Background
Emma was the daughter of John Brownlow, a foundling who had been brought up in the Hospital.
Emma was the daughter of John Brownlow, a foundling who had been brought up in the Hospital.
He had risen within the institution to become its director John Brownlow had written several books about the institution, and a novel Hans Sloane (1831). The novel was an influence on Charles Dickens"s later novel Oliver Twist, and its author is believed to be the model for the character Mr.
Brownlow.
Dickens was a friend of the Brownlow family. Emma became an artist, producing a series of paintings in the 1850s and 1860s depicting scenes from life at the hospital. She also painted portraits and genre subjects.
She exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts.
She met the man she would marry, Donald King, through her involvement with the Hospital choir. King was a professional singer.
The couple later moved to New Zealand.