Edith Parnell (1913 – 13 November 1938), known to friends as Bunny, was a Welsh swimmer and journalist. In 1929 she became the youngest known person to swim across the
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...
.
Early life and the Bristol Channel
Edith Gertrude Parnell was the daughter of Mr and Mrs F. R. Parnell of
Penarth
Penarth ( , ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.
Penarth is a Seaside resort#Brit ...
.'' Western Mail'', 14 November 1938, p. 12
In 1928, Parnell was already known as a distance swimmer, supporting other young women on attempts to cross the Bristol Channel. On 15 August 1929, at age 16, she became the second person to swim the Bristol Channel, swimming from Penarth to
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...
in 10 hours, 15 minutes. She remains the youngest person ever to have made the crossing.
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, and the first woman editor of a Sunday newspaper. She was later editorial manager of Higham's advertising agency. She handled publicity for Higham clients, including Coty,
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British Chemical industry, chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. Its headquarters were at Millbank in London. ICI was listed on the London Stock Exchange ...
, and the "Bread for Energy" campaign. She attended a convention of the Advertising Federation in Boston in 1936, and was the only woman delegate at the convention, representing the London-based Regent Advertising Club. She also spoke to the
Rotary Club
Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
of
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
in 1936, on the topic "Public Relations from a Woman's Standpoint."
Personal life
Parnell married the Welsh journalist Hugh Cudlipp in April 1936, though the marriage was not a success. She was simultaneously in love with Tom Darlow, editor of ''
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of England, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter-of-fact man. He originated in satirical works of ...
'', and kept up an affair with him. She died on 13 November 1938, aged 25 years, after complications from a
Caesarean
Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because vaginal delivery would ...
section in a
Harley Street
Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.
Parnell's story partly inspired the novel ''Wonder Girls'' (2012) by Catherine Jones.