From discovery to dynasty.
Christine Broderick Emmanuel turned family records into a multi-generational American saga.
By Lisa Player | Photos by Kate Treick Photography
“I did not set out to write my family’s story. Rather, the story found me.”
Christine Broderick Emmanuel said the inspiration for her new book, “The Westcott Story: The Enduring Spirit of an American Family Spanning 400 Years,” came from out of the blue. A distant relative called her during the COVID pandemic in 2020, seeking a home for the family’s ancestral records.
“Within weeks of that phone call,” Emmanuel said, “four overflowing boxes landed on my doorstep — a genealogical mother lode that set in motion my writing/publication journey.”
She dove in right away, finding out that family members had already published four books about relatives, dating from between 1886 and 1991. She also found a pedigree chart, “which became my roadmap for tracing my 22-generation lineage.”
Emmanuel spent the next four and a half years combing through newspaper clippings, scrap books, letters and more, reaching out to living family members for information, and searching the internet to fill out the story, which weaves together British, French and American history and important people going back to the 1600s.
“Little did I know that I am related to King Richard of England; Anne, the Duchess of York; Sir Walter Raleigh through my 11-times great-grandfather Sir Lewis Stukely; the biblical scholar Clement Clarke Moore who penned “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” for his children in 1823; and the illustrious Fish family from New York who established a political dynasty, as examples,” she said.
The surprises didn’t stop there. Emmanuel found a relative who was on the boat with George Washington in the famous painting by Leutze of Washington Crossing the Delaware. And she even found connections closer to home.
“Until I began researching my family’s story, I did not know that I am related to James Diament Westcott III, the youngest jurist ever to serve on the Florida Supreme Court, whose name graces the iconic administration building at Florida State University, where I earned an MBA in 1983,” she said.
Emmanuel identified most with the family traits that seem to have made their way across generations. She loved learning about her predecessors’ industriousness and ambition, as well as finding out that many were also writers, traits she sees today among her eight siblings and their children.
The ancestor she is inspired by the most, though, is Marie de la Warenbuer Ferree. She and her family, French Protestants, fled from France to Germany to escape horrific persecution.
“Losing the Ferree family home, in exile, Marie was left to fend for herself with six children upon Daniel’s death,” Emmanuel said. “She mustered remarkable courage to lead her family to London, where she sought out William Penn, who gave her an audience with Queen Anne. Marie gained entry to America for herself and her family in 1708 with the 2,000 acres William Penn granted her with the queen’s blessing. Referred to as ‘Madame Ferree,’ my resolute eight-times great-grandmother remains venerated in the Pennsylvania town where she settled outside of Philadelphia in ‘Paradise,’ Lancaster County.”
Emmanuel describes her research and the ensuing two-volume, self-published family history as a “passion project” that consumed her, day and night. She credits advice and help from several friends and experts who helped her bring it to life, including Tom Roberts, founder of Raven Cliffs Publishing and former Emerald Coast Writers president, and Mamie Hixon, UWF English professor and writing lab director.
As she continues to promote “The Westcott Story” and its historical significance, Emmanuel hopes to find a screenwriter with an eye toward turning it into a docuseries.
“Imagine 14 seasons following the Westcotts and kin from England, France and Germany as they colonize a new world, build a nation and gradually raise it to become a world power. From immigration to colonization, from armed conflict to industrialization and artistic expression, the enthralling stories will embody the spirit and value of cultural icons in every phase of our nation’s history,” she said.
And for others who want to follow her lead in exploring their own family histories, Emmanuel stresses the importance of asking questions of senior and contemporary relatives before it’s too late and the stories are lost. She also suggests having “accountability partners” to help keep your work on track.
“History is all about the stories. It’s up to each of us to document them as a legacy honoring our ancestors who sacrificed so much for us.”
