Ethel Wight Collection – Part 77

Lawyer, Leach (née Kane), Leadbeater, LeClair, & Noyes

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] My goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Madonna G. LeClair, circa 1935.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Maddonna Le Clair, 147 St John St. #748.”

Madonna G. LeClair, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Madonna L LeClair as a waitress at 22 Arsenal and residing at 147 St John. Also living at 147 St John is Helen LeClair, widow of Didas. Helen is a cook at 253 B.
• The 1930 Census lists Madona [sic] La Clair, a 16-year-old born in Vermont and is the daughter of Helen La Clair, living at 147 St John.

This photo is of Madonna G. LeClair about 1935.

Ancestry has three public trees that refer to Madonna G. Leclair. Family Search has profile GZRH-FH9 for Madonna. So, I  have uploaded a photo of her to her Family Search Memories. 

Helen Marjory “Marge” Leadbeater, Circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Marjorie Leadbetter, St. Barnabas Hospital #657.”

Helen Marjory “Marge” Leadbeater, Circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Marjorie Leadbetter as a student nurse at 231 Woodford (St. Barnabas Hospital) and residing at 20 Norwood.
• Ancestry Trees suggest that Marjorie Leadbetter is Helen Marjory Leadbeater.
• Ancestry Trees also indicate that Helen Marjory Leadbeater married John Anderson Pucky on 4 June 1939.
• The 1940 Census indicates that Marjorie L Puckey is the 23-year-old wife of John A Pucky and lived in Portland in 1935. It also shows she is a registered nurse at a hospital.

I am sure these two photos are of Helen Marjory Leadbeater about 1935 when she was about 19 years of age.

Ancestry has eight public trees that refer to Helen Marjory “Marge” Leadbeater. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Helen, so I have added her two photos to Dead Fred.

Irene Hume Noyes, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Noyes, The Sherwood, Park St.”

Irene Hume Noyes, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Irene H Noyes living at 88 Park.
• The 1940 Portland City Directory identifies that the Sherwood Hotel was at 88 Park.
• The 1930 US Census lists Irene H Noyes as a 70-year-old boarder at 88 Park.

I am confident this is a photo of Irene about 1935 when she was about 75 years old.

Ancestry has four public trees that refer to Irene Hume Noyes, born 17 Sep 1859 and died 21 Jan 1937.  Family Search has a profile, KGW1-PFJ, for Irene Hume Noyes. I uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search Memories.

I also uploaded a photo of her bedroom to my Flickr photostream. 

Anonciatta Lawyer, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. C. L. Lawyer & Baby, 15 Devonshire St #305.”

Anonciatta Lawyer, circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Clifton L and Doris Lawyer living at 15 Devonshire.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory indicates they moved to Auburn.
• The 1940 US Census lists Clifton and Doris living in Lewiston wither their 6-year-old daughter Anonciatta.

This photo is of Anonciatta Lawyer, the daughter of Clifton and Doris (Parker) Lawyer, about 1934.

Ancestry appears to have no trees that refer to Anonciatta; however, her father, Clifton, appears in six Ancestry trees. Family Search has a profile G7B7-MVN for Anonciatta Lawyer; I uploaded a photo of her to her Family Search Memories.

Unknown child, circa 1935 (Probably related to Harriet K Leach)

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Harritt Leach 407 Cumberland Ave #399 – DSCN3930P.”

Unknown child, circa 1935 (Probably related to Harriet K Leach)

Why I couldn’t identify this child.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Harriet K Leach living at 407 Cumberland, apt 1.
• The 1940 Census lists 50-year-old Maine-born Harriet K Leach, divorced and boarding at 164 Fort Road in South Portland. It also indicates she lived in Portland in 1935.
• My Ancestry and Family Search review didn’t reveal any evidence that Harriett had any children. So, I don’t know who this child is.

Ancestry has nine public trees that refer to Harriett K (Kane) Leach (later Decker). Family Search has profile for LJ26-B4W. I have only uploaded the photo here because I can’t determine who this child is.

If you are a family member of Harriett and can indicate if Harriet ever had children or know who this child is, please contact me through the comment form below. (Please indicate if your comment is public or private.)

Conclusion

• I fully identified four of the five Three of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories
• I identified one individual that did not have a Family Search profile but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted her image to Dead Fred.
• There was one individual that I could not identify. That photo is only here.

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search, Dead Fred, and Flickr are of higher image quality than the images here (except for the unknown child).

For all postings of the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.