Peruse her biography:

Educating Emily

Part I
Part II

Emily's younger years were dominated by two figures: her mother, Molly Chesley, and her "uncle", the visionary and slipshod inventor Michael Flannigan, though neither took an active role in her early schooling.

Molly had never really recovered from the death of her psychopathic husband, Johnny Charles Chesley, at Balaklava. When she talked to Emily at all, she told endless stories of Johnny Chesley's legacy of "savagery, alcohol dependence and war heroics." Molly's inability to let go of the past enveloped the young Emily like a tarpaulin dripping with kerosine.

On the manic side of Molly's depression was her violent opposition to the proclivities of her sisters, Mary, Hope and Chelsea, who had moved to Ennis, Co. Clare to live off their wealthy "brother" (1) Michael. In one instance, Molly was prevented from massacring them only by the groundskeeper Wily Willy (and because she managed to deliver a wicked wedgie to poor Chelsea, through a satisfying fencepost technique she had picked up from her husband). (2) The local cleric, Friar Parsnip, arrived too late to help Chelsea avoid the hysterical end results of this confrontation.

The abandoned abbey near Ennis, where the young Emily would often plan her "outbursts".

Friar Parsnip was also the master of the region's only school, which met every morning after mass for two hours in the 13^th century Ennis Friary.(3) It was there that Emily learned to read - and love - speculative fiction. (4) But while not immersed in the fairy tales told by the Friar or sitting in her uncle's laboratory while he tinkered, Emily was an unhappy child.

As is well documented, Emily became prone at a very early age to "outbursts," as Molly called them; expressed through a twisted combination of violence and creativity, they quite often involved small animals and vaguely satanic rituals. Friar Parsnip tried to control the child, through blandishments of Mary's love, and warnings that she would drink hellfire. Emily thought of these bribes and threats as mere story-telling, and would pat the good-natured Friar on the cheek while she smeared lark's vomit on the neighbour's poodle, Yumyum.

Dr. Abbie fitzWeezepuddle was descended from a long line of Norman loonies, so it is surprising that he did not subscribe to the "science" of phrenology.

Flannigan hired a local physician who was experienced in the field of psychiatry to help Emily overcome these "outbursts". Dr. Abbie fitzWeezepuddle was descended from a long line of Norman loonies (who had settled in the region about the same time the friary was built). FitzWeezpuddle did not subscribe to such modern concepts as the "conscious automata", "animal spirits" or even radical phrenology models of the human mind. He relied on tried and true methods, and therefore bled Emily on a regular basis to dispose of the "angry and melancholy humours" causing her explosive bursts of temper. This constant bleeding was expensive and, for Emily, quite enervating. However, while her body recovered and produced new blood, Emily used the time to read voraciously. She rounded out her study of Catholicism with books on Celtic, Greek and Arthurian mythology, and later supplemented this reading with the Norwegian sagas.

But eventually, her strength would return and another "outburst" would occur. Finally, the good citizens of Ennis had enough, and the dyspeptic family was run out of town; though it must be noted that the Friars did ask Mary, Hope and the womb-challenged Chelsea to stay.

The Flannigan sisters became well-known in the Irish district as the Friar's Tarts. They are seen here taking in an opera before taking in other things.

As Emily entered her "delicate years" (5) Michael became the primary source of her education; the inventor was appalled to discover that she had learned neither mathematics nor natural science. En route to America, Emily began her scientific schooling (peppered by romantic between-deck encounters with a variety of Ians, Owens, Euans and Hamishes). In New York City, the small family split apart, as it became clear that Michael was not going to be able to support the majestic sweep of his sister's various predilections: Mary, Hope and Chelsea opted to stay in the burgeoning metropolis, while Molly, Michael and Emily headed west. (6)

Next: Educating Emily, Part Two...>

Notes:

1) At this point, it was not clear to the young Emily that Michael Flannigan was not really her uncle, though Molly, Mary, Hope and Chelsea all knew that he was not their brother. Apparently, the freakish gene that provided Michael with such longevity also required much secrecy. Some historians have postulated that Molly and her sisters were Flannigan's daughters, and that Emily was his grand-daughter. [back]

2) This episode is fully discussed in The Younger Years. [back]

3) The triumvirate of Flannigan sisters were often at the friary, though usually they were seen entering by the back door. [back]

4) This was how her "uncle" Michael referred to the catechism the school children did each morning. [back]

5) Emily and her family actually arrived in America on February 14, 1869. [back]

6) The Flannigan sisters became well-known in the Irish district as the Friar's Tarts. [back]