Isabella Louisa Parry (nee Stanley)
Inscription: Sacred to the memory of Isabella Louisa, Fourth daughter of Lord Stanley of Alderley and wife of Captain Sir William Edward Parry Kt, R.N. Born at Alderley May 27th 1801. Died at Tunbridge Wells May 13th 1839.
Unspeakably endeared to the mourning friends she has left behind by the loveliness of her natural character and her many social virtues: exemplary as a daughter & a wife & a mother she was endued with those higher graces of a pure and humble piety, which are precious in the sight of God.
The infant twin sons of the above who were born and died May 11th 1839 are interred with their mother in the churchyard.
“Sorrow not even as others which have no hope: for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them which also sleep in Jesus will God bring with them.” 1 Thess. IV 13. 14.
Buried in the cemetery? Yes. Grave C8.
Location: 10 on map: This tablet is to the left of the stage behind the curtain.
Accessibility: It is only viewable by prior arrangement with Trinity Theatre when the stage is not in use.
About Isabella Louisa Parry
Isabella Louisa Stanley was born into a wealthy family. She married explorer Rear Admiral Sir William Edward Parry (his memorial tablet is No 9 directly above this one) as his first wife and travelled with him and their family to Australia.
She is known for setting up a school for children and one for adult convicts in Australia. She was also an accomplished amateur artist. Some of her Australian sketches, dated 1832, are now in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
There is a portrait and biography of her in the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. There is also a memorial tablet for her in Stroud, NSW, Australia.
She and Edward had 10 children and by 1837 had lost 4 of them. They are all buried together in London.
In 1839 she came to Tunbridge Wells to ‘take the air’ as the family was recovering from whooping cough. The family stayed at what is now the Mount Edgcumbe Hotel. There is a plaque commemorating them there.
Unfortunately she died in Tunbridge Wells, 2 days after her twin sons were born and died on the same day they were born. She and her sons are buried in the cemetery.
There is more information about Isabella on our website here.
Other graves/memorial tablets:
Rear Admiral Sir William Edward Parry memorial tablet no 9 (immediately above this tablet).
His son by his second marriage, William Edward Parry, is also buried in the cemetery in grave no D19. H died aged only 15 at Harrow School in 1861. His second wife Catherine Hankinson (nee Hoare and the mother of his son above) was the sister in law of Canon Hoare.
