Dolly Shepherd
Encyclopedia
Dolly Shepherd was born in Potters Bar
as Elizabeth Shepherd. She was a pre-eminent parachutist and fairground entertainer in the Edwardian and Georgian eras, renowned for her exceptional courage. The course of her life had changed when, aged 16, she got a job as a waitress at the Alexandra Palace
so that she could see the composer
John Philip Sousa
, but she overheard two gentlemen discussing the loss of a target for an act in which they shot an apple off a girl’s head. She volunteered on the spot.
In 1905 she ascended on a trapeze
slung below a hot-air balloon to a height of 2-4,000 feet before descending on a parachute. On one occasion both the balloon and the parachute malfunctioned, and she found herself rising to 15,000 feet. At this height, both the cold and lack of oxygen
were threatening to make her lose her grip and fall to her death. Fortunately, the balloon returned to earth before it was too late.
She was not so lucky on a later occasion when she ascended with another girl. The other girl’s parachute would not release, so she had to wrap her arms and legs around Dolly so that they could descend on the one parachute. The descent was of course much too fast, and Dolly was paralysed for several weeks. She nevertheless returned to her act and first flew again at Ashby-de-la-Zouch
.
Edith Maud Cook
died from injuries sustained following a jump from a balloon at Coventry
on 9 July 1910 when her parachute collapsed after a gust of wind blew her on to a factory roof. Dolly had been due to make the jump at Coventry but Cook had taken her place.
Dolly later married, (married name Elizabeth Sedgwick), but still managed a flight with the Red Devils
display team a few years before she died aged 96.
Potters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
as Elizabeth Shepherd. She was a pre-eminent parachutist and fairground entertainer in the Edwardian and Georgian eras, renowned for her exceptional courage. The course of her life had changed when, aged 16, she got a job as a waitress at the Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
so that she could see the composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
, but she overheard two gentlemen discussing the loss of a target for an act in which they shot an apple off a girl’s head. She volunteered on the spot.
In 1905 she ascended on a trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
slung below a hot-air balloon to a height of 2-4,000 feet before descending on a parachute. On one occasion both the balloon and the parachute malfunctioned, and she found herself rising to 15,000 feet. At this height, both the cold and lack of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
were threatening to make her lose her grip and fall to her death. Fortunately, the balloon returned to earth before it was too late.
She was not so lucky on a later occasion when she ascended with another girl. The other girl’s parachute would not release, so she had to wrap her arms and legs around Dolly so that they could descend on the one parachute. The descent was of course much too fast, and Dolly was paralysed for several weeks. She nevertheless returned to her act and first flew again at Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
.
Edith Maud Cook
Edith Maud Cook
Edith Maud Cook , also known as Viola Spencer-Kavanagh, Viola Spencer, Viola Kavanagh, and perhaps as Viola Fleet and Elsa Spencer, was an early British parachutist, balloonist, and aviatrix.-Biography:...
died from injuries sustained following a jump from a balloon at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
on 9 July 1910 when her parachute collapsed after a gust of wind blew her on to a factory roof. Dolly had been due to make the jump at Coventry but Cook had taken her place.
Dolly later married, (married name Elizabeth Sedgwick), but still managed a flight with the Red Devils
Red Devils (Parachute Regiment)
The Red Devils are the Parachute Regiment's parachute display team. The team wears the distinctive maroon beret. The Red Devils are regular serving paratroopers from the three battalions of the Parachute Regiment who have volunteered to serve on the display team.The team was formed on 1 January...
display team a few years before she died aged 96.