Janet Glen Earl Wallace

Janet Glen Earl Wallace was found drowned in Alexandra Park Lake on Saturday 23 April 1949.

The coroner said that the facts indicated suicide but said that it was not impossible that someone else was concerned, and an open verdict was returned.

Janet Earl had lived in Fisher Street, Old Trafford and had recently had a baby in January 1949. She was from Skene in Aberdeenshire.

The coroner said, 'She may have had certain men friends she was keeping dark and meeting secretly'.

Her death was described as a mystery, but the police said that they did not suspect foul play.

She had lunched at home on the Friday 22 April 1949 but had not gone back to her job as a shop assistant a short distance away.

When she failed to return home that evening her parents and 26-year-old sister became alarmed and searched the district for her.

Janet Earl's handbag was later found in an avenue in Alexandra Park and her body was later found in the lake.

Her handbag was found to contain a number of letters from an uncle who was at the time serving in the RAF in the Middle East, her compact, identity card and 4d.

Janet Earl's mother said that she thought that the mystery behind her death could be solved if answers could be found to:

1. Why did she go to the park, which she had never mentioned?
2. Where did she go instead of returning to work?

Janet Earl's mother said, 'We had never heard of the park. She said that the previous evening, 'Janet was an extremely happy girl, always singing and whistling, and we are convinced she had no worries. She had no boyfriends. Whenever she went out, she was always home by 9pm at the latest. The only friends she made since coming to Manchester were two Scots girls'.