Born in
New Rochelle, New York, she was the youngest daughter of ten siblings. Her great-great-uncle
Robert Emmet was a notable Irish nationalist who was hanged in 1803 for high treason by the British court for his attempt to implement an Irish rebellion. Lydia Field Emmet's great-grandfather
Thomas Addis Emmet, Robert's older brother, emigrated to the United States after Robert's execution. Thomas Addis Emmet would later become the
New York State Attorney General. His daughter Elizabeth Emmet (b.1794), Jane's great-aunt, would study portraiture under the direction of a steamboat designer and portrait artist named Thomas Fulton. Both her older sisters
Rosina Emmet Sherwood and
Lydia Field Emmet would also become successful artists, as well as their first cousin
Ellen Emmet "Bay" Rand. Emmet de Glehn's brother,
William Le Roy Emmet, was an accomplished engineer employed by
General Electric; a graduate of the
United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis, he was a pioneer in the areas of current electricity and power generation, best known for his work with steam turbines, mercury vapor, and electric ship propulsion. Her brother
Robert Temple Emmet was a
West Point graduate, and
Medal of Honor recipient. Her brother
Devereux Emmet was a pioneering American
golf course architect who, according to one source, designed more than 150 courses worldwide. Her brother
Christopher Temple Emmet was a noted attorney and sportsman. She is the aunt of the prominent American playwright
Robert Emmet Sherwood. ==Early career==