Emily Crawford facts for kids

Emily Crawford was an important Irish journalist. She lived from 1841 to 1915. She became famous for her unique writing style. Emily reported on major events in France. She was one of the first women to become a well-known foreign correspondent.

Early Life and Education

Emily Crawford was born Emily Johnstone on May 31, 1841. She was likely born in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Andrew Johnstone, was a landowner. Her mother was Grace Martin, an American. Emily was taught at home when she was young.

In 1857, Emily and her mother moved to Paris. This happened after her father passed away. They also faced money problems. In Paris, Emily studied at the Sorbonne university.

Start of Her Journalism Career

Emily started writing for the London Morning Star. This happened after a magazine editor saw a letter she had written. She also wrote for other newspapers. Her new and different way of writing became very popular.

By 1864, Emily was earning a good income from her writing. Her family noticed how clever she was. She was making £400 a year with her pen. This was a lot of money at the time.

Reporting from Paris

In 1864, Emily married George Moreland Crawford. He was also a journalist. George worked as the Paris correspondent for The Daily News. Emily and George had three sons and one daughter.

They often worked together on news reports. A very important time was during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871). They bravely traveled to Tours, France. They made sure their children were safe first. They stayed with the soldiers for several months.

Emily interviewed leaders of the Paris Commune in 1871. This was a group that took control of Paris. In May of that year, she was the only journalist allowed into a special debate. This debate was in Versailles, where the French government was defeated.

She had no paper or pen, so she memorized everything. She met her husband at midnight. They worked all night to write the story. The Daily News was the first to report on this big event.

Emily had powerful friends, like French statesman Adolphe Thiers. He let her use his private telegraph to send her news stories. After he died in 1877, she wrote about his life. Emily wrote for many English and American newspapers. These included Truth and the New-York Tribune.

Later Career and Legacy

Emily's husband died in 1885. He passed away from a wasp sting. Emily then took over his job as The Daily News' Paris correspondent. She held this important position until 1907.

In 1903, she published a book about Queen Victoria. The book was called Victoria, queen and writer. Emily was a member of the Cobden Club. This was a group that supported free trade.

She was nominated for the Légion d'honneur. This is a very high award in France. But she wanted her son, Robert, to receive it instead. Emily Crawford died in Bristol, England, on December 30, 1915. Her son had helped her leave Paris earlier that year.