Margaret "Maggie" Carle (Chapin) Compton (1859-1947)

Margaret "Maggie" Carle Compton, née Chapin, was the youngest child of Dorcas and Dennis Chapin, born in 1859. Maggie may have been named for Margaret Carle, a neighbor of the Chapins, who was mentioned in a letter written by Mary Burt in 1860.

Maggie co-authored only one letter in the collection, which was addressed to her mother Dorcas. 18-year-old Maggie repeatedly insists that all is well, that she has been behaving herself, and that she is trying to find work in a shop.

In January of 1879, Maggie gave birth to a son, Walter, out of wedlock. Her sister Marcia was notably disapproving of this, causing great tension within the family unit. On March 20, 1879, Maggie married Timothy M. Compton, who was likely the father of the child. Including Walter, they had six children together: Fannie, Timothy, Frederick, Blanche, and Daniel.