Edith Emerson Forbes
Sisters Edith and Ellen Emerson, circa 1858.
Edith Emerson, born on November 22, 1841, was the third child of American literary sage Ralph Waldo Emerson and his wife Lidian Jackson Emerson. One of three surviving children—firstborn Waldo died at the age of five—Edith and her siblings Ellen and Edward grew up surrounded by some of America’s greatest writers and lived through major events in the nation’s history.
Emerson believed in educating his daughters as well as his son, and Edith attended schools in Concord, MA and Boston. She took advantage of opportunities to socialize with her peers, demonstrating an outgoing and optimistic personality and an ability to organize people and events—a quality that served her well all her life. She was also a perfectionist, inheriting that tendency from Lidian.
Edith’s friends in Concord included Louisa May Alcott and her sister May, as well as the children of Nathanial Hawthorne. The writer Henry David Thoreau lived with the Emersons twice and was a cherished friend to all the Emerson children.
As the children grew up, Emerson was away giving lectures for periods every year. Yet when he was home, he was a revered father, spending time with his children walking in nature, and teaching and reading to them in his study. With devotion to both their parents, Edith and her siblings worked hard to protect their legacies.
This portrait of Edith, painted by William Henry Furness on the occasion of her marriage to William Hathaway Forbes, hangs in the Emerson House parlor—where the wedding took place.
Edith’s formal education ended by her early twenties, although she continued to study on her own. Edith and Ellen were often charged with the responsibilities of running the Emerson home, and while Ellen accepted taking over duties such as cooking and cleaning, Edith was much less enthusiastic. As a reward for Edith undertaking arduous house work, Lidian took her to visit the island of Naushon, owned by the Forbes family. Edith, then 19, spent time there with her future husband, William Hathaway Forbes.
The Civil War broke out when Edith was just 20 and the conflict enveloped the Emerson family, as it did the nation. Edith worked for the Soldiers Aid Society and kept in touch with the newly-enlisted William Forbes. She also reprimanded her brother Edward for trying to enlist, when their parents were deeply opposed. In 1865, as the war was finally ending, William proposed to Edith; they married on October 3, 1865 in the Emersons’ parlor. Edith was 24 when they wed and went on to have eight children, the last born when Edith was 41 years old. She enjoyed her new role as a mother and didn’t let it slow her down. Her first child was named Ralph Emerson Forbes.
Edith remained close with her siblings after her marriage and often stepped in to help as Emerson and Lidian aged. In 1870, Edith took on the task of pulling together—with Emerson—an anthology of poems admired by him. Parnassus was finally published in 1874 and represented a significant effort by Edith.
After the Emersons’ Concord home caught fire in 1872, Edith took care of Lidian and supervised the repairs to the house while Emerson and Ellen traveled across Europe and Egypt.
One of Edith Emerson Forbes’ dresses, currently on display for the first time at the Emerson House in Concord, MA.
William Hathaway Forbes died in 1897 at the age of 56, and from then on Edith served as the head of the Emerson and Forbes families, providing guidance, organization, and financial support. When Ellen became very ill in 1908, the family moved her to Edith’s home in Milton, MA to receive the best care until she succumbed to cancer in 1909.
Edith spent the rest of her life traveling, visiting family and friends all over the world. She was in England when World War I began in 1914, representing another major conflict for Edith to live through. Throughout the war, she was able to fund many charitable causes across Europe and the United States.
Edith Emerson Forbes died on November 20, 1929 at the age of 87. She played a vital role as a bright and caring daughter and sister to the Emerson family, and then as a devoted wife, mother, and leader in organizing and promoting efforts globally that she felt were important.
— B. Ewen, Emerson House guide
