| Description | Commonplace album, nearly full, used over several generations with later additions interspersed throughout the book. The earliest entries are dated 1830s and include extracts of poetry and prose. A number of the pencil drawings are likely to be contemporary with these. Further poetry, as well as letters, Christmas and New Year Cards, drawings and engravings pasted in are dated 1870s and 1890s. Some cards and photographs dated 1900s and 1922.
Includes specimens of a 10 cent and 75 cent note from the City of Richmond, Virginia, dated 1862, presented to Martha Ridgway by the Hon. J S Ellyson, Mayor of Richmond in 1889. This followed by several pages of newspaper cuttings relating to Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, Princess Kaiulani and the Hawaiian royal family. With the autographs of Princess Kaiulani and her half sister, Annie Pauahi Cleghorn, dated 1889.
Inscribed "Mary Ridgway, Wildersmoor House, Lymm. Febr. 24th 1834" on the front free endpaper. Annotated by St Clair "'Ridgway'. Plundered" - presumably a reference to many blank spaces where inserted material is now missing. |