Queens of the Parachute

Thank you for including the piece on Miss Lily Cove as the Family Hero in the February 2017 issue.

Since August 2015 I have been researching the life and times of ‘The Edwardian Lady Parachutist’ Miss Dolly Shepherd, born in Potters Bar in 1886.

Since starting my research, I have been on an amazing journey of discovery. I found out about Miss Lily Cove last June and visited Haworth to pay my respects. The visit was important to me as she had a real East London connection and I was born in Newham.

Over time it has become very clear to me how forgotten the stories of these parachuting women are. The list includes many names from the Victorian and Edwardian era, including Miss Viola Spencer-Kavanaugh, who before she died was to become the first British woman to hold a pilot’s licence.

This was a group of women aptly titled ‘Queens of the Parachute’ who were among the first to travel the skies, entertaining the crowds that would gather to see them perform. Within the male-dominated world of the aeronauts, they were history makers and did not even know it.

My journey continues to try to get Miss Dolly Shepherd and hopefully one day Miss Lily Cove respectfully remembered and honoured in the places that they are connected to. Debra Wallace, by email

Editor replies: We enjoyed featuring Lily Cove as our Family Hero and would love to see more women submitted by readers to appear in that spot.