Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Lord, Albra Keay (1846-1933) |
Born |
Nov 21, 1846 |
Birthplace |
Stow, ME |
Places of Residence |
Lovell, ME |
Father |
Isaiah Lord |
Mother |
Ruth (Keay) Lord |
Notes |
Intentions of Marriage Oct 25, 1869 Married Nov 10, 1869 Buried in Cemetery No. 4. Some information taken from Cold River Chronicle Taken from the Winter 2015 Newsletter, written by Catherine Stone: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, West Lovell was home to a very skilled basket maker, Albra Keay Lord. Born on November 25, 1846, Lord was the fifth of eight children of Isaiah Lord of Waterboro and Ruth Keay of Berwick. When Albra was born, the family was living in Stow, but by 1851 they had moved to Foxboro in West Lovell. Albra married Sarah Horr of Lovell on November 10, 1859 and they had four children—Francis, Clarence, Aristeen, and Merton. Their house and his basket making shop were to the south of his father’s at the base of Lord’s Hill. Both Albra and Sarah lived on their farm into their late 80s. Albra died on April 18, 1933 while Sarah lived three years and one day more. Baskets made by Albra Lord were highly regarded for their strength and attractiveness. They were made of brown ash which, according to Pauline Moore in Blueberries and Pusley Weed, required a significant effort to gather. Lord would search through the woods for young brown ash trees of four to five inches in diameter and cut a notch in them to make sure that the growth rings were even and regular. Next, he would cut the trunk of the little trees into strips about one inch wide, which he would pound on a piece of railroad rail until the growth rings separated. Lord never expanded his business to include out of town sales, but his artistry became well-known. Moore recounted a story that Lord received an offer from a Detroit hotel manager for forty baskets. The order stated "price no object," but Lord ignored the request, saying he could sell all the baskets he made at home for $1.25 apiece. Practicality, however, may have played a role in his dismissal of the order. Beside basket making, Lord worked his farm and hired out to work in the woods. It would have been difficult to survive on the proceeds of sporadic basket sales, whatever the price. Today, these distinctive baskets can fetch many hundreds of dollars. According to Martha Wetherbee in an article published in Yankee Magazine, the process of identifying a Lord basket is as follows: "Lord’s hallmark is a small indentation in the center of the outside bottom. It is a press mark made by the mold on which the basket was woven. The swing of the Lord handle is fastened to its ear with a round copper tack or rivet. Rims are double, flat, and double-lashed. The body is always slightly barrel-shaped with weavers beginning narrow at the bottom and growing wider at the top." To see a Lord basket, visit the Lovell Historical Society museum. We are fortunate to have in our collection four of his baskets, along with the railroad rail that he used to pound the strips |
Occupation |
Basket Maker |
Spouse |
Sarah S. (Horr) Lord |
Children |
Francis J. Lord 1870-1944 Clarence D.Lord 1872-1949 Aristeen A. Lord 1880-1927 Merton Albra Lord 1883 |
Deceased |
April 18, 1933 |
Deceased Where |
Lovell, ME |
Related Records
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24. Arthur Fox Jr.'s "A Young Man's Memories of Lovell" Program - 1993.11.0001
Arthur Fox, Jr. speaking at a Library Program titled "A Young Man's Memories of Lovell" on July 19, 1993. The original tape was transferred onto a CD by the Maine Folklife Center. We have a copy of the original tape. The tape was transcribed in 2011 by Irene St. Germain and in 2012 by Linda Legere. Fox talks about his family and his father's business storing boats and giving boat rides on Kezar. He also describes the families living in West Love...
Record Type: Archive
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Albra, John, Alzena, & Henry Lord - 2013.11.0002
Albra Lord in back. Front, left to right is John Lord, Alzena Lord, and Henry Lord. Taken from Photo CD #9.
Record Type: Photo
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Albra Lord - 2004.09.0003
Albra Lord sitting outside the steps of his house, with many baskets surrounding him. Taken from Photo CD #1. Also on Photo CD #15 (Bennett).
Record Type: Photo
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Albra Lord, Sarah Lord and Niece - 2004.09.0002
Albra Lord, his wife Sarah and his niece standing outside the basket shop. Taken from Photo CD #1. Used in the Winter 2015 Newsletter.
Record Type: Photo
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Albra Lord's Basket Shop - 2004.09.0001
Albra Lord's basket shop in West Lovell. Taken from Photo CD #1. Also can be found on Photo CD #15 (Bennett).
Record Type: Photo
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Albra Lord Sitting by a Tree - 2004.09.0004
Albra Lord sitting by a tree. Taken from Photo CD #1. Used in the Winter 2015 Newsletter. Also on Photo CD #15 (Bennett).
Record Type: Photo
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Albra & Sarah Lord - 2013.11.0001
Albra and Sarah Lord standing outside their home. Taken from Photo CD #9.
Record Type: Photo
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Civil War Correspondence - 1974.02.1197
Correspondence during the Civil War. Many of the letters are transcribed and the originals are stored in the Safe. The following letters are to be found: 1. Letter from Francis Lord to his parents, Isaiah & Ruth, dated Dec. 30, 1863, at Camp Berry, Portland, ME 2. Letter from Francis Lord to his family, dated Jan. 10, 1864, at Camp Berry 3. Letter from Francis Lord to his family, dated Jan. 1, 1864, at Fort Sumner in Washington D.C. 4. Lett...
Record Type: Archive
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Deaths 1892-1939 - 1974.02.1342
Index and photocopy of Lovell's deaths from 1892 through 1939. Located in a notebook titled Births Deaths 1892-1939 Vital Statistics 1910-1945." A photocopy of the book can be found in the archival box "Lovell Vital Records Box 3."
Record Type: Archive
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Family Records, 1765-1901, Town of Lovell - 1974.02.0689
A transcription of the Lovell Clerk's vital records book titled "Family Records, 1765-1901, Town of Lovell", giving births and deaths. The records were transcribed by Marcia Storkerson and Indexed by Catherine Stone for the Lovell Historical Society November, 2008. Copies can be found at the Historical Society and the Town Office. The transcription can also be viewed on the Lovell Historical Society's website, lovellhistoricalsociety.org, by cl...
Record Type: Archive
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Lord, Albra - 1974.02.1045
Information on Albra Lord. Located in the file category "People".
Record Type: Archive
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Lovell Cemetery Records, Volume I & II - 2007.31.0001
An update of Lovell's Cemetery Records, originally compiled by Irene St. Germain in 2006 and 2007. A major update was done in 2015, 2019, and 2022. Volume I has an index of names to be found in all Lovell cemeteries and the details on the #4 Cemetery . Volume II has the details on the Center Lovell Cemetery, Fox Cemetery, Lord Cemetery, North Lovell Cemetery, Village, West Lovell Cemeteries, private cemeteries, and an Appendix. The Appendix con...
Record Type: Archive
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Marriage Intentions & Certificates - 1974.02.0688
Notebook containing copies of Lovell marriage certificates and intentions primarily from 1833 to 1909. The names are indexed and include maiden names and parents names where available. Information provided on the certificates has been entered into the Past Perfect People Biography. The originals are in an 11x17 archival box labeled "Marriage Intentions and Certificates".
Record Type: Archive
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Marriage Intentions & Marriages, 1831-1886 - 2022.01.0010
Indexed transcription of the Lovell Clerk's vital records book titled "Marriage Intentions and Marriages, 1831-1886, Town of Lovell." These records were transcribed by Marcia Storkerson and indexed by Connie Miles for the Lovell Historical Society. The transcription and index can be found in an archival notebook labelled "Marriage Intentions & Marriages, Town of Lovell, 1802-1939." A photocopy of the book is located in the archival box "Lovell Vi...
Record Type: Archive
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Marriages, Births, Deaths 1940-1950 - 2019.01.0023
Town of Lovell Clerk's records for marriages, births, and deaths from 1940 to 1950. The original records are in the town safe. They have been photocopied and indexed, which can be found in a notebook titled "Marriages, Births, Deaths 1940-1950."
Record Type: Archive
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Obituaries - 1974.02.0692
Nine notebooks of obituary newsclippings, all indexed.
Record Type: Archive
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Windy Hill Farm - 2022.08.0014
Windy Hill Farm, the home of Albra Lord and Dot Kilgore. Photo taken by Juanita Perkins. Taken from Photo CD #18.
Record Type: Photo
