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Emma <I>Batchelor</I> French

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Emma Batchelor French

Birth
Cuckfield, Mid Sussex District, West Sussex, England
Death
16 Nov 1897 (aged 61)
Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona, USA
Burial
Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona, USA GPS-Latitude: 35.0336722, Longitude: -110.7069778
Plot
UnPlotted GRV 3 6
Memorial ID
View Source
Emma Batchelor the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Batchelor, was born in Uckfield Sussex County, England, on April 21, 1836.

Emma met John Doyle Lee in 1857. John was an aide to Brigham Young. On January 7, 1858 Brigham married the couple.
Emma was the seventeenth wife of John Doyl Lee.
In1872 the Lee's established a ferry crossing service on the Colorado River.

She ran the Lonly Dell Ranch and Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River.

On August 9, 1879 at Snowflake Arizona Emma married a prospector named Franklin French and moved to Winslow, Arizona where she died on November 16, 1897.

She was also referred to as Dr. French. During her life she helped the recovery of many people.

Suggested Edit

Find a Grave contributor, Kenn Evans, II has made the following suggested edits.



Emma French (69964058)

Suggested edit: Emma is the 16th Wife, here is her obituary: Emma Louise Batchelor was born on April 21, 1836, in Uckfield, Sussex County, England to Henry Batchelor and Elizabeth Divel. She was christened on June 25, 1836. She received some nursing training as a young woman, though she never earned a degree. In 1856 she converted to Mormonism when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited England in the 1850s. Emma traded one-year of service to the church for steerage to America. Soon after her arrival, she joined hundreds of church members in a treacherous journey on foot from Iowa City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Emma suffered the hardships of a handcart pioneer, crossing the plains and mountains with the Willie and Martin companies. These two groups, which got a late start from Iowa City in 1856, suffered perhaps 200 dead when early winter conditions struck. Emma acted as a nurse and midwife along the way while pulling a handcart full of her belongings and carried a pregnant woman in her cart for many weeks until she was able to give birth and recover on the journey west.
On December 27, 1857, she met John Doyle Lee, a prominent Mormon pioneer, colonist, and aide to church president Brigham Young. On January 7, 1858, Young sealed the two as man and wife. Emma became the sixteenth wife of John Doyle Lee and she gave birth nine, including one set of twins. Emma bore him nine children. In 1871 due to John's participation in the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, they moved to the Arizona Territory.
They operated a ferry service at a remote Colorado River crossing point that came to be known as Lee's Ferry. On November 7, 1874, John was arrested at Panguitch and charged with the deaths of the victims of Meadows Mountain Massacre. Emma remained loyal to John for the three years of his confinement and through his two trials. She brought food to John in the Beaver Jail and was even accused of helping to plot his escape.
John was executed for the massacre in 1877, and Emma operated the ferry and their home at Lonely Dell Ranch, along with Lee's wife Rachel and thirteen children who accompanied them to the site, making many improvements, including a substantial house and gardens. Lonely Dell became an important resupply point for thousands of immigrants and explorers; in July 1872, the Lees entertained members of John Wesley Powell's Colorado River exploration party. Lee before his execution, was frequently absent from Lonely Dell, however, sometimes fleeing from the law and sometimes visiting his other homes and wives. On March 23, 1877, John Doyle Lee was executed by firing squad at the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre–the only person to pay with his life for this notorious crime. Emma and her family were left to manage the ferry and homestead on her own for two more years.
Widowed, Emma married prospector Franklin (Frank) Harvey French on August 8, 1879, in Snowflake and established their new home at Horsehead Crossing - Holbrook. Emma had two sons with Frank. In 1880, a flash flood at Cottonwood Wash, destroyed the railroad bed the collapsed the rail bed injuring many workers and passengers on the train. With no doctor in the area, Emma's healing skills and tireless efforts led to an ongoing relationship with the Atlantic and Pacific-Santa Fe Railroad. They next moved to the White Mountains, but their ranch was just off of the reservation. The White Mountain Apaches had an uprising in 1882 and killed 150 settlers that night. Emma was warned just before the attack on her ranch and was able to escape with her children and some ranch hands. She heard the shooting of the livestock and saw the smoke from the burning buildings. Later, French sued the government for $10,000 for the loss of the ranch, but the land was resurveyed and was found to be on Apache land.
In 1887 she and Franklin moved to Winslow, establishing a dairy ranch in what is now Bushman Acres. At times the railroad would send a special train to bring Emma to help take care of the injured railroad workers tending broken bones and burns. She was known as "Dr. French" although she had no official medical title, because of her training and vast medical knowledge she helped multiple women, including Navajos and prostitutes in the deliveries of their children.
In 1888, her daughter, Victoria Lee, committed suicide and her daughter Frances Dell died the following day. In 1892, her son "Ike" Isaac a county deputy sheriff, confronted a man who was trying to seduce his wife and was murdered by the man. Ike is buried on Emma's left and her daughter Vicky is buried at her right.
Emma became known as "Doctor Grandma" in Winslow due to her abilities and kindly nature. She assisted the contract doctors in Winslow and on call along the line from Flagstaff to Gallup, New Mexico until her death. She was especially skilled as a midwife, and she was ahead of her time in demanding sanitary work areas. Always prepared and willing to help, Emma was held in high esteem by local railroaders, ranchers, and Native Americans alike.
While her husband was on an expedition looking for gold, she had a premonition of her own death. When Franklin returned on November 15, the next day she was fixing breakfast and said "I don't feel too well" and suffered a possible heart attack. A crowd of businessmen, Navajos and prostitutes kept vigil outside her home as she lay in bed dying that night.
Emma died 4:00 pm November 16, 1897, at the age of 61 at her home in Winslow. Emma was proceeded in death by her parents Henry and Elizabeth of England, brother Henry Batchelor of Winslow, husband John Doyle Lee, sons: Brant, John Henry, Isaac "Ike", no name given son, daughters: Victoria Elizabeth and Frances Dell. Emma is survived by her husband Harvey (Frank) French, sons William James Lee, Frederick Marcus French, Charles Albert French, daughters Rachel Emma and Ann Eliza, brothers Charles, Frances, Alexander, and Eli, sisters Harriett, Anne Belle, Elizabeth and Frances Mary Anne. Her funeral was attended by railroad officials, county and territorial officers, and townspeople, who overflowed the yard and spilled into the street. The railroad ordered all passing trains to halt for a few minutes and to sound no bells or whistles as they passed through the yards. Emma was one of the first people interred at Winslow's Desert View Cemetery.

Emma was Inducted to the Arizona Woman's Hall of Fame 2019
Contributor: Kenn Evans, II (46507258) • [email protected]
Emma Batchelor the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Batchelor, was born in Uckfield Sussex County, England, on April 21, 1836.

Emma met John Doyle Lee in 1857. John was an aide to Brigham Young. On January 7, 1858 Brigham married the couple.
Emma was the seventeenth wife of John Doyl Lee.
In1872 the Lee's established a ferry crossing service on the Colorado River.

She ran the Lonly Dell Ranch and Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River.

On August 9, 1879 at Snowflake Arizona Emma married a prospector named Franklin French and moved to Winslow, Arizona where she died on November 16, 1897.

She was also referred to as Dr. French. During her life she helped the recovery of many people.

Suggested Edit

Find a Grave contributor, Kenn Evans, II has made the following suggested edits.



Emma French (69964058)

Suggested edit: Emma is the 16th Wife, here is her obituary: Emma Louise Batchelor was born on April 21, 1836, in Uckfield, Sussex County, England to Henry Batchelor and Elizabeth Divel. She was christened on June 25, 1836. She received some nursing training as a young woman, though she never earned a degree. In 1856 she converted to Mormonism when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited England in the 1850s. Emma traded one-year of service to the church for steerage to America. Soon after her arrival, she joined hundreds of church members in a treacherous journey on foot from Iowa City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Emma suffered the hardships of a handcart pioneer, crossing the plains and mountains with the Willie and Martin companies. These two groups, which got a late start from Iowa City in 1856, suffered perhaps 200 dead when early winter conditions struck. Emma acted as a nurse and midwife along the way while pulling a handcart full of her belongings and carried a pregnant woman in her cart for many weeks until she was able to give birth and recover on the journey west.
On December 27, 1857, she met John Doyle Lee, a prominent Mormon pioneer, colonist, and aide to church president Brigham Young. On January 7, 1858, Young sealed the two as man and wife. Emma became the sixteenth wife of John Doyle Lee and she gave birth nine, including one set of twins. Emma bore him nine children. In 1871 due to John's participation in the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, they moved to the Arizona Territory.
They operated a ferry service at a remote Colorado River crossing point that came to be known as Lee's Ferry. On November 7, 1874, John was arrested at Panguitch and charged with the deaths of the victims of Meadows Mountain Massacre. Emma remained loyal to John for the three years of his confinement and through his two trials. She brought food to John in the Beaver Jail and was even accused of helping to plot his escape.
John was executed for the massacre in 1877, and Emma operated the ferry and their home at Lonely Dell Ranch, along with Lee's wife Rachel and thirteen children who accompanied them to the site, making many improvements, including a substantial house and gardens. Lonely Dell became an important resupply point for thousands of immigrants and explorers; in July 1872, the Lees entertained members of John Wesley Powell's Colorado River exploration party. Lee before his execution, was frequently absent from Lonely Dell, however, sometimes fleeing from the law and sometimes visiting his other homes and wives. On March 23, 1877, John Doyle Lee was executed by firing squad at the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre–the only person to pay with his life for this notorious crime. Emma and her family were left to manage the ferry and homestead on her own for two more years.
Widowed, Emma married prospector Franklin (Frank) Harvey French on August 8, 1879, in Snowflake and established their new home at Horsehead Crossing - Holbrook. Emma had two sons with Frank. In 1880, a flash flood at Cottonwood Wash, destroyed the railroad bed the collapsed the rail bed injuring many workers and passengers on the train. With no doctor in the area, Emma's healing skills and tireless efforts led to an ongoing relationship with the Atlantic and Pacific-Santa Fe Railroad. They next moved to the White Mountains, but their ranch was just off of the reservation. The White Mountain Apaches had an uprising in 1882 and killed 150 settlers that night. Emma was warned just before the attack on her ranch and was able to escape with her children and some ranch hands. She heard the shooting of the livestock and saw the smoke from the burning buildings. Later, French sued the government for $10,000 for the loss of the ranch, but the land was resurveyed and was found to be on Apache land.
In 1887 she and Franklin moved to Winslow, establishing a dairy ranch in what is now Bushman Acres. At times the railroad would send a special train to bring Emma to help take care of the injured railroad workers tending broken bones and burns. She was known as "Dr. French" although she had no official medical title, because of her training and vast medical knowledge she helped multiple women, including Navajos and prostitutes in the deliveries of their children.
In 1888, her daughter, Victoria Lee, committed suicide and her daughter Frances Dell died the following day. In 1892, her son "Ike" Isaac a county deputy sheriff, confronted a man who was trying to seduce his wife and was murdered by the man. Ike is buried on Emma's left and her daughter Vicky is buried at her right.
Emma became known as "Doctor Grandma" in Winslow due to her abilities and kindly nature. She assisted the contract doctors in Winslow and on call along the line from Flagstaff to Gallup, New Mexico until her death. She was especially skilled as a midwife, and she was ahead of her time in demanding sanitary work areas. Always prepared and willing to help, Emma was held in high esteem by local railroaders, ranchers, and Native Americans alike.
While her husband was on an expedition looking for gold, she had a premonition of her own death. When Franklin returned on November 15, the next day she was fixing breakfast and said "I don't feel too well" and suffered a possible heart attack. A crowd of businessmen, Navajos and prostitutes kept vigil outside her home as she lay in bed dying that night.
Emma died 4:00 pm November 16, 1897, at the age of 61 at her home in Winslow. Emma was proceeded in death by her parents Henry and Elizabeth of England, brother Henry Batchelor of Winslow, husband John Doyle Lee, sons: Brant, John Henry, Isaac "Ike", no name given son, daughters: Victoria Elizabeth and Frances Dell. Emma is survived by her husband Harvey (Frank) French, sons William James Lee, Frederick Marcus French, Charles Albert French, daughters Rachel Emma and Ann Eliza, brothers Charles, Frances, Alexander, and Eli, sisters Harriett, Anne Belle, Elizabeth and Frances Mary Anne. Her funeral was attended by railroad officials, county and territorial officers, and townspeople, who overflowed the yard and spilled into the street. The railroad ordered all passing trains to halt for a few minutes and to sound no bells or whistles as they passed through the yards. Emma was one of the first people interred at Winslow's Desert View Cemetery.

Emma was Inducted to the Arizona Woman's Hall of Fame 2019
Contributor: Kenn Evans, II (46507258) • [email protected]


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  • Created by: cloughley
  • Added: May 17, 2011
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69964058/emma-french: accessed ), memorial page for Emma Batchelor French (21 Apr 1836–16 Nov 1897), Find a Grave Memorial ID 69964058, citing Desert View Cemetery, Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona, USA; Maintained by cloughley (contributor 47023161).