Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Emmeline Goulden a titin Sloan a gundumar Moss Side da ke Manchester a ranar 15 ga Yuli, 1858, a makaranta malamanta sun kira ta Emily, sunan da ta fi so a kira ta. Kodayake takardar shaidar haihuwarta ta faɗi akasin haka, ta yi imani kuma daga baya ta yi iƙirarin cewa ranar haihuwarta ta kasance kwana ɗaya da suka gabata, a ranar Bastille (14 ga Yuli). Yawancin tarihin rayuwarta, ciki har da waɗanda 'ya'yanta mata suka rubuta, sun maimaita wannan da'awar. Jin zumunci da mata masu juyin juya hali wadanda
ta mamaye Bastille, ta ce a cikin 1908: "A koyaushe ina tunanin cewa gaskiyar cewa an haife ni a wannan ranar tana da wani tasiri a rayuwata". Iyalin da aka haife ta ya kasance cikin rikice-rikicen siyasa na tsararraki; mahaifiyarta, Sophia, mace ce ta Manx daga Isle of Man wacce ta fito daga mutanen da ake zargi da tashin hankali da kuma tsegumi. A shekara ta 1881 Isle of Man ita ce kasa ta farko da ta bai wa mata 'yancin kada kuri'a a zaben kasa. Mahaifinta, Robert Goulden, mutum ne mai zaman kansa- yana aiki da hanyarsa daga ɗan saurayi zuwa masana'anta- daga dangin Manchester mai tawali'u tare da asalinsa na ayyukan siyasa. Mahaifiyar Robert, mai yanke fustian, ta yi aiki tare da Anti-Corn Law League, kuma mahaifinsa ya shiga cikin Royal Navy kuma ya kasance a lokacin kisan gillar Peterloo, lokacin da dakarun sojan doki suka kai hari kuma suka tarwatsa taron da ke neman sake fasalin majalisar.