Woman

A woman was found dead on the beach at St Leonards.

She had been dressed all in black.

She was found at the beach near St Leonards Marina at about 10am on the Monday 11 February 1946 by a man that had been walking along the shore.

She appeared to be partly immersed in the sea and further up near the sea wall a hat and coat that were thought to have belonged to her were found along with a blue handbag and a shopping bag. When the shopping bag was searched it was found to have contained towels, a pair of beige stockings and a London evening newspaper with Monday’s date.

The woman was described as being 5ft 9in tall, aged between 50 and 55, with a thin build, black hair, a complete set of artificial dentures and being dressed in a black woollen mixture frock, a black cardigan, black shoes and stockings, a black felt hat trimmed with black imitation fur, a black woollen coat with a half-belt and four large cloth buttons with raised centres surrounded by white metal rims. She was also said to have been wearing a plain ring that was thought to have been silver but it was not on her wedding finger. It was noted that by the way she had been dressed in black and that her shoes were originally brown but had been polished black, that it was thought that she might have been a widow.

An open verdict was returned but it was said that it was thought that there had been no foul play.

She was never identified.