Emily Bishop

Devout Christian Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) always stands up for who and what she believes in - she's even camped out in a tree to save the local Rec!

Marriages Ernest Bishop (deceased), Arnold Swain (declared void)

1961 Miss Nugent - as Emily is known then - merges her linens business with neighbouring shopkeeper Leonard Swindley, later taken over by Gamma Garments.

1964 Makes use of the leap year and proposes to Leonard but dumps him at the altar after realising she doesn't love him.

1967 Returns from nursing her ailing dad with a more modern image. Joins a dating agency and has a proposal of marriage.

1968 Has a brief fling with Hungarian Communist Miklos Zadic.

1971 Leads a sit-in protest over a proposed development. Gets engaged to lay preacher Ernest Bishop.

1972 Marries Ernest. Has a miscarriage.

1978 Armed gunmen raid the factory where Ernest works and he's shot and killed. Opens a café.

1980 Sells café to Jim and Alma Sedgewick. Meets and marries Arnold Swain, but the marriage is annulled when he's exposed as a bigamist.

1981 A disturbed Arnold returns and wants Emily to join him in a suicide pact. Goes into hiding until Arnold is put away.

1982 Goes to work for Mike Baldwin.

1988 Takes in Percy Sugden as a lodger.

1992 Has a nervous breakdown.

1994 Back in good health, becomes engaged to Reverend Bernard Morton, but he ends their relationship after discovering her mental health problems.

1997 Percy moves into sheltered accommodation. Nephew Geoffrey 'Spider' Nugent comes to stay and ropes her into a tree-top protest to save the 'Red Rec' from development.

1999 Spider leaves for India.

2000 Takes in Norris Cole as a lodger.

2003 Serial killer Richard Hillman tries to murder her for money.

2006 New friend and fellow Christian Ed Jackson reveals that he is the gunman who caused Ernie's death. She saves him from suicide but insists he moves away.

2008 Invites former Coronation Street resident Jed Stone to lodge with her and Norris Cole, not knowing that Jed thinks Tony Gordon is a killer. A frightened Jed moves away.

2009 Becomes fond of Ramsay Clegg, Norris's half-brother who's visiting from Australia. Heartbroken when he dies.

Played by Eileen Derbyshire

Born on October 6 1930 and brought up in Manchester, Eileen took a teaching degree in speech and drama before getting in to acting. She then went on to train at the Northern School of Music.

Despite her musical leanings, Eileen... Read More