Emma Jane Hitchcock

Emma (or Emily, as she was called by her friends) was born into an Irish family - both her parents were second generation immigrants. Her birth location and the place where she spent her childhood was John Street 4 in West Ham (marked on the map below), which at the time was still a separately-governed suburb.

West Ham was the most Christian of all the villages surrounding London and it was mostly because there were so many Irish immigrant families living there. And back then when you were Irish, you were practically a guaranteed Catholic.

Her father was John Whelan, who worked as a policeman. Her mother was Emma Whelan (maiden name Mears). John married twice, each of these marriages produced three kids. Emma was the middle child from his first marriage, named after her mother.

Most, if not all of her life, she spent at home, fulfilling the typical duties of a housewife. In one interview, Alfred said that she was a homemaker, as they say. It was her full-time career, as was the accepted custom in those days. He added: I don’t remember ever coming home and not finding her there.

It is unknown when she met William, but the pair already lived together (on 5 Chapel Street) before September 26, 1887, which is the date of their marriage. The ceremony took place at the Church of Saint Antony of Padua (also in West Ham).

Alfred's mother is remembered as a calm and quiet, but a relatively confident woman. She was well-dressed and well-mannered, which together made her appear aristocratic. On the other hand, when she occasionally got angry, she used to swear like a trooper.

My mother was meticulous about our home and her person. She never left the house without presenting herself at her best, her posture, her demeanor, her dress, her shoes, perfectly polished, a well-kept handbag, inside as well as outside, and gloves whenever possible.

Alfred Hitchcock

Presenting herself as good as possible might be driven by the same force that was also shaping her behavior at home - she took great attention to detail, always wanted to do things to her best abilities. Under her supervision, the Hitchcock house was neat and tidy, and so were her children dressed. Cooking was another of her strong suits. It all paints a picture of a role model homemaker (with swearing added as a bonus).

Just like her husband, she was deeply religious. Despite Alfred's more indifferent attitude towards religion, both she and William demanded a Catholic wedding from him and Alma. That forced the love of Alfred's life to convert to Christianity.

After a break in filming a wonderful movie Shadow of a Doubt, the crew returned to the set in the middle of September 1942. Few days after it happened, Alfred received information about his mother's terrible health condition. The news were very bad - she was on the verge of death. The worst fears came to reality as she died at the Shamley Green house on September 26, 1942.

A physician who was tending to her during her last days of life judged acute pyelonephritis, an abdominal fistula, and an intestinal perforation as a cause of death.

Emma's husband was by her side when she died and he is by her side now - they are buried together at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery. Her physician was also present when she died.

Alfred's mother didn't leave a will. Her estate was valued at £102 and it was granted to the director's oldest sister Ellen Kathleen Ingram.