Non Resident 'Local' Staff  
          Mrs Woledge: Pianoforte Teacher                           Miss Priestley: Girls Gymnastics Teacher
          Mr Drake: Singing Master (StGeorge's Girl's Choir)      Mr Kendrew:Trainer.GymnasticsDisplays -Countermarching,
          Miss Hughes: Girls Gymnastics Teacher                    Miss Kitty Kendrew: Overseer of Evening Scholastic   Homework
          Mr Oakley: Shoe Repairer                                      Mr Harold Styan: Phys-Ed/Gymnastics
                                                                  
 

Miss Emma Chapman
First Lady Superintendent of Northern Police Orphanage. Harrogate 1898-1926 

These photos of Miss Emma Chapman were identified in 2008 by Kath Moore nee Webster aged 92 (302)

Because there is only a small number of people (2) still alive who remember Miss Emma Chapman, finding out information about her is difficult and at best sketchy.  The few details we have available are as follows.

One old girl describes Miss Chapman as a tall, very well built lady who wore glasses. She wore her hair drawn back from her face and in a bun at the back of her head, her face was round with 'crinkly' skin. One old boy of St George's recalls that when he first entered St George's as a small boy and met Miss Chapman, he was very frightened of her.
Miss Chapman was a very strict lady who even doled out the cane to 5 year olds and, when the time came for her to retire from St George's, the announcement resulted in a great deal of cheering by the children.

Emma Chapman was born March Qtr. 1863 St. Neots, Hunts. Vol 3b Page 302
Emma was the third of four children born to William Charles Chapman and his wife, Sarah nee Jarvis. Emma was born in Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire. (Probably in Back Street or Front Street, Eynesbury.) 

Her siblings were all born in Eynesbury.
Charles       born  1853
George        born  1857
Elizabeth     born  1860
Walter         born   1868 

Her father died, aged 39,  December Qtr 1869 St. Ives, Cambs. Vol 3b Page 171
(He probably died in Eynesbury, but his death was registered over the County border.)
The 1861 Census taken at Front Street, Eynesbury, Hunts., shows
Father:               William C. aged 30  Born c 1831 Eynesbury.   Occ: Papermaker
Mother:              Sarah      aged 34  Born c 1827 Little Barford Bedfordshire
Brother:              Charles    aged  8
Brother:              George J  aged   4
Sister:                Elizabeth  aged  1 

The 1871 Census taken at Back Street, Eynesbury, Hunts., shows
Mother:               Sarah       aged 44 Widow.  Occ: Grocer
Brother:              Charles      aged 18 Bach.    Occ: Bricklayer’s Apprentice
Brother:              George J.   aged 14             Occ: Bricklayer’s Apprentice
Sister:                Elizabeth    aged 11                    Scholar
Brother:              Walter       aged  3                     Scholar
and, of course      Emma        aged  8                     Scholar 

There is also Sarah Chapman’s spinster sister in law, Mary I Chapman, aged 27, Dressmaker, living in the household. (She was probably helping the widowed Sarah with the children, whilst Sarah was running her grocer’s shop.)

The 1881 Census taken at Montagu Street, Eynesbury, Hunts., shows
Mother:       Sarah            aged 53      Widow      Shopkeeper
Sister:         Elizabeth       aged 21      Spinster    Dressmaker
Brother:       Walter          aged 13
and             Emma           aged 18      Spinster    Pupil Teacher 

The 1891 Census taken at Montagu Street, Eynesbury, Hunts., shows
Mother:     Sarah               aged 64     Widow.  Grocer.   Living alone.  

Sarah Chapman died, aged 71, June Qtr. 1898  Bedford Vol 3b Page 187
(She probably died in Eynesbury, Hunts., but  her death was registered  over the County border  in Bedfordshire.)
The year of Sarah’s death is significant, as this was also the year in which her daughter, Emma, took up the position of Lady Superintendent at the N.P.O.
The 1891 Census taken at 2, Victory Buildings, Victory Street, Southwold, Suffolk shows Emma Chapman, aged 27, to be employed as a Certified Nurse in the household of

Henry Negus         aged 34   Born c 1857 St. Pancaras. Occ: Boatman Coastguard
Mary A .              aged 28   Born c 1863  Fordingbridge Hants.
Clifford H.            aged 10  Born  c 1881 Portsmouth Hants.
Lena M.               aged   8  Born  c 1883 Portsmouth Hants.
Sydney P.            aged  2  Born  c  1889 Southwold Suffolk
Daisy                  aged 2 weeks Born March 1891 Southwold Suffolk 

Southwold is on the east coast, about 14 miles south of Lowestoft and not too far from Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Emma may have been caring for the newly born baby and the mother.
It is not known how Emma Chapman came into contact with Miss Catherine Gurney. She may have answered an advertisement, or may have already been known to Miss Gurney, through her Nursing profession.  With her nursing abilities, Emma would have been the ideal person to care for the very young Police Orphans, having lost her own father, at the age of  6.

Further research into Emma Chapman’s family shows that her paternal grandfather, Farrell Chapman, was born c 1804 in Buckden, Hunts. His wife, Mary, was born c 1806 in St. Neots, Hunts. The 1851 Census taken in Eynesbury shows Farrell to be a Paper Manufacturer. There are seven offspring, ranging from 4 years old to 23 years old, including William Charles Chapman, aged 20, bachelor and a Paper Manufacturer. 

The 1841 Census, also taken in Eynesbury, shows Farrell, aged 37, married with five children and to have the same occupation. 

Emma Chapman’s mother, Sarah nee Jarvis is shown on the 1841 Census, taken in Little Barford, Beds., as the 14 years old daughter of Philip Jarvis, aged c 40, Agricultural Labourer, and his wife, Mary, aged c 35. There are five other children, ranging from 15 years old to one month old. 

The 1851 Census taken at High Street, St. Neots, Hunts., shows Sarah Jarvis, spinster, aged 24,  to be employed as a servant in the household of John George, aged 29, bachelor. Butcher, who also has his widower uncle, John Stevenson, aged 58, also a Butcher, living in the house.  Interestingly, their next door neighbours are Henry Chapman aged  56. Publican Brewer Maltser, his wife, Hannah, 54 and offspring, Thomas, 24, Brewer; George, 20, Coach Maker and Mary, 15.  

Sarah Jarvis’ future husband, William Charles Chapman, may have been related to this family and may have visited their home, thus meeting Sarah, marrying and later producing their child, Emma Chapman.
Sarah Jarvis and William Charles Chapman were married September Quarter 1851 St. Neots, Hunts. Vol. 14 Page 301
(Eynesbury is in the St. Neots’ Diocese.) 

 I believe that Miss Emma Chapman died, aged 74, December Quarter 1936 Berkhamsted Vol. 3a Page 1217
Without a copy of the Death Certificate, I cannot verify this, but it would seem that she lived a further 10 years after her retirement, due to ill health, from the N.P.O
Berkhamsted is in Hertfordshire and reasonably near to the Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire County borders.

Elsie Gale, formerly Pickering, nee Bradley.   27.9.2007.      
  

Miss Evelyn Knocker
Second Lady Superintendent of St George's House, Harrogate. 1926-1949