Lily Kempson facts for kids
Lily Kempson (born January 17, 1897 – died January 21, 1996) was an important Irish activist. She took part in the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. Lily was born Elizabeth Anne Kempson in County Wicklow, Ireland. People remember her as a strong supporter of workers' rights and a fighter in the Irish Citizen Army. She was the very last person still alive who had been part of the Easter Rising.
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Early Life in Dublin
Lily Kempson grew up in a family who didn't have much money in County Wicklow. When she was a child, her family moved to Dublin. Lily, her parents James and Esther, her grandmother, and her eight brothers and sisters all lived together. They shared a small, two-room home in a building called Piles Building in Dublin's Liberties area.
In 1913, when Lily was 16, she worked at Jacob's Biscuit Factory. She joined a big strike called the Dublin lock-out. Workers were unhappy about the tough conditions in the factory. Because she took part in the strike, Lily was arrested and spent two weeks in Mountjoy Gaol. She lost her job at the factory after the strike.
People described Lily in 1913 as small and thin. She had light brown hair, brown eyes, and a pale skin tone. Her father and two of her brothers, James and Patrick, fought in the British Army during World War I.
Joining the Fight for Change
By the time she was 19, Lily Kempson was very involved in helping workers. She worked from Liberty Hall in Dublin. Many women who lost their jobs during the lockout, like Lily, joined James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army. This was a small group of trained volunteers. They were part of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU). The group was set up to protect workers' protests from the police. Lily later joined another rebel group called the Irish Voluntary Army.
Role in the Easter Rising
During the Easter Rising, which happened from April 24 to April 29, 1916, Lily had an important role. She was sent to help take over St. Stephen's Green. She was given a gun and told to be careful. When one person tried to leave the group, Lily pointed her gun and made sure no one left.
During the week-long fight in Dublin, Lily was a brave messenger. She carried messages for leaders like Padraic Pearse at the General Post Office. She risked her life, avoiding snipers (people shooting from hidden places). Frank Robbins, another fighter, said that women like Constance Markievicz, Lily Kempson, and Mary Hyland were very helpful.
Lily also said that she was part of a group of seven people. This group, led by Malkin and Markiewicz, went into the Royal College of Surgeons. This building was near St. Stephen's Green. There, she claimed they cut up a portrait of Queen Victoria.
After the Rising ended on April 29, Lily was supposed to be arrested. But she escaped to Liverpool and then sailed to the United States. She used her sister's passport to travel. Later, the Irish government gave Lily medals and a monthly payment. This was to recognize her brave actions in the 1916 Rising.
Life in America
Soon after arriving in the United States, Lily settled in Seattle, Washington. She married Matthew McAlerney, who was also an Irish immigrant from County Down. They got married on February 27, 1917. Lily and Matthew had seven children: Kathleen, Alice, Matthew, John, James, Betty, and Peggy. When Lily passed away in Seattle at the age of 99, she was a great-great-grandmother to five children.
