Emily’s funeral was organised by the WSPU.
On Saturday, 14th June 1913 Emily’s body started the long 315 miles journey home from Epsom to St. Mary Virgin Church, Morpeth. James Bradley Furniss of local Epsom undertakers G. & J. Furniss, in his large top hat and regulation funereal trappings, proudly led the funeral procession from the Cottage Hospital in Alexandra Rd down the hill to Epsom Station, in Upper High St.
A train took Emily’s body from Epsom to London. Her coffin was inscribed with, “Fight on. God will give the victory.” . The original station is still there, closed in 1929 and now hidden behind a row of shops.
At Victoria Station the coffin was met by members of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and once in Buckingham Palace Rd the procession started to form up at 1pm. At 2pm the slowly march to King’s Cross station started. The Procession from Victoria to King’s Cross comprised of 5,000 suffragettes and their supporters. It was estimated that 50,000 people lined the streets. The procession moved along Grosvenor Gardens, Grosvenor Place, Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Ave. The procession was on the scales of a state funeral.
Behind the hearse walked Emily’s relatives behind them was leader the of the WSPU Emmeline Pankhurst, and then Suffragette Hunger Strikers. The majority of those on the march wore white but some wore purple. The order and dress code of the procession is in the middle image below.
Just before 4pm the procession stopped at St George’s Church, Bloomsbury were at 4pm a short service lasting half an hour took place after which the procession headed out of Bloomsbury Square into Russel Square, and on to Euston Road and King Cross Station. At 5:30pm her coffin was taken by train to Newcastle, with a suffragette guard of honour for the journey.
Crowds met the train at scheduled stops along the way. On arrival at Newcastle the coffin remained overnight at the city’s central station before being taken to Morpeth, Northumberland.
The following day, Sunday 15th June 100 suffragettes accompanied Emily to St. Mary Virgin Church, Morpeth where a private burial took place at the family plot. After the funeral, Emily’s family closed ranks about Emily’s death, due to its controversial nature and over the next 100 years, myths emerged about Emily and her motives.
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