Emma Nicholls (nee Cooper) was born in 1822 in South Bersted, Sussex, to John and Hannah Cooper (nee Yeates). John worked as a carpenter and lived and worked in the High Street in South Bersted, Sussex.
She married Robert Todd Nicholls on 25th February 1854 at the Parish church, All Saints, Oxford.
They had 6 children-
James Thomas Blackwell Nicholls b1855
Eliza Henrietta Nicholls b1856
Alice Harriet Nicholls b1858
Matilda Alice Nicholls b1859
Ellen Louisa Nicholls b1861
Alfred Charles b1862
Robert worked as a Mercantile Clerk and in 1871 the family were living at 2 Park Road, Hackney, London. By 1881 Robert was a Bankers Clerk and was now living in Brighton Road, Sutton, Surrey.
Between 1881 and 1891 Emma and her Husband had moved to Worthing and lived at Dinedor Belsize road, Worthing. Robert had now retired, and his children had left home.
Robert gave regularly to different charities including-
In 1894 he donated to the Worthing Wreck of the Zadne appeal. The Zadne was a 490 ton steamer that was caught in a terrible storm on the 14th November 1894. A big wave flipped the steamer over and 12 people lost their lives and were washed up on Worthing's beach. The bodies were buried in Broadwater cemetery.
In 1897 he donated to the Worthing Mayor's Maidstone Epidemic fund. The Maidstone epidemic in 1897 was the largest typhoid epidemic in the UK, with over 1,900 people infected and 132 people died.
Robert died on the 16th April 1904 and left £37,114 6s 10d (£2,916,000 in 2020) with probate to James Thomas Blackwell Nicholls (Son), commercial clerk and Peter Riddoch (Son-in-law), Gentleman. He was living in Dinedor Belsize Road, Worthing.
Emma continued to live at Dinedor Belsize Road, Worthing until her death on 24th August 1914. She left £4712 4s 6d (£277970 in 2020) with probate to Alice Harriett Antill (Daughter) and Ellen Louisa Riddoch (Daughter)