Emily Shackleton

Emily Shackleton (15 May 1868 – 9 June 1936), also known as Lady Shackleton, was the wife of Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and the mother of Labour Party politician Edward Shackleton. In later life, she was involved in the Girl Guides movement. Her brother was cricketer Arthur Dorman. Early life Emily Mary Dorman, later Lady Shackleton, was born into a large wealthy family in Sydenham, Kent. Her father was Charles Dorman of Wadhurst, and she was the youngest of six children, having four brothers and a sister. On 9 April 1904, she married the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and together they had three children. The era of Antarctic exploration During their marriage, Emily's husband Ernest was frequently away on expeditions in the Antarctic. Emily Shackleton was an important part of her husband's work, she used her social connections to generate the practical and financial support required which enabled him to embark on the British Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole, and later the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition. In her husband's absence, she raised their family alone and lived on her independent income. She became interested in the Girl Guiding movement, which formally started around 1910, becoming the Eastbourne divisional Commissioner. The family also benefited from the generosity of philanthropist Janet Stancomb-Wills who assisted in the financing of some of Sir Ernest Shackleton's expeditions. Family life continued in this way until the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton of a heart attack on the island of South Georgia, while en route to Antarctica during the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition.