Her father had inherited Headington Hill Hall which he significantly extended in 1856 and 1858 resulting in an Italianate mansion designed by architect John Thomas.

[1] 1863 saw the death of her father, and her mother Alicia died the following year, leaving the brewery and the family's estates, including the hall, to their then ten-year-old daughter, Emily.

The trustees tried to deal with Emily's crush on a distant cousin by sending her away to an aunt and forbidding any communication between the pair.

[4] In 1891, the aunt who had taken her in as a child, Emily Stone, died and she added to Morrell's fortune by leaving her nearly £90,000.

James Morrell III took over the brewery in 1926 after he convinced the trustees that he would be more successful than their default decision, which was to sell.