From expeditions into the Borneo jungle and meeting with the Sultan of Brunei, to collecting botanical and geological treasures in South America and seeing off pirates in China, Annie Brassey’s adventures were notable by anyone’s standards.  In the late 1800’s they were all the more compelling. Twenty eight years of travel and Annie had left few stones unturned. Along the way she also did great work for the health and safety of employees, identifying the need and promotion of early versions of first aid and the development of the St John Ambulance. Annie’s legacy goes far beyond her wanderlust. When at home in the UK she promoted the arts and saw this very much as a tool to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate than herself.

“…we dropped our anchor in the Mersey, exactly three months and a day after we left it, in the “Hibernia” on the 9th of August.  During that time how much we have seen, and how much we have to be thankful for!

The entire change of air, of scene, and consequently of thought, has refreshed us all both in body and mind, and inspired us with renewed vigour for the duties and pleasures of home life.”     A.B. 1872

Life on Board the Sunbeam – crossing the equator celebrations (photograph taken with kind permission of Hastings Library from one of Annie’s photograph album c1887)

Annie sadly lost her fight with malaria shortly after this photograph was taken.  On this day in 1887 Annie died at sea, surrounded by her family. Her son TAB recorded her last days in his own account of this ‘Last Voyage’. 

“Monday September 12th – Last night we all thought mother better, but this morning I was fanning her as she lay asleep, and I felt by the expression on her face that the end was not far off. The conviction came on me like a sudden blow. She has been so often very ill before that I always thought she would pull through now…

Tuesday September 13th – This morning mother was much weaker; she was generally asleep, and when she was awake her mind was wondering. In the afternoon, about 4 o’clock, when father, Mabelle and I were in the room, she suddenly opened her eyes and we saw that she was conscious. We called the children in at once, when she saw us all crying she said: “Is it quite hopeless then?” and father replied: “we can only put our trust in God”. We asked her if there was any wishes she wanted carrying out. She gasped out something about photographs which were in the cupboard at her side…She spoke with great difficulty, but we made out that she wanted the journal on which she had spent so much pains to be published, and she must have meant it to be illustrated by the photographs….We all kissed her in turn. Father read a prayer, she had the strength to put her arm around his neck and then exhausted with the effort she lost consciousness…” TAB 1887

Annie died just off the coast of Australia, following their last stop at Darwin. She was buried at sea the same evening at sunset.

“…Nothing can be more solemn or more impressive than a funeral at sea, and it was a fitting end for her who loved the sea so well.” TAB 1887