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Henrietta Stewart Brooks

Age: 65

Sex: female

Date: 5 Nov 1961

Place: Fiddlestone Wood, Mudhouse Lane, Burton

Henrietta Stewart Brooks was found dead in Fiddlestone Wood.

She was found in the wood off Mudhouse Lane by two pigeon shooters on 5 November 1961. The discovery of her body was said to have been made by chance.

Her body was partly decomposed. It was found in the ferns of a remote plantation.

She had gone missing on 25 September 1961 and had lived at 37 Ellerslie Road in Tuebrook, Liverpool with her daughter. Henrietta Brooks was described as a nature-lover and a bird-watcher. Her daughter said that she had a great interest in the countryside and had made a study of bird life and flowers.

Her daughter said that Henrietta Brooks had attended courses at Burton Manor Residential College near to where she was found dead and that on 25 September 1961 she had left home saying that she was going to try to get to Formby or Otterspool but never returned.

Her body had lain in the wood for about six weeks.

An open verdict was returned at her inquest which was held in Neston on 14 December 1961.

The pathologist said that he had been unable to make a diagnosis of the cause of her death owing to the destruction of her internal organs. Her internal organs were sent off to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Preston.

It was noted that Henrietta Brooks had been a semi-invalid and had suffered from arthritis and had had difficulty in getting about. It was also heard that for the previous five years that Henrietta Brooks had suffered from a spinal complaint and had been attending a Liverpool clinic for it.

Henrietta Brooks's daughter said that Henrietta Brooks used to get bouts of depression and had been told by her doctor that nothing could be done for her. She said, 'She used to say she would end it all and could not go on suffering any longer'.

When she was found there was a bottle of beer found in her holdall even though Henrietta Brooks had been a teetotaller.

When the Coroner summed up he said, 'There are many features in this case which are quite inexplicable'.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Cheshire Observer - Saturday 23 December 1961

see Liverpool Echo - Friday 15 December 1961