Portrait of Mary Ann Carroll (1835-1926)

2014.290.2045

Portrait of Mary Ann Carroll (1835-1926)

Photo. Black and white portrait of Mary Ann Carroll. Large black and white photo print on metal (18.5” H x 14” W) of Mary Ann Carroll that may have once been affixed to a plaque, retrieved by donor from Southwest Harbor transfer station February 2013. Info and text of late 19th century letters provided by Meredith Hutchins of the Southwest Harbor Public Library. See also high res scan from SWHPL."At last I have the information I promised to send you on “Aunt Mary Ann Carroll,” the school teacher who taught on Great Cranberry and other islands on the Maine coast. Mary Ann Carroll (1835-1926) was the daughter of John Carroll and Rachel Foster Lurvey. John Carroll immigrated to MDI from Borrisleigh, Ireland via Newfoundland with Michael Bulger, who ended up settling on Great Cranberry and is the Bulger ancestor of the people writing the letters below. John Carroll, of course, was the owner of the Carroll Farm in SWH and progenitor of the large family that bears his name. Except as where otherwise noted, the quotations below are from a series of letters that Emma Frances (Bulger) Spurling,  (1860-1934) Mrs. Charles Eaton Spurling  and others wrote to Emma’s daughter, Mary Frances (Spurling) “Mamie” (1877-1965) later Mrs. Fred Alberton Birlem (1876-1950) while Mary Frances was attending school in Holbrook, Massachusetts. Mrs. Charles Spurling ran the store on Great Cranberry. November 13, 1898“”Maryann Carroll is going to teach this school, will begin a week from today. She sent on by S. C. Stover to see if I would board her.” – S. C. Stover may be Samuel Stover, born in Trenton in 1848 and died on Great Cranberry in 1912. November 19, 1893This letter is to Mary Frances from her maternal grandmother, Mary Lurvey (Stanley) Bulger (1835-1919) “Mema” – Mrs. Samuel Newman Bulger“Mary Ann Carroll commenced school to day [sic] and boards to your house. I don’t expect that you care if you are not there to go to school but I wish you was.” [sic] from Grama November 28, 1893School has kept a week. Maryann [sic] has a slight cold but she makes quite a touse over it. She did not go to Sabbath School to day, [sic] as she was afraid she might get more and would not be able to teach tomorrow.” December 17, 1893Tuesday morning“Brother”  is Charles Samuel Spurling (1880-1911), Mary Frances’s brother. [Brother] “and Mary Ann have gone to school. She told me to say to you that the scholars are all doing vey much better than they were.” December 20, 1893This letter is from Ella Florence Bulger (1867-1938) “Aunt Flo,” to Mary Frances in Holbrook.Aunt Flo was a sister to Emma Frances, Mary Frances’s mother.  At the time she was married to George Jacob Joy and may have been separated from him. Later she married Warren Adelbert Spurling.Wed. eve 7 o’ clock.    “Mary Ann has taken her bag and gone to make some calls.” I’m sure that there are many other references to Aunt Mary Ann Carroll in other local history references. She came from a large family and taught all over. As I may have told you Aunt Mary Ann was the first teacher in the fall of 1896 at the Baker Island School. I have a letter written to her nephew William Lloyd Carroll from there. Hope this info is of assistance to you for the GCHS and let me know if I can be of further help.Sincerely, NMeredith Hutchins

18.5" H x 14.5" W