[1] Bessie spent her formative years in New Haven, Connecticut before relocating to the Brandywine Valley of Delaware.

Bessie's deep interest in her family's history led her to begin translating and compiling historical documents related to the du Pont family and their business in 1900.

As the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Company began to expand at the start of the twentieth century, Alfred's union with Bessie deteriorated.

For numerous reasons, what had started out as a pleasant marriage had grown difficult and strained.

Bessie became increasingly estranged from Alfred and their children, creating friction within the du Pont family.