Betty Oldridge Knott

Betty Oldridge Knott was found dead in the River Exe on 5 October 1922, nine days after she had gone missing from Stoke Woods.

Betty Knott had been taken by her mother to Stoke Woods where she was blackberry picking. Whilst picking blackberries Betty Knott went missing.

They had lived on Newcombe Terrace in Heavitree and had left home on the Wednesday afternoon to go blackberry picking with Betty Knott in a perambulator. When they had not returned by 9pm Betty Knott's father became alarmed and went to report their disappearance to the police.

The police began an immediate search and later found Betty Knott's mother at 11pm on the Topsham Road. It had been raining that day and the mother was drenched to the skin and her hair was down her back and her hat was missing along with her combs and handbag.

The next day the police found the perambulator at about 12.30pm, empty, in the lower portion of Stoke Woods about 100 yards from the Higher Road.

It was suggested that whilst the mother had been engaged in picking blackberries by the bank of the river that Betty Knott might have slipped into the water and that her mother was unable to recover her. It was then said that the mother had then become so distracted that she might have temporarily lost her mental balance. The mother was sent to a hospital for medical attention but was unable to give a coherent story or supply information.