Rachel Parsons

Rachel Mary Parsons (25 January 1885 2 July 1956) was an English engineer and advocate for women's employment rights, who was the founding President of the Women's Engineering Society in 1919. Her brother, Algernon George (Tommy) (b.1886), was killed on 28 April 1918 while a Major in the Royal Field Artillery.

She was educated at Newcastle High, Wycombe Abbey, Clarence House (May 1899 – April 1900) and finally Roedean from 1900 to 1903. In 1910 she entered Newnham College, Cambridge, and was one of the first three women to study Mechanical Sciences there although, like all women until 1948, she could not graduate with a degree or become a full member of the university. Nevertheless, she was able to add theoretical knowledge to the practical skills she had already obtained at her father's factory. She left in 1912 having taken the preliminary examination for Part I of the Tripos and a qualifying examination in Mechanical Sciences in 1911. As evidence of her continued aspirations in engineering she became a member of The Royal Institution of Great Britain in 1918, continuing to be a member until she died. Rachel Parsons became the first president of the Women's Engineering Society on 23 June 1919, and served until 1921.

On 9 April 1919, with Blanche Thornycroft and Eily Keary, she was one of the first three women admitted to the Royal Institution of Naval Architects and from 1921 she became a lifelong member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. and one of the principal shareholders. All the employees were women and the director was Annette Ashberry. The company produced surface plates and machine models. It was initially based in Loughborough, where it was intended that the employees could receive further education at the Loughborough College of Technology. Atalanta moved to London, with premises initially in Fulham Road in 1922 and then Brixton Road in 1925. It was voluntarily wound up in 1928. She stood for Parliament in the 1923 election as the Conservative candidate in the constituency of Ince, Lancashire, but was not elected. She moved to the larger property of 5 Grosvenor Square in 1926 and continued as a society hostess. She put herself forward for selection as the Conservative candidate for Newcastle in 1940, but was not successful.

Death Parsons was found dead on 2 July 1956. Stableman Dennis James Pratt, a former employee, was charged with her murder. Defended by Michael Havers, a future attorney-general, Pratt was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation.

Her cousin, Canon R. E. Parsons, officiated at her funeral which was held on 6 July at St Mary's church, Newmarket, and attended by, among others, her cousin Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse.

Commemoration In 2017, one of six tunnel boring machines for London's Thames Tideway Tunnel 'Super Sewer' project was named after Rachel Parsons and began tunnelling from Fulham in 2018. The names were chosen from a shortlist by a public vote. A blue plaque was unveiled in her honour in October 2023 at 6 Windsor Terrace, where Parsons lived during the First World War. The building is part of Newcastle University's halls of residence and was proposed by The Common Room organisation.