him to the cause of man. ... My father was always very modest as to
the value of the political work he did. He preferred to be a simple
soldier in the army of progress. Had he been more self seeking he
might, with his undoubted ability & political insights & sagacity, have
take[n] a foremost part.^77Within just over six years, Emmeline would face another bereavement, that
of her husband, but in the intervening years she and Richard faced a range of
problems. Already they had had the expense of replacing the old brick drains of
Russell Square with a new, approved system and now, during the winter of
1892–3, the five-year tenancy of the ninety-nine year lease came to an end with
an unexpected heavy bill for delapidations. Although Richard was a lawyer, he
had not checked the details of the lease of which Emmeline too had been
unaware. All wear and tear had to be made good, the house redecorated, and
the balcony strengthened.^78 After the bill had been paid, they learnt that the
money had been wasted since the building was to be demolished.^79 Stunned by
such depressing news, Emmeline and Richard reflected on their lifestyle and
decided that the time had come to move back to Manchester. They were tired
of their frequent separations and the financial burden that Emerson’s had
become; although the shop had been moved from Berners Street to a site with
high overcharges in more fashionable Regent Street, it had never been a
commercial success, despite frequent advertisements as an ‘Art Furnishers and
Decorators’ in journals such as the Penny Paper.^80 The painful task of closing
the shop she had started so hopefully made Emmeline ill and it was decided to
move first to the more relaxing atmosphere of the northern seaside resort of
Southport in Lancashire, some forty miles from Manchester.
POLITICAL HOSTESS