Ada Fenwick

Ada Fenwick died after being found unconscious on the Tynemouth Sea Banks.

She was a cook from Gosforth.

She was found on the grass by the sea bank close to the Grand Hotel in Tynemouth.

A doctor was called out and with assistance Ada Fenwick was carried to the hotel where artificial respiration was carried out. She was later conveyed to the workhouse but never regained consciousness and later died.

Her fur boa was later found on the steps leading from the sands to the grass where she was discovered but her hat was never found.

When she was found her clothes were saturated with water and her hands were covered in mud and the skin was worn off of her knuckles. there was also a mark on her chin although it was not known whether it had been caused by a blow.

At the inquest, a man said that at about 9.15pm he had been sitting on a seat on the banks when he was warned about a man acting in a suspicious manner close at hand. He said that he went to investigate and observed a man lurking about amongst the pleasure boats and said that when he asked the man what he was after the man went off without making any response. He said that the direction he went off in was towards the spot where Ada Fenwick was found unconscious about 15 minutes later.

At the inquest, it was suggested that Ada Fenwick had attempted to drown herself but that she might have then changed her mind and endeavoured to save herself and that the injuries found on her were due to her being knocked or floundered about amongst the rocks.

However, her fellow-servants said that Ada Fenwick was a happy woman who had never shown the slightest trace of trouble.

However, they said that on the Christmas day Ada Fenwick had told them of a curious dream which she had had in which an unknown man was persistently following her. They said that she told them, 'I have never been afraid of any man, but I was afraid of that one'.

An open verdict was returned.

The Coroner said that the case was one of the deepest mysteries he had ever had to deal with.