Oh My



Here's an inscription I came across in an 1846 copy of "Parental Instructions; or, Guide to Wisdom and Virtue" selected from the writings of "An Eminent Physician." It was published by Harper and Brothers.

I know, it's tough to make out anything - now you know how I feel trying to transcribe some of this stuff. Here is a version of the image I used to read the writing a bit easier:

Presented to J**** BS (?) by Tha. S. Fitch (?), at Clinton (?) on Fountain (?). Where he was at Collidge (college) and where she was at boarding school. "Oh my."
Mr. Chancey (?) S, Kellogg
Clinton
Ham College (Hamiltion College, just a short drive from Oneonta)
James Milne (?)
NY
De Los Balsh (?)
NY city (?)
Ha***h

Hope you all can do better.

-Click to enlarge photos-
at

9 comments:

  1. MelissaAugust 23, 2012 at 10:50 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MelissaAugust 23, 2012 at 10:51 AM

    Actually it's probably "colledge" so he's not quite so far off as all that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MelissaAugust 23, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    Sorry, missed a word: "Presented to Anna (Ama?), B.S., by Chas (abbreviation for Charles; it's 'Cha' with a superscripted S and a line underneath) P. Fitch, at Clinton on Fountain St., where he was at colledge and where she was at boarding school." You'd think if he was at college he'd at least be able to spell it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LionessAugust 23, 2012 at 11:28 AM

    Yes, definitely Fountain St.

    ReplyDelete
  5. gensearchdebAugust 23, 2012 at 12:16 PM

    I think James Milne? on the left side is James Allen.

    What about instead of "Fountain St", as Melissa states, it could be "Fountain So -" like he is starting the sentence.

    What a great find!

    ReplyDelete
  6. gensearchdebAugust 23, 2012 at 12:16 PM

    I think James Milne? on the left side is James Allen.

    What about instead of "Fountain St", as Melissa states, it could be "Fountain So -" like he is starting the sentence.

    What a great find!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 23, 2012 at 1:41 PM

    Hamilton College is in Clinton NY - there is a Fountain Street in Clinton, as well as a Clinton Road but I don't see where they might intersect....

    ReplyDelete
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  9. BookLoverMCAugust 25, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    Sounds like a couple who met when he was at college and she was at boarding school and later went on to get married (and to expect a child)? Perhaps that accounts for the "Oh My!" I know it's a stretch, but I love constructing fiction that way :-D

    ReplyDelete