Emeline

This is Emeline Ottaway Kemp, my great, great grandmother   If the photograph told the whole story, I would say that this was a severe woman, not given to frills or finery.  She seems to have no softness to her, all hard edges with an uncompromising glare.  She looks somewhat masculine and unfriendly, a no-nonsense kind of gal.  She probably had a switch and knew how to use it to good effect.

But that's not really fair, is it?  One photograph, one moment in time and space.  Early photographers didn't have the options that we have now; there were no massive photoshoots in which you could choose the best 100 out of 1000 shots.  It was a one-shot deal and you'd better sit still and for heaven's sake, don't smile!

Digging a little deeper into Emeline's life, I find that she was born in Smarden, England in 1832.  She was the oldest of six children (3 girls, 3 boys) born to John and Sarah (Sally) Ottaway.  Her parents came to Stockbridge, New York, in 1849 when Emeline was a mere slip of a girl, seventeen years old.  One year later, 18-year-old Emeline was joined in matrimony with Stephen Kemp, who was a worldly 29 years old and who also originally hailed from England (Kent).  These two lovebirds got busy and had 11 children, 6 of whom survived to adulthood:  Ada, Alice, Cynthia Rose, Annie, Nettie and George.  Here's the happy family around 1885 when Emeline would have been about 53:

 Back row (standing): Ada, George and Alice.  Front row: Annie, Cynthia Rosalia, Stephen, Emeline and Nettie.  Nettie was my great grandmother - quite a looker, I think, and a real fashion plate.  More on her in another blog, I guess.

So dear Emeline married at 18, bore 11 children, five of whom died young. The only one of those five that we know about is Abbie, born in 1871, died in 1872 when Emeline was 40 years old. Interestingly, little Abbie was born just one year after Emeline's youngest sister, Abbie, died at age seventeen.  Emeline shifted from one continent to another one year before marrying and then moved halfway across the U.S. to Wisconsin (Koshkonong) six years after marrying.  She died in 1907 at the age of 75, predeceasing her older husband by two years.

I wish I'd known Emeline - I'm sure there's much more to her story than these two photos can show us.  I'd like to think that in spite of the severe look to her face that she knew joy, as well as sorrow.