 1830 Richard Turner continued the business in Chafford and his brother George William in Bermondsey in the country of Surrey, England, UK. This marked the end of their partnership.

The Chafford Mill is also known for producing base papers for photography in the 1850s and 60s.

Lace Paper stamp marked KERSHAW & SON

Next to the pages containing the watermark images, there are two lace papers stamp marked KERSHAW&SON in the Album.

Lace paper

George Kershaw, a publisher and manufacturing stationer, was active in the mid of the 19th century from 1840 to around 1860 based in London, England, UK. His business was the creation of fine papers (including lace paper), valentine cards, pictorial headed notepaper and comic seaside notepaper.

Stamp marked ROCK & CO. LONDON

The frontpage, backpage and several pages of the Album contain different kind of stamps marked ROCK.&.CO. LONDON, ROCK. LONDO, ROCK Co or without any publisher name. ROCK & CO, the London publishers, were founded by William Frederick Rock (born 1801- died 1890) who was a British publisher and philanthropist.

The Fern

Within the Album I found a part of a dried leaf which was laid loose at the end of the Album. It turned out that the part of leaf belongs to the bracken fern (Latin called Pteridium aquilinum) which is a widely distributed fern and can be found throughout the world in tropical and also in temperate regions.

Part of the bracken fern

Who was Sarah Dobbs?

As time passed the Album put me more and more into its spell. I wanted to know more about the owner Sarah Dobbs who was also called Sarah Ann, her life and the people who had written into her Album.

Who was Sarah Dobbs?

Who was her mother and her father, which occupation did they have?

Did she have brothers and sisters?

Did she really live in Chepstow, Wales?

Did she marry and if yes, whom did she marry?

Did she have any children?

Why is the state of Kansas located in USA mentioned within her

Album?

Did she immigrate to the USA?

With these questions in mind I contacted again the seller of the Album to find out if she would have some more information about the origin of the Album. She told me that she purchased the Album at an estate sale on the Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York, USA. The owner was not available during estate sale.

On the second page of the Album Sarah has written a poem. The content of it is similar to one which was published in The Drawing Room Album -Scrap Sheet No 16-: an ornamental and variegated repository for contributions in Literature, Music and Drawing, London, Ackermann Strand, 1838. Interestingly Sarah personalised her Album within this poem and pasted a hand-painted mask containing gothic letters below the poem. Fortunately, she signed and dated her poem with pencil.

At the time Sarah wrote the poem she was not married, as she titled herself as Miss, which was the title of an unmarried woman in past times. So, I knew her maiden name is Dobbs.

Drawing Room Scrap Sheet No 16

FOR AN ALBUM

Since Albums are like public institutions,

“Supported by the general contributions,”

`Tis hop`d, kind reader, you will not decline,

T`enrich, by your donation, this of mine. W.I.A

Sarah`s entry on the second page of the Album with her signature in light pencil writing (between poem and mask-please refer for better reading of her signature to the table of next page)

This personal entry and her handwriting indicate Sarah`s personality: she was a well-educated woman, able to read and write.

She took her time by completing her Album page: the mask was pasted into the Album on 25 Nov 1862 and the poem signed and dated by Sarah on 2 May 1863.

By personalising the Album and adding the hand-painted mask which remembers me of eyes looking at the reader of the Album, Sarah shows her talent as an artist and it looks that she enjoyed drawing.

Some of the Albumen prints were initialled by Sarah, so I had her handwritten signature and her initials in place.

Sarah`s handwritten signature on second page of the Album between her poem and the pasted mask

Sarah`s initials

The Genealogy Research

Where did Sarah live and who belonged to her family?

I had a detailed look at each poem written in the Album and made a table in my notebook listing: the date of entry, poem title, who signed the poem and the source of poem.

The very first handwritten dated entry is on 22 January 1862 which was a Wednesday and the very last dated entry is on 11 Feb 1871 which was a Saturday.

Following geographical locations are mentioned in the Album:

Chepstow,

Talgarth,

Newnham,

Kansas

and again Chepstow on the page of the Kansas poem.

Now the question was: In which town did Sarah live in 1862?