Edith Tallant
- Philippe ALEXANDRE
- Mar 11, 2024
- 5 min read
The wedding
This is the famous picture taken from Marie Louise Commet and Benjamin Courtright’s marriage. The legend at the back is « Our wedding party ».
I remind you that Marie Louise was the aunt of my maternal grand-father. She married a young American soldier in 1919. The WWI is now over and American army is now preparing to go home.
The photography of the marriage :
I guess that this picture has been shot with their closest friends and witnesses :
I have identified at 100 % Benjamin Courtright (n°3) and Marie-Louise Commet (n°4)
We have four women, three men and three children. All men seem to wear military clothes.
We know that the Freyler’s brothers (Cousin and witnesses of Marie-Louise) are on the picture with potentially their wife and maybe some of their children, and they are also military.
Jacques Freyler & Anna Jehanno and they have three children Jeanne, André and Georges respectively 6, 8 and 10 years old
Georges Freyler & Marie Canteloup and their daughter Marguerite, 7 years old.
We have the two young ladies as witnesses :
Clothilde Metreau, 28, midwife, living in Lormont. She will marry André Carsoule in 1921 in Lormont (Maybe the third man)
Edith Tallant, 35, living in America (Maybe n°1 or 9)
And we should not forget Marie-Louise’s mother :
Jeanne Guichard, maybe n° 8.
The picture seems to have been shot in the US barracks area where sammies have build Genicart Camp near Bassens harbor in Lormont (Bordeaux suburban)
Edith Tallant
Edith Tallant has effectively worked in Genicart Camp in 1919. (Tallant, Edith : 9 may 1881- 22 june 1957). But who was she ?
She has been graduate of Richmond High School in 1901, of the Vassar College in 1905, in university of Wisconsin, and since 1906 she is instructor of english at Richmond High School.
Her father William Nicholson Tallant (24 sept 1854 - 17 jan. 1905) is born in Wheeling (West Virginia) a well-known banker and deceased in Columbus, Ohio, and she has a brother named Robert.
In the census of Indiana 1910, she is 28, and his brother Robert is 20 (16 dec. 1889 - 8 aug. 1950) and both are born in Ohio. Their father is dead and they, both children, are living with their mother Catherine (she is 51) at Richmond, 30 South eleven Street. Catherine Tallant (2 sept.1858- 28 Jan.1920) is also born in Ohio but her father came from England and her mother from Ireland. Edith's father is born in West Virginia.
Volunteer for France
In 1917, Edith Tallant decides to be volunteer to go to France to help the US Army through the Y.M.C.A. association. Her Y.M.C.A. cards shows that she is speaking french and german. She was living at 382 Morrison avenue, Columbus, Ohio.
She has certainly followed a military & medical training at US Marine hospital at Evansville in Indiana before her departure for France.
She travelled in France in october, the 10th 1918 and went back in july, 26th 1919, and her address back was 1540, Franklin Avenue at Colombus – Ohio.
Her profession or occupation was HS TR SEC which is maybe an abbreviation for High School Teacher. She is graduate and practicing episcopal religion. (Anglican rite church for which the assembly of bishops is superior to the pope).
Her passport request shows us also a new portrait Edith and show us the different travels she has already made :
She has already travelled :
In summer 1908 in Europe during 3 months
In summer 1911 in England & Ireland during 3 months
She needs to go to Great Britain and France for Y.M.C.A. Service
American army and World War I
Her motivation was maybe also because her brother born in 1889, is 28 in 1917 and he is also enrolled into the US Army and will participate to the WWI in France. At 28, Robert H Tallant is unemployed.
Just a quick historical reminder about US Army. The first characteristic before WWI is a lack of men. US Army is a professional Army based on volunteers and not very attractive. To change this, in june 1916, the National Defense Act is voted to target the regular army to 300.000 soldiers, and in may 1917 is officially created the American Expeditionary Force, later in may 1918 is voted the selected Service Act which allow a real conscription and a census of all men between 21 & 30.
Robert goes to France by October, the 3rd 1917 according to the Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters.
YMCA contribution to WWI
An article is mentionning Edith Tallant in a University Vassar publication : the « Vassar Quarterly, Volume IV, Number 3, 1 May 1919 » acting as volunteer in Camp Genicart. At the beginning of the participation of america to the WWI, the red cross and the YMCA has send women, volonteers, to take care about their soldier in France. Their role was to prepare and assist them before going back to USA. Their assistance was concrete, canteen, library and also moral by given them some confort from america.
In this book we are interested by that article :The Vassar Units at Verdun, Savenay and Bordeaux which explain Edith's role as Librarian but also to support moral of the soldiers by bringing them pieces of America :
As well from that book, we identified Elisabeth Van der Veer as the leader of the volunteers at Lormont, she sailed September 8th, she is in charge of the canteen with the help of Laura Hickox, Elizabeth Page, and also Edith Tallant.
On the twenty woman sent in France, two died of pneumonia, Dorothea Gay, 1911, and Ruth Cutler, 1912. After Dorothea Gay death, Helen Ives Haight was sent to replace her.
Edith Tallant is the fifth starting from the left side. Elisabeth Van der Veer is the fourth starting from the right.
She has been witness at Benjamin & Marie Louise's marriage in may 1919, she has even published an article about it in the "Spoke man Review" 1919, June the 29th :
Back to USA
Effectively, Edith Tallant travelled back from France, departure from Brest, the 16th of July 1919 to arrive in New York the 26th, ten days later upon the SS Mobile. She is 37.
Edith returned teaching in Columbus - Ohio. She lives with her brother Robert and her mother Catherine.
She is teacher but also journalist, author, theater actress also. She published some books in the following years :
1930 1938 1939 1940
For "Among the Sea fisher", Edith spent several summer working and teaching in Labrador to support the International Grenfell association of the doctor Grenfell :
"The International Grenfell Association (IGA) is an organization founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell to provide health care, education, religious services, and rehabilitation and other social activities to the fisherman and coastal communities in northern Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador."
Edith has devoted her entire life to help people, whether by volunteering in the YMCA or to the development of the Labrador, or as a scout, or as a teacher.
She deceased the 22 June 1957 and buried at Green Lawn Cemetery Columbus – Ohio close to her family.
Lexical :
Y.M.C.A. : the Young Men's Christian Association, a Christian youth movement founded in 1844 in London and now present in 124 countries around the world. YMCAs work in various social fields which vary depending on the country.
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