Notes Emma Mortimer was born in Midhope Stones, a village 11 miles northeast of Sheffield, in 1875. She was the second child of Eliza Hannah (formerly Milsom) and Charles James Jones Frederick Mortimer, who was the village schoolmaster. Charles was also a Chelsea Pensioner with 20+ years in the Royal Engineers, where he was trained as a civil engineer. Emma's sister Mary (also a BHC) was two years older, and her brother, Freddy, was two years younger. In, the family seems to have fallen on hard times and moved to Leeds, where they occupied a small apartment near the public dispensary on New Brigate. In September 1881, Emma's mother died in childbirth, and her father turned to drink. According to family lore, Eliza's family wanted to take Mary and Emma to live with them, but Charles, embittered by their treatment of him, insisted that the girls be sent to Canada to live with friends. We now know that Mary and Emma spent some time in the Wortley Union Workhouse and were in Miss Rye's party of 58 girls who sailed from Liverpool on the Parisian, arriving in Quebec on November 2, 1884. Mary and Emma were placed with different families in Ontario, Emma with Angus and Eliza McNaughton on a farm in Oxmead, and Mary with Thomas and MaryAnn McCarroll in Meaford. Thomas was a druggist. Emma stayed with the McNaughtons until her indenture was completed and learned to be a dressmaker. Mary ran away, probably to Toronto or Buffalo. At some point, Emma married Frank Spencer. Their son, Frank Jr., was born in Los Angeles in 1902. Emma's husband had a wandering eye, so after a few years of marriage, Emma divorced him and moved to Pasadena with her young son. She worked as a dressmaker. In about 1909, Emma's sister Mary came down with typhoid fever in New Jersey. She sent her daughter Hazel across the country to Pasadena, CA to live with Emma. Hazel stayed with her until about 1912 when Mary joined them. Emma died in Alameda, CA in 1975 at the age of 101. She was survived by her son Frank Spencer and niece Hazel McChrystal, a grandson, and fourteen great great nieces and nephews. Despite the barriers imposed by the BHC program, she managed to stay connected with her sister throughout her life.
Contributors Created : 2011-03-23 20:26:34 / From original database
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MORTIMER, Emma Jane