1872 Born on 11th October in Roxburgh House, Blackheath, London, to Charles Edward Davison, retired merchant who had spent time in India, and Margaret née Caisley, both from Northumberland. Emily was the third of four children born to the couple. The marriage to Margaret was Charles’s second; his first marriage produced nine children (half-sisters and brothers to Emily) before the death of his wife in 1866.
1873 The family moved to Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, where Emily was educated at home until 11 years of age.
1880 Death of Emily’s younger sister from Diphtheria aged six
1883 Started school at Lausanne School, Russell Square, London
1884 Left Lausanne School, and spent a year studying in Dunkirk, France
1885-1891 From 13 to 19 years Emily attended Kensington High School (now Kensington Prep School), where her passion for Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale led her to adopt the name Emelye as her own.
1891-1893 Won a scholarship to attend the Royal Holloway College.
1893 Father died when Emily was 21, leaving insufficient funds to complete the course; (£20 a term). Emily left and worked as a governess. Emily’s mother moved to Northumberland and opened a baker’s shop in Longhorsley, which Emily regarded as home, though she never lived there.
1895 Emily enrolled at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford for one term (April-June), to sit her finals. She achieved first-class honours pass in English, but could not graduate because degrees from Oxford were closed to women until 1920. She then taught briefly at a church School in Edgbaston, Birmingham
1896 Moved to Sudbury, a private school in Worthing, where she worked for three years.
1899-1907 Became a private tutor and governess to a family in Spratton, Northamptonshire
1901-1907 Started teaching night classes in Pitman shorthand at Tottenham Polytechnic.
1902 Began reading for a degree at the University of London