Reports On The Death Of Anna Parnell.

Media reports on the tragic death of

Anna Parnell in September 1911.

Ilfracombe Chronicle 23 September 1911

Sad case of Drowning at Ilfracombe

A distressing bathing fatality occurred on Wednesday at Ilfracombe. A lady named Miss Palmer, who has been lodging with Mrs. T. Rowe, 6 Avenue Rd, Illfracombe, since June, 1910, went down to the Tunnels just after 1p.m. to bathe , as she had been in the habit of doing so for some time past. She was a good swimmer, and it is said preferred to bathe when the tide was coming up over the pools, rather than when it was out. At the time the tide was about two hours from the full, but there was a wind from the north-west. Austin, the man in charge of the bathing place, thought it was unwise of the lady to go in, and told her so. It was not rough enough, however, for him to forbid bathing and she went in. He then cautioned her not to stay too long and to come ashore directly the tide came over the bathing pool wall. Miss Palmer promised to remember these directions. She was a fair swimmer, and stated her intention of swimming out a little way. The attendant saw her gradually swim out. She soon appeared to be in difficulties and tried to swim towards the wall. The attendant took a pole and ran along the wall with the idea of reaching her. A big wave, however, knocked him over, and he had to come ashore. Austin then called out for more assistance, and Mr Parkin, the proprietor, ran out. P.C. Bedford, who was at the bottom of Northfield Rd. also promptly came, and with Austin went out in the boat which is kept at the beach for use in case of emergency. The water by this time was so rough that they had a hard task to reach the lady, who was floating on the water on her back, about 20 yards from the shore. Dr. C. T. Jones, who had been notified that he might be required, was on the beach when the body was brought in, and with P.C. Bedford tried artificial respiration for some time, as he thought there was a slight flutter of life in the body. Dr. Langridge was also called, and then the lady was taken into the large room at the Baths. Hot water bottles were applied, and the doctors, with PC’s Bedford and Philpott, did all that was possible to induce artificial respiration for an hour or so. By this time it was quite clear that life was extinct.

Mrs. Rowe communicated by telegraph to the sister of the lady-Mrs Paget, of Weybridge- and the Coroner was duly notified. The lady has been familiar to residents and visitors in consequence of certain eccentricities of dress, and her peculiar bathing costume of black has been the cause of much remark among the frequenters of the Tunnels. Mrs Rowe, with whom she had been lodging, has for the past fortnight strongly advised her against bathing in the open sea, but Miss Palmer preferred to do as she pleased.

The Inquest

The inquest was held on Thursday afternoon in the large room in the Tunnels Baths by Mr G.W.F. Brown, district coroner. Mr J. P. Ffinch watched the case on behalf of the Tunnel Baths Company, from whom Mr. F Parkin rents the premises and the bathing privileges. Mr R. Jewel was chosen as foreman of the jury, but before the jury were sworn, P.S Woollacott said there was a difference in regard to the name of the deceased which was variously given as Miss Palmer and Miss Catherine Anna Parnell, in which latter name the enquiry was conducted. After the jury had been sworn, the Coroner spoke of the name, and said it was supported by documentary evidence, although she had a local bank account in the name of Cerisa Palmer. After briefly stating the circumstances, the jury were taken to view the body, which was lying at the baths.

The first witness was Mrs T. Rowe, 6 Avenue Road, Ilfracombe, who said that deceased had been lodging with her since 1910.She gave the name of Miss Palmer and on one occasion gave her age as getting on to 60. While deceased was with witness she had three letters in the name of Parnell, on which witness remarked. After that all letters came in a sealed envelope from her sister, Mrs Paget, and addressed in the name of Palmer. Deceased was a regular bather in the sea since she came to Ilfracombe. On Wednesday she left the house about 1 p.m. for that purpose and witness did not see her alive again. Witness said it was not much of a day to go bathing and deceased said “rubbish.” Her sister, Mrs Paget, came down in June to see her. Witness did not know why deceased should use two names; she always had plenty of money, and was unmarried.

Austin, attendant at the Baths, said the lady had bathed at the Tunnels nearly every day, and was there just about one on Wednesday. It was nearly half tide, and rough outside, but not inside the wall, when deceased went in she went in at the centre of the beach, and witness warned her to come out as soon as the water came up over the wall. Deceased said “all right.” A heavy sea was running, and she began to drift out, witness went for the pole, as the water was then over the wall. Deceased never spoke or called out. They kept a pole with a long line attached, to help bathers in case of need. Witness got within 10 yards of the lady, but could not get on the wall, as there was too much sea there; he went for help, and Mr. Parkin and his son, with P.C. Bedford came. They launched the boat which was kept at the Tunnels; witness and P.C. Bedford went out with a big sea running at the time and secured the body, which was floating on its back. He believed breath was in the body at the time. Deceased was a fair swimmer in smooth water and had a curious upright way of swimming, she had never been out over the wall, as people often did when the tide was in. It was then not so easy to get at them but when the tide was out, no one was allowed to go outside.

By Mr Finch: They first launched a boat on the gentlemen’s beach, but it filled; they then launched the one on the other beach. When they launched the first boat the lady was still swimming.

P.C Bedford said he was called to the beach and went out in the boat with Austin. They were driven back by the tide three times; when they reached the body, the lady was gasping.

By the Jury: If they had tried to get the body into the boat, they would all have been dashed against the rocks.

Dr. C.T Jones said he was on the spot when the body was brought in: they tried artificial respiration on the beach, and afterwards for an hour in the room at the Baths. Everything they wanted was promptly provided by the people at the Baths.

In summing up the facts, the Coroner said the deceased’s name appeared to be Catherine Anna Parnell, and an agreement among her papers gave a former address as 4 Alexandra Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow; a banker’s letter gave the same name, they might therefore assume that this was the correct one, and she took the name of Palmer for reasons with which the jury had nothing to do. The medical evidence clearly proved that death was due to suffocation caused by drowning. Deceased had been warned as to possible danger, but disregarded the warning, being carried out by the tide. Everything was done that was possible and the witness Austin had shown great presence of mind.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death by drowning, and the foreman said they desired to commend the attendant Austin and P.C. Bedford for their efforts to save the life of the victim.

The Coroner said he fully agreed with the jury’s recommendation. All the funeral arrangements are left by Mrs Paget, deceased sister, in the hands of Mrs. Rowe. From the evidence before the coroner, in regard to the name of the deceased lady, it would appear that she was a family connection of the late Charles Stewart Parnell, at one time the leader of the movement for Home Rule in Ireland.

Report from Sunday Observer 24 September 1911.

It transpired, yesterday, that the lady who was drowned last week while bathing at the Tunnels Baths last week was a sister of the famous Irish leader, Charles Stewart Parnell. She had been living at Ilfracombe for the past year or so under the name of Cerise Palmer, but documentary evidence has satisfied the coroner that her real name was Catherine Anna Parnell.

Ilfracombe Chronicle 30 September 1911.

THE LATE CATHERINE ANNA PARNELL

(BY A CORRESPONDENT)

The recent deplorable fatality at the Tunnels Bathing Beaches, Ilfracombe, has aroused a widespread interest and sympathy, not only by reason of its somewhat mysterious character, but also from the relationship of the victim with the remarkable man once described as the “Uncrowned King of Ireland”

Though unaccustomed, like her sister Fanny, to write verses in sympathy with the aims of the notorious Land League, she “suddenly and unexpectedly emerged into authorship in Mr William O Brien’s paper, The Irish People, in a series of articles in which she made the most amazing statements in regard to her brother’s political aptitude. He was not sufficiently advanced for her, and was, she considered, constantly making mistakes”.

She was extremely fond of swimming and used constantly, when living in Ireland, to swim across Dalkey Sound to Dalkey Island, even when first class swimmers endeavoured to dissuade her from the dangerous enterprise. Those who knew her prowess in the sea maintained that she must, while swimming at Ilfracombe, have met with an accident or got a cramp.

The present writer deems the occasion suitable for recording an incident that seems to deepen the mystery of Miss Parnell’s untoward ending. His daughter, no mean swimmer, was preparing to bathe in a sea, otherwise placid except for a ground swell. Miss Parnell approached her, and with an expression not free from anxiety, begged her not to enter the water, for she added “It is rather dangerous as the sea will be in your eyes” This piece of caution will not only serve to recall the deceased lady’s curious habit of shading her eyes with her hand when in the water or walking along the sea wall, but will also make it still further inexplicable why she suddenly became so fatally venturesome.

Miss Parnell was a lady of great ability, speaking four Continental languages-French, German, Italian, and Russian-she was also a clever painter, and had considerable literary gifts. So far as is known, the members of the family still living are two sisters, and one brother who lives in Switzerland.

One of four sisters, Anna Parnell was held by her brother to be the ablest of the family. The “Pall Mall Gazette’s” Dublin correspondent, who recalls many interesting facts about her, says that she was in appearance and temperament extraordinarily liker her famous brother.

On one occasion, during the Viceroyalty of Lord Spencer, she seized the Lord Lieutenant’s in Westmoreland St rein and demanded of him why he allowed certain evictions to go on in the West.

A few years before the death of her brother, Miss Anna Parnell is said to have lived under an assumed name in the neighbourhood of Brockley, London. She was nearly always alone, and was noticeable for her sad and abstracted air.

Miss Parnell announced some years ago that she had written a history of the Land League and that in case she did not find a publisher she would like to find someone to entrust it to after her death- for “there may come a time when the Irish people will value truth, even if they do not value it now.

In the “Occasional Notes” of this week, the “North Devon Journal,” after speaking of the extraordinary talents of Miss Parnell says:- “Yet this was the lady whose mannerisms and eccentricities on the bathing beach were regarded as fit subject for mirth by a tittering holiday crowd at Ilfracombe! No one who saw the deceased lady under the circumstances at Ilfracombe during the past summer, would dream that she had been the daring leader in a great National movement, for apart from eccentricities of action which were apparently due to nervous trouble, she used as a bathing dress a strange costume which could not fail to attract attention. The writer one morning in August, while the bathing beach at the Tunnels were crowded with visitors, saw the deceased lady make a complete circuit of the pool, this involving a climb over some rocks, before entering the water, the circuit being completed to the accompaniment of general tittering. One could not help feeling ashamed. But the holiday crowd is heartless. The laugh is everything. If the crowd only knew! But the facts have become known too late. Too late!”

The Funeral.

The funeral of Anna Parnell took place Saturday 23 September at the parish church. The service was conducted by Rev Percy Barnes. There were no relatives present, and those following the hearse were Mrs Rowe, her sister and two friends, Messrs Parkin (lessee of the baths) and Austin and Hill (the attendants) The coffin which was polished oak with brass fittings, bore the inscription:

Catherine A. Parnell

Died September 20^th, 1911,

Aged 59 years

Mr G.H Reed was the undertaker

A Plaque placed on her headstone by The Parnell Society in 2002
quotes from Anna’s writing:

''The best part of Independence
The independence of the mind"