In late May a long-term resident of Portscatho died at the venerable age of 102. A proud patriot who served her country during the Second World War and went on to marry a French aristocrat, Comtesse Annie du Merle was born in Bodmin and was educated in Chichester and Hampshire.

She had polio at the age of four which affected her legs badly so all she could do when leaving school was work in offices for friends’ parents who had businesses. Annie, who was known as Nancy, joined the St John Ambulance and became the youngest ambulance sister with the charity. Just prior to the war a doctor came over from America and enabled her to have 12 months worth of surgery and treatment so that she could walk again.

She then worked for publishing firm Butterworths and eventually her age group was called up but she was turned down twice, finally going into the Admiralty.

Nancy applied for a job in France after the war where she was seconded to the Foreign Office in Paris. She was in France for nearly five years and it was during that time that she met her future husband, Foulques Bonventure Marie du Merle, through mutual friends.

She had an aunt living in Brittany who they used to visit regularly but she pined to return home to Cornwall. Friends said they knew people in Portscatho so the couple ended up settling in the area.

At the time there was a housing shortage but as she was Cornish they were allocated a plot of land now part of Parc an Dillon Road and they built their house.

When she celebrated her 100th birthday with a party that the residents of Portscatho organised in the village hall for her, Nancy said: “I have always been interested in the arts so I started the St Mawes Art Group which I still attend as well as the Portscatho group. I’m interested in everything really and everybody. If it were up to me I’d be quite happy living until 109.”

This article came from cornwalllive.com and can be seen here: https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/cornishwoman-who-married-french-aristocrat-9430289