Emily Hodgson (Nanny to Prince Boris S. Scherbatoff)
Emily was the first child and only daughter of James Hodgson and Catherine Horwood.
Miss Emily Hodgson was a child's nurse who stayed with the family of Russian Imperial Prince Sergei and Princess Elizaveta "Lily" Scherbatoff between October 1903 and March 1904. During her brief time in Russia, Emily acted as special nurse to then six-year-old Prince Boris Sergeyevich during a childhood illness (family stories most often recall this as measles). Originally hired for a shorter period, she was asked to extend her stay into March. She obviously got on well with the family and formed quite an attachment to little Boris.
If it were not for some short notes and letters kept in a small leather book by Emily, her connection with the Imperial family would have been lost to time. Some of the pages and notes have been torn out and lost, but those that did survive offer a nice peek into her early life. All of these special papers are still in the possession of Emily's granddaughter and – together with a Russian passport paper – offer the only clues remaining about Emily's sojourn in Imperial Russia and the strong attachment she had to the ill-fated Prince. If anyone can add to this story, don't hesitate to e-mail.
Emily was born in 1878 in Stockton, Durham. Her mother died on 08 January 1888 (aged 36), and Emily's father remarried on 19 April 1890. Sadly, her new stepmother refused to raise her husband's children from his first marriage, Emily and her two younger brothers, so the little ones were sent to live with members of their mother’s family, the Horwoods. (Emily's father died shortly after, on 28 February 1894.)
In 1901, Emily is recorded as being a Probationer Nurse at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Bull Hill, Darwen, Lancashire. At some point shortly after this, she trained/nursed at St. Mary’s Hospital in London (presumably when and where she met her future husband).
Which brings us back to October 1903, when Emily traveled to Russia for her five-month nursing stint with the family of Princess Lily Scherbatoff (nee Plaoutine). On 27 August 1904, shortly after her return to England, Emily (listed as a Certified Nurse) married John Ernest Moth, Hospital Attendant, at the Register Office in Hendon, London. They had five children before John was killed in France at the WWI Battle of Loos on 13 Oct 1915.
Emily, now a young widow with four children (having lost a daughter in 1911), hardly had time to leave more than a few sketchy details of her life after this. One important detail was the birth of a daughter, Joan Eleanor, on 11 March 1917, as the result of a wartime relationship. Before she died, Emily's joy in thinking she had discovered Boris (now a grown man) in England was turned to sorrow when the Prince Boris Scherbatoff in England turned out to be her little charge's Uncle. It was with great sorrow and anger that this "other" Boris informed her of the young Prince's untimely death at the hands of the Bolsheviks in Russia.
The story of a simple Nurse from England – a nurse who lived in the land of Princes and Princesses for a short time – ended in Hastings on 29 Jan 1947. The location of her final resting place is currently unknown, but her memory lives on in this page dedicated to the memory of Emily Hodgson Moth. May you rest in peace.
Emily Hodgson's Journal (Photos and Transcriptions)
Left London Oct 3rd 1903. Arrived St Petersburg Oct 9th (Russian Sep 26th). Went on to Moscow on the 11th. Left Moscow on the 14th. Arrived Gagarin [Gagarinsky district of Smolensk Oblast] 16th. Met Princess Scherbatow [Elizaveta "Lily" Scherbatoff, nee Plaoutine] in Moscow. Left Gagarin for Smolensk Dec 22nd.
Arrive St Petersburg 16th Oct 1903. Had a rather rough trip but enjoyed it. Met Prince ?????? [Oblensky?] and left Warsaw. All night journey to Moscow. On the 18th met Princess [Scherbatow] at Moscow. In residence 10 days at the Kremlin. Countess ??? ??? snowing and very cold. Bought fur coat, hat, muff and boots, fur lined. Went down to Smolensk and on to Prabroenskoie. On Nov 29th received Photo. English letters on Xmas day, most glorious.
?????? over the snow through open country. In St Petersburg Feb 18th '04. Went to a Dinner Party at Mrs North's and ???? to a social at the English Church. What a glorious sight to see the Neva frozen over.
Feb 21st
Went to Moscow with the Princess to meet Crown Prince ???? on the train to Gargarino, where the peasants burnt the house and killed the old Prince. A terrible time.
Emily also recorded a few addresses in her journal (seen in the photos above). Sadly, their signifigance is now lost.
Letters from Prince Boris Borisovich Scherbatoff (Photos and Transcriptions)
When young Prince Boris' uncle, another Prince Boris, was visiting London in 1932, Emily read about his arrival and mistakenly thought that it was her young charge, now grown and married. She wrote to him and received the three following letters in reply. How sad she must have been to learn the tragic fate of young Boris and his whole family!
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LETTER 1
SAVOY HOTEL, LONDON
Friday May 30th
Dear Mrs Hodgson,
I have been meaning to answer your letter for some days!! I am afraid that there has been some mistake. I am NOT Boris Scherbatoff you are thinking of but his uncle.
I am very sorry to have to tell you the truth, but my poor, dear sister in law Princess Elisabet [Lily] Scherbatoff, Boris, Irina and Dmitri were all shot by the Bolscheviks 11 years ago!!!!......
Elveta [Elizaveta], Manina [Maria] and Tanianta [Tatiana] are somewhere in Siberia – IF they are still alive!!! Any news of those 3 girls since many years!!
Terribly sorry to give you such terrific news!!!!!..
Yours most sincerely,
Pce [Prince] Boris Scherbatoff
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LETTER 2
SAVOY HOTEL, LONDON
Tuesday night
June 3d 1930
Dear Mrs Hodgson,
I received your second letter and just want to give you some more details.
My brother died before the Princess – also during the revolution and in terrible conditions but he was not shot! Mr Michel Plaoutine the second brother of the Princess was shot a year or two before!! The General & Mme Plaoutine left Russia long time ago and died peacefully at their home at Nice only 3 years ago and of course both very old. The poor people lost during the revolution all their 4 children (one of them was my poor sister in law, your Princess E. Scherbatoff). In the same way I lost lots of my relations and friends!!!! In great hurry!
Yours
Prince Boris Scherbatoff
My wife is ill in London and we are kept here for some time!
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LETTER 3
SAVOY HOTEL, LONDON
Saturday
June 7th
Dear Mrs Hodgson,
Unfortunately we are leaving this afternoon for Le Touquet, where we have a nice country home. My wife is much better and we want to leave London as quick as possible – much too hot in town!! If one day you are at Le Touquet (lots of english people come there) or in Paris, do come and see us.
In great hurry!!
Yours
Prince Boris Scherbatoff
Our address in Paris:
49 Boulevard Lannes
Paris 16
In summer:
Les Mouettes en Foret
Le Touquet
Pas de Calais
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