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A pivotal point in Lever's life was the death of his wife, Lady Lever, in 1913, only a few days after a suspected arson attack at their home in Rivington, near Bolton.The next year, a foundation stone was laid, in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary for the inauguration of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, which was to be completed in 1922.On July 5th 1914, Port Sunlight had been host to a Congress of the International Garden Cities and Town Planning Association (including representatives from Germany). With the outbreak of war a few days later, the irony was not lost and the community would see unprecedented changes. A significant number of young men were killed affecting the long-term demography of the village. Over the years, schemes were devised to give preference for housing to couples with children to redress the problem of an ageing population.