Emma Thompson diaries

Emma Lukens Hall Thompson (1840-1926) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 17, 1840, the daughter of Dr. Israel Lukens and Susan Carr Lukens. In October 1860, the Lukens family relocated to Brooklyn, New York. Before her first marriage, Emma describes in great detail her experience of living through the Civil War as a Quaker woman. She recounts the latest news from the front, and her position as a staunch Unionist.

In July 1862, Emma married Isaac Hall (1818-1883), a successful Quaker businessman who was widowed with four children. Emma and Isaac had three children together- Alice Hall Phillips (1865-1955), Charles Lyman Hall (1868-1885), and Freddy Hall (1872-1872). While they were married, Emma and Isaac Hall traveled extensively throughout the US.

After Isaac’s death in 1883, Emma continued to travel as a wealthy widow, visiting Europe with her two living children Charles (“Charlie”) and Alice in 1884. Emma returned to both Europe and the American West after marrying her second husband, Samuel Swayne Thompson (1832–1919) in 1891. Samuel was a prominent Philadelphia businessman, and a trustee in the Pennsylvania State Asylum.

Throughout her life Emma Thompson was dedicated to many charitable causes which she records meticulously, and also dedicated significant time to the suffrage movement. As a prominent and wealthy socialite, as well as a devout Quaker woman, Emma Lukens Hall Thompson’s diaries paint a vivid picture of life in the late 19th century and early 20th century.