Those of you who know even a little bit about the history of the North-East will have heard of Charles Algernon Parsons, the remarkable mechanical engineer and inventor responsible for the early development of the steam turbine. He wasn't a North-Easterner by birth, but spent most of his days based in and around Newcastle and Gateshead where he would eventually earn for himself a world famous reputation in his field.
He and his wife, Katharine, had two children, a son and a daughter. Algernon George "Tommy" Parsons was killed in action in 1918. Their daughter, though, Rachel Mary Parsons, followed her father into science and industry - and to startling effect.
However, following the death of her brother in 1918, she seems to have gone into a slow and steady mental decline. It was only very gradual - and she continued to have astonishing success along the way - but her condition seemed to accelerate after she inherited her parents fortune in the early 1930s. She never married, nor did she have any children, and descended eventually into a sad and lonely existence in her various properties.
And then, in 1956, she was murdered. The story is extraordinary, and I would urge you to read the following articles in order. Firstly, have a look at her Wikipedia entry.
Then check out a comprehensive account of her death.
And there's a little addendum here.
How strange. And what a sad end to a truly stupendous family legacy.
