Joan White

Joan White was found dead in the landing chamber of the Stone Jetty at Morecambe on Saturday 12 December 1959.

She was last known to have left her home at 8 Buckingham Grove on the Friday morning 11 December 1959 with her 6-year-old daughter and their small dog to take the daughter to school.

It was noted that the small dog came home on its own, wet through, about 12 hours later.

Her body was found by a fisherman and his sons that had lived in Orchard Street, Great Harwood as he was fishing at the end of the Stone Jetty at about 1.20pm with his two boys. The fisherman said that one of his sons went down the steps at the end of the jetty and that he then heard him shout, 'Dad, there are some legs'. The fisherman said, 'For a moment I didn't realise what he was talking about. I ran to the steps. He appeared very white and frightened and I went down and found the body'.

The fisherman noted that the entrance of the chamber opened out directly on to the sea but that there was no water near her body. He said that they had arrived at the Stone Jetty at about 8pm on the Friday and fished all night and left at about 11.30am on the Saturday to go to Lancaster for lunch and to get some bait, after which they returned at about 1.20pm. He noted that whilst they were there that there were quite a few people that had walked in and out of the Stone Jetty, but said that he never saw anyone like Joan White whilst they were there and heard no cries or anything else.

An open verdict was returned at her inquest.