HOME      FORUM      HELP      SEARCH      
News : The Surname Interests Table (SIT), the Database for Special Interests Groups (DBSIG) and Ancestral Anniversaries
are now "mobile friendlier" more here ...
The RootsChat Reference Library

RootsChat.Com »  RootsChat Reference Library »   Database for Special Interest Groups (DBSIG) »   British Home Children : Quick Search

Record #13932
Name :
: Emma Jane MORTIMER (1875 - 1975)
  aka : Emma Spencer


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 9 Nov 1875

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: Dec 1975   Notes : old age
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Midhopestones, Ecclesfield Parish
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialUnited States of America, Alameda, Alameda
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 2 Nov 1884
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Parisian

Placement Family
: McNaughton
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
: Maria Rye/Wortley Union

Agency
: Maria Rye
NotesEmma 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. 
ContributorsCreated : 2011-03-23 20:26:34 / From original database

Last Updated : 2013-11-17 11:35:54 /

Family History ResearchersRootsChatters with family connections to Emma Jane MORTIMER:



 
Readers Comments

Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 1082 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
3009 ABBIS, Ann1877ENG, STS, Stoke upon Trent Jun 1890 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
3010 ABBIS, Matilda1880ENG, STS, Stoke Upon Trent Jun 1890 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
3041 ABBOTT, Jessica1862ENG,     Aug 1872 : Peruvian CAN Maria Rye  
3046 ABBOTT, Lily1873ENG, YKS, Leeds Sep 1883 : Parisian CAN Maria Rye  
3074 ABEL, Edith Mary1874ENG,     Jul 1884 : Circassian CAN Maria Rye  
3137 ACLAND, Louisa1858ENG, GLS, Bristol Nov 1870 : Peruvian CAN Maria Rye  
3150 ACRES, Ada1864ENG, HAM, Winchester Jun 1874 : Sarmatian CAN Maria Rye  
6903 ADAMS, Anna Maria1858ENG, WIL, Potterne Sep 1873 : Polynesian CAN Maria Rye  
8059 ADAMS, Sophia Elizabeth1847ENG, SSX, Hurstpierpoint Jun 1869 : Austrian CAN Maria Rye  
13137 ADAMSON, Arthur1893ENG, LAN, Bury May 1905 : Victorian CAN Maria Rye  
8819 ADAMSON, John 1891ENG, LAN, Oldham May 1905 : Victorian CAN Maria Rye  
6182 ADDIS, Daisy Laura1880ENG, KEN, Thanet May 1892 : Mongolian CAN Maria Rye  
8751 ALDGATE, Esther1880ENG, LDN, London Jun 1891 : Circassian CAN Maria Rye  
7634 ALDRIDGE, Fanny1859ENG,     Nov 1870 : Peruvian CAN Maria Rye  
7834 ALEXANDER, Ronald1863ENG,     Jul 1870 : Prussian CAN Maria Rye  
8823 ALLCOCK, Edith1882ENG,     Jun 1890 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
15360 ALLEN, John1863ENG,     1872 : - Unknown - CAN Maria Rye  
15359 ALLISON, James1861ENG,     1872 : - Unknown - CAN Maria Rye  
7671 ALLISON, Mary Jane1859ENG,     Nov 1870 : Peruvian CAN Maria Rye  
10954 ALLPORT, Daisy Dot1879ENG, WAR, Birmingham Jun 1890 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
10946 ALLWRIGHT, Bertha Isabella1869ENG, MDX, Mile End Old Town Jun 1879 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
10947 ALLWRIGHT, Phoebe1871ENG, MDX, Poplar Jun 1879 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
6521 ALSTON, Alice1860ENG,     Jul 1870 : Prussian CAN Maria Rye  
4716 ALTHORP, Emma1869ENG,     Jun 1877 : Sardinian CAN Maria Rye  
7528 ALVAREZ, Florence Rebecca1862ENG, MDX, Hackney Nov 1869 : Hibernian CAN Maria Rye  
7538 ALVAREZ, Jane1860ENG,     Nov 1869 : Hibernian CAN Maria Rye  
6522 ANDERS, Thomas1878ENG,     Jun 1888 : Parisian CAN Maria Rye  
7987 ANDERSON, Caroline1852ENG,     Jun 1869 : Austrian CAN Maria Rye  
4456 ANDERSON, Ethel Rows1884ENG, YKS, Normanby Aug 1890 : Parisian CAN Maria Rye  
4007 ANDREWS, Annie 1882ENG,     Aug 1895 : Numidian CAN Maria Rye  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 1082 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries