Born in Birchington, Thanet, in 1795, Elijah was 40 when he and his wife Sarah decided to emigrate to Ohio, USA with their five daughters though their eldest child, Daniel, chose to remain at home in Thanet. The son of an agricultural labourer, Elijah became a respected gardener and prominent figure in his new community.
Thomas Emptage
Seeking new opportunities and the chance to own land, in 1835 Thomas and his wife Ann, with their two tiny children, made the long trip from Thanet to Liverpool and then across the Atlantic Ocean to New York. Then followed a journey of 470 miles across country by covered wagon until they arrived in Wyandot County, Ohio.
Clifford Walter Emptage
Colour Sergeant Clifford Walter Emptage was a career soldier who served in the 21st London Regiment.
He was a specialist in machine guns. When invalided out of France in 1915 he continued to serve as a training instructor.
Cyril George Emptage
Sergeant Cyril George Emptage was a career soldier who served in the Machine Gun Corps, which became the Royal Tank Regiment during World War One.
He was killed in the battle of Lys in April 1918.