Sigrid Rogmor Moran

Sigrid Rogmor Moran was found dead in the moat at her house on the Saturday 16 February 1957 at about 7.30pm.

An open verdict was returned, but it was said that foul play was not suspected.

It was thought that she was last known to have gone out to look for her cat and was later found dead in the moat half an hour after she had been called to dinner by her butler.

The butler had called the family to dinner at the manor at 7pm, at which time he saw Sigrid Moran in her bedroom but said that  Sigrid Moran did not turn up and was found soon after in the moat at 7.30pm following a search for her. After she was found the searchers tried to revive her, applying artificial respiration for 20 minutes and a doctor was called but when the doctor arrived he pronounced her dead.

The moat was swollen by heavy rain at the time and was deeper than usual and it was also noted that the night had been pitch black. She was pulled out by her manservant who was able to reach out and grab her to pull her in.

The cat, which was her favourite, was called Honey and was a white Chinchilla that had a habit of moving away when called and then stopping and it was thought that she might have fallen in the moat whilst looking for it.

Sigrid Moran was known as the Lady of the Manor and had moved to Tilsworth Manor with her husband four years earlier from Crawley in Sussex. They had both ridden with the Hertfordshire Hunt and Sigrid Moran would offer the hunt members and local villagers that came to watch the hunt free drinks at the manor. Sigrid Moran was described as a charming and genial hostess.

After Sigrid Moran and her husband had arrived at Tilsworth Manor the moat had only party enclosed the manor but they had had it extended from its original form to completely encircle the house and it was said that Sigrid Moran would often take a rowing boat out onto the moat and it was noted that many of the village children had been taken for a row around it by her, it being said that they considered Sigrid Moran to be a great friend.

It was also noted that Sigrid Moran had been equally popular with the more adult section of the village and that she was a generous supporter of good causes and that the village organisations could invariably rely on her help.

Tilsworth Manor was built in the 13th century and had been restored around 1897 by the then Lord of the Manor and it was noted that in recent years it had been occupied by Count Martin De Hosszu the Hungarian painter who had also carried out a number of farming experiments there.

It was noted that the portion of the manor that faced the roadway was originally the keep and that beneath its gothic archway there had at one time been a drawbridge that gave access to a large courtyard but that the drawbridge had since been replaced with a stone bridge and the keep converted into a dovecote which Count Martin De Hosszu later had converted into a studio.

Sigrid Moran had had no children.