Emma ISPHORDING

  General Notes:

BLOCKLEY: "THE MEMORY LINGERS ON"

As previously indicated, the entire area of University City was originally the William Warner Estate of Blockley. As settlements developed and the section became more populous, political sub-divisions sprang into being so that by 1854, when the City was consolidated, little remained of the township, most of it having given way to the District of West Philadelphia.

Although much of the early history occurred while the area was still known as Blockley, we shall tell of it in the section on West Philadelphia. In a like manner we shall consider that small portion of Blockley that covered the northwestern slice of University City. It is that large acreage bordering on the Schuylkill River we shall here discuss. For although it covered the least desirable of the land west of the River and was the least populated, it left its imprint in the history of Philadelphia, and made the name Blockley a synonym for misery, sordidness and suffering.

Here, on the grounds surrounding the present Philadelphia General Hospital was the Blockley Almshouse. It consisted not only of the alms-house, but also the city hospital, the orphan asylum and the refuge for the insane. It is to be remembered that our forebears had neither the understanding, the patience, nor the knowledge of how to handle their helpless and afflicted, so that to be sent to Blockley was to be condemned to horror and exile.

See: this website.

  Research Notes:

Two Census of Philadelphia, Ward 27, 1870, mention Emma (17) and mention E (20). They may be the same person. Birthdate of E is correct: 1870-20=1850, which corresponds with Census of 1860. Further, I cannot find anyone with the name Emma, other than this Emma and the Census of 1870 with "E" in a second enumeration.

Based on the above I am assuming that both census refer to the same person.

  Events

• Census, 19 Jun 1860, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Emma, 10, "idiotic". Still living with her family.

• Census, 27 Jun 1870, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Isphording Emma, 17 (born ~ 1853 ??), Female, White, Born in Pennsylvania, Mentioned as being "insane".

It is likely that Emma was staying in the Blockley Mental Hospital, Philadelphia.

• Census, Nov 1870, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Philadelphia Alms House, 2nd Precinct, 27th Ward: Isphording, E, 20.