Skeel, Emily Ellsworth Ford, 1867-1958

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Emily Ford Skeel (1867-1958) was a bibliographer, editor and philanthropist. Her parents were Gordon Lester Ford (1823-1891), a railroad and real-estate magnate and collector of Americana, and Emily Fowler Ford (1826-1893), a poet. Like her older brothers Worthington Chauncey Ford (1858-1941) and Paul Leicester Ford (1865-1902), Skeel did historical research and compiled bibliographies on Parson Weems and Noah Webster. She and her husband, Roswell Skeel, Jr. (1866-1922), contributed time and money to various organizations and causes concerned with social reform or environmental conservation.

From the description of Emily Ford Skeel papers, 1871-1958. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122571116

From the guide to the Emily Ellsworth Ford Skeel papers, 1871-1958, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)

Emily Ellsworth (Fowler) Ford (1826-1893), a granddaughter of Noah Webster (1748-1843) the lexicographer, and daughter of William Chauncey Fowler (1793-1881) a professor of rhetoric and oratory and English literature at Amherst College (1838-1843), grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts and moved to Brooklyn, New York in late 1853 upon her marriage to Gordon Lester Ford (1823-1891), a businessman and lawyer. Ford came from a prominent family, well-connected within both social and literary circles. Her family was friends with the Dickinson family, also of Amherst, and Ford and Emily Dickinson were childhood friends. Together they discussed literature and formed an adolescent group that wrote recreationally. Ford's literary aspirations continued into adulthood where she became a prolific writer of poetry and narrative, and achieved publication in various newspapers and magazines, along with My Recreations (1872), a collection of her poetry. Her publications are represented throughout some of the better-known nineteenth-century magazines and journals, such as The Atlantic Monthly, Scribner's, Harper's, and the New York Tribune. Ford was also active within several charity organizations including the Brooklyn Orphan Asylum and helped to organize fundraisers. She had four surviving daughters Kathleen Gordon (Ford) Turle (b.1856), Mabel Percy (Ford) Mayo-Smith (b.1863), Rosalie Greenleaf (Ford) Barr (b.1859), Emily Ellsworth (Ford) Skeel (b.1869), and three sons, Worthington Chauncey Ford (b.1858), a prominent historian and writer, Malcolm Webster Ford (b.1862), a well-known amateur athlete, and Paul Leicester Ford (b.1865), an historian and popular novelist. The children were educated and raised with the Ford family library, renowned for its vast holdings and collections.

From the guide to the Emily Fowler Ford papers, 1744-1893, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Skeel, Emily Ellsworth Ford, 1867-1958. Autograph letter signed : to Belle Greene, n.d. Sept. 1. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Skeel, Emily Ford, 1867-1958. Emily Ford Skeel papers, 1871-1958. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Ford, Emily Fowler, 1826-1893. Emily Fowler Ford papers, 1837-1898. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Paul Leicester Ford papers, 1869-1902 [bulk 1885-1895] New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Emily Fowler Ford papers, 1744-1893 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Emily Ellsworth Ford Skeel papers, 1871-1958 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Howells family papers, 1850-1954 (inclusive). Houghton Library
referencedIn Records of the Rutgers University Librarian (George A. Osborn), 1880-1955 Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, James Truslow, 1878-1949. person
associatedWith American Antiquarian Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Brigham, Clarence S. (Clarence Saunders), 1877-1963. person
associatedWith Carpenter, Edwin H. person
associatedWith Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886 person
associatedWith Eames, Wilberforce, 1855-1937. person
associatedWith Ellsworth, William Webster person
associatedWith Ellsworth, William Webster. person
associatedWith Ford, Emily Ellsworth (Fowler), 1826-1893 person
associatedWith Ford, Emily Fowler, 1826-1893. person
associatedWith Ford family family
associatedWith Ford, Gordon Lester, 1823-1891 person
associatedWith Ford, Kathleen person
associatedWith Ford, Mabel person
associatedWith Ford, Malcolm Webster, 1862-1902 person
associatedWith Ford, Paul Leicester, 1865-1902. person
associatedWith Ford, Rosalie person
associatedWith Ford, Worthington Chauncey, 1858-1941. person
associatedWith Fowler family family
associatedWith Fowler, William Chauncey, 1793-1881 person
associatedWith George, Henry, 1839-1897. person
associatedWith Greene, Belle da Costa, person
associatedWith Library of Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith New York Public Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Rutgers College. Office of the University Librarian (George A. Osborn) person
associatedWith Skeel, Roswell, 1866-1922. person
associatedWith Vail, R. W. G. (Robert William Glenroie), 1890-1966. person
associatedWith Warfel, Henry person
associatedWith Warfel, Henry. person
associatedWith Webster, Noah, 1758-1843. person
associatedWith Weems, M. L. (Mason Locke), 1759-1825. person
associatedWith Wroth, Lawrence C. (Lawrence Counselman), 1884-1970. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Massachusetts
Subject
Authors, American
Poets, American
Authors and publishers
Bio-bibliography
Charities
Environmental protection
Nd
Single tax
Technical education
Women poets, American
Occupation
Bibliographers
Editors
Philanthropists
Activity

Person

Birth 1867

Death 1958

Information

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SNAC ID: 6036297