Edith, as she was called, was born at 1858 St., London, S.E. England. She was the third child of William Thomas Blenkarn and Eleanor "Nellie" Marie Ardley Turner.

"When she was 16 she came with her parents to the United States. First settling with the family at Dover, Illinois and later moving on to Kansas. Her late father was a Congregational Minister and was Pastor at Wabunsee. Emma Edith was married 10 Jul 1882 to William James Stewart. They had six children:

Walter Thomas
William Herbert
Ethel Nellie
James Raymond
Lulu Ella
Donald

After Edith's mother, Eleanor, passed away in 1897, her father William T. came to live with the Stewart's in Wabaunsee until his death in 1907. After this the Stewart's moved to Topeka where Will Stewart was employed for many years by the city water department. The home where the Stewart's lived was true family home and saw three generations of Stewart's, it was sold in 1973. As we have seen, Edith's father was a letter writer, too bad, we of today, with telephones are losing this art. The following letter was written to Edith when she was but eleven years old. It has been kept all these many years. That is remarkable.

The Parsonage
Milton next Sittingbourne
27 March 1870

'My very dear Edith,
We were very glad to hear from you and to find that you are enjoying your well earned holiday. I suppose you had forgotten that you were to go to your Grandmamma Blenkarn's [Caroline Blenkarn] on Saturday. I have written to her to say that you are going to your Uncle Dan's and to ask if she can have you on the following Saturday, 5th Apr, in that case I suppose we shall have to spare you for a few days longer. But we must have you home before Good Friday especially as Easter Sunday will be our Missionary Anniversary. I must now tell you that on Tuesday I went over to Milton Mount College with Mr. Harsant of New Brompton, who has a daughter going to college and we were very pleased with all we say. The housekeeping, who will have the entire charge of the domestic arrangements, has been there now a week. She is a nice motherly person and told us that she would do all she could to make the girls happy. Her name is Mrs. Fraser. The bedrooms are very comfortable, a small iron bedstead with good horsehair mattress and feather pillow and bolster. There is also in the room a small chest of drawers, a washstand and chair, on the drawers is a toilet glass. From the window you will have a beautiful view over the country. There are a number of separate class rooms, and two large school rooms, one at each end of the building. The opening of the College is to take place on the 16th May the week before the pupils arrive. Mr. Harsant's daughter is about a year older than you. She went to school at Henley on Thames.' (The remainder of this letter has been lost.) Edith was a prolific letter writer and she often wrote to her sister-in-law Clara, wife of O.E.A. Blenkarn. Clara, saved many of these letters and they help to tell Edith's story.


Source: "Blenkarn Tapestry" by Dorothy L. Taylor pgs. 86-90.
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"England and Wales Census, 1871," Emma E Blenkarn in household of William T Blenkarn, Watton, Watton, Norfolk, England

name: Emma E Blenkarn
event: Census
event date: 1871
gender: Female
age: 12
relationship to head of household: Daughter
birthplace: London, Middlesex
record type: Household
registration district: Wayland
sub-district: Watton
event parish: Watton
county: Norfolk

Household Gender Age Birthplace
self William T Blenkarn M 38 Shoreditch, Middlesex
wife Eleanor M Blenkarn F 38 Chipping Hill, Essex
daughter Emma E Blenkarn F 12 London, Middlesex
son Walter W H Blenkarn M 10 Shoreditch, Middlesex
son Alfred G O Blenkarn M 8 Hackney, Middlesex
daughter Eleanor M Blenkarn F 6 Stourport, Worcestershire
daughter Constance C A Blenkarn F 4 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
son Osborn E A Blenkarn M 2 Walton, Norfolk
daughter Lilian E F Blenkarn F 1 Walton, Norfolk
servant Mary A Overton F 14 Wretham, Norfolk
servant Sarah A E Balls F 14 Walton, Norfolk

Source Citation
"England and Wales Census, 1871," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VFX4-X34 : accessed 09 Sep 2012), Emma E Blenkarn in household of William T Blenkarn, Watton, Watton, Norfolk, England; citing PRO RG 10/[piece], folio 141, p. 3; Wayland registration district, Watton subdistrict, ED 9f, household 18, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
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"United States Census, 1880," Edith E Blenkarn in household of William T Blenkarn, Republican, Clay, Kansas

name: Edith E Blenkarn
residence: Republican, Clay, Kansas
birthdate: 1859
birthplace: England
relationship to head: Daughter
spouse's name:
spouse's birthplace:
father's name: William T Blenkarn
father's birthplace: England
mother's name: Eleanor A Blenkarn
mother's birthplace: England
race or color (expanded): White
ethnicity (standardized): American
gender: Female
martial status: Single
age (expanded): 21 years
occupation: At Home
nara film number: T9-0376
page: 106
page character: D
entry number: 393
film number: 1254376

Household Gender Age Birthplace
self William T Blenkarn M 48 England
wife Eleanor A Blenkarn F 47 England
dau Alice M Blenkarn F 23 England
dau Edith E Blenkarn F 21 England
son Walter W H Blenkarn M 19 England
son Alfred G O Blenkarn M 17 England
dau Maude E Blenkarn F 15 England
dau Constance A Blenkarn F 13 England
son Osborn E A Blenkarn M 11 England
dau Lilian E F Blenkarn F 10 England

Source Citation
"United States Census, 1880," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFPG-4ZS : accessed 09 Sep 2012), Edith E Blenkarn in household of William T Blenkarn, Republican, Clay, Kansas; citing sheet 106D, family 3, NARA microfilm publication T9-0376.