Two Emmas and A Cripple

I was doing some ghost hunting and came across an Emma Louise. There was plenty of documentation to verify her, 15 sources, 14 records and 18 photographs. I have found that she had 3 brothers. While doing research I have discovered other explorers list 2 more brothers and a sister also named Emma. Emma Frieda. I have been struggling with this for days. There is a photo of her headstone but it is weathered and hard to read so I enlisted the aid of a photographer to help. He saw the dates I saw which are not what were listed on several sites which, created more confusion.

Now, I have seen naming patterns where one child was named the same name as a dead child. For example, if Jo was born in 1811 and died in 1813 and another male child came in 1816 then he would be named Jo also. But Emma F. was born 5 years after Emma L and Emma L. did not die.

 I have also seen a child be given a name carried by a sick child. For example, Mol was born in 1812 and in June of 1818 she was very ill. Also in June of 1818 Mol’s mom gave birth to another daughter. Fearing that her daughter would die she names the newborn daughter Mol also.  Which may have been the case here. But, there is another possibility.

 In many traditions Saints names were used as part of the name. In Germany where Emma is from, it is especially so.  A whole family of male children can be named Johan Peter, Johan Jacob, Johan Henry and Johan Lothar all named for Saint Joannesvan Hoornaar. 

But they are not all called Johan. Their second name is used in private, in public and on legal documents.

Well, guess what I just found. A Saint Emma of Lesum in Breman Germany. 

                                             Saint Emma of Lesum (stained glass window in St. John's Church, Schnoor)

This may be the solution, except, none of the brothers carry multiple Saint’s names. 

Perhaps it is for a different Saint Emma. Saint Emma of Regensburg. 

So maybe the reason there are two Emma’s is not clear but it is clear it can and does happen.

I would love to scream out “Mischief managed” but I somehow am quite confident it is not. There is still a mystery to be solved. 

What mischief will you manage to find today?