Who put Bella in the Witch Elm?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Forget Lubella. Red herring.

Still suspect she was American.

I wonder if there were any American soldiers based nearby?

[Herlock Sholmes]

Been reading Vols 1 & 2 online.

Those shoes would retail @ 50 quid today.

The cardigan seems to have been sleeveless.

Gets even more interesting.

Yes I thought that sounded expensive considering the rest of her clothes. Merrill suggests that they might not have been Bella’s and that they were thrown in to misguide but it seems that he’s only considering this because their location points to the fact that she wasn’t wearing them when she died. It’s also suggested that they were a larger size than would be expected for someone of her size? If they were too big for her (however she got them) maybe they just came off when the killer dragged the body to the tree and he just chucked them in?

[DJA]

I’m wondering if she wasn’t a local? She was around 4 foot 10 with distinctive protruding and overlapping front teeth and with a good description of her clothing and shoes and yet no one recognised her from that description?

Ive got no access to any ancestry sites but I wonder if there were any Lubella’s around? I’ve never come across a Lubella? The graffiti could have been a red herring of course.

Forget Lubella. Red herring.

Still suspect she was American.

[DJA]

In the 5 page chapter on the shoes in the only book that I have at the moment there’s no mention of Dudley. It specifically mentions 6 pairs received by CA Allan Ltd in Bilston though. Doesn’t mean Dudley isn’t true though but this book was 2018 so, if Dudley had been suggested, he gives no reason for discarding the suggestion.

I asked an aunt who was born in Wednesbury In 1938 but she can’t remember the shop but it may have closed when she was very young. Not that her remembering it would have helped in any way of course.

Been reading Vols 1 & 2 online.

Those shoes would retail @ 50 quid today.

The cardigan seems to have been sleeveless.

Gets even more interesting.

[Herlock Sholmes]

I’m wondering if she wasn’t a local? She was around 4 foot 10 with distinctive protruding and overlapping front teeth and with a good description of her clothing and shoes and yet no one recognised her from that description?

Ive got no access to any ancestry sites but I wonder if there were any Lubella’s around? I’ve never come across a Lubella? The graffiti could have been a red herring of course.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Interestingly, Dudley is the largest town in the UK that doesn't have a professional football team.

I didn’t know that Al but then again I’m a cricket man. I know that The Hawthorns is the highest above sea level.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Abby,

Well this threads coming on nicely!

Bella would've been decidedly common. As an abbreviation for Isabelle and Annabelle, but also as a generic nickname, regardless of what her given name was, in much the same way lots of men are / were called "Jack".

The timeline is important though. Did the missing prostitute story come to light before the appearance of the first graffiti? Was it well known?

The estate belonging to Lord Commander Viscount Biscuits or whatever his name is doesn't mean he lived there, so that's worth pinning down. It was obviously well known to the local scallywags as a spot for a bit of scrumping so it's probably not a huge mystery that others knew of it.

It would be unlikely that someone(s) carried the body there and lucked on a hollow tree, so I'd guess for killed on site or the killer(s) knew the tree was suitable.

And this shoe business is fascinating! We'll have this cracked in no time.

Keep up the good work guys.

The tree was the only one around there that could have hidden a body so the killer either knew about it or lucked out.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Seems the police caught the local crank responsible for the graffiti.

Lot of conflicting "evidence".

Anyone know precisely where on the estate the tree was?

Was it near Hagley Hall or on the other side?

It appears that there a three possible locations.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Japanese for German measles ..... she was a SPY!

Those name sites are just trying to get you to sign up.

It did look a bit dodgy.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Which left 6 pairs sold at the market stall in Dudley.
Dudley was a bit of a tourist town,with the castle being converted to a zoo in 1939.

Well get a wriggle on,you should be in Monbury!

In the 5 page chapter on the shoes in the only book that I have at the moment there’s no mention of Dudley. It specifically mentions 6 pairs received by CA Allan Ltd in Bilston though. Doesn’t mean Dudley isn’t true though but this book was 2018 so, if Dudley had been suggested, he gives no reason for discarding the suggestion.

I asked an aunt who was born in Wednesbury In 1938 but she can’t remember the shop but it may have closed when she was very young. Not that her remembering it would have helped in any way of course.

[DJA]

Interesting line of enquiry. West Brom have pretty much always played in dark blue and white stripes. One of the founding members of the league in 1888.

However, the history of colours is vague at best, lots of teams lost to history, and established ones varying their kits. The Mighty Villa are recorded as playing in a blue and brown kit in their early days, but that's based on some really old kit invoices, other evidence is hard to find. There's also another team based in Brum, some amateurs that play in blue.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but I'm not totally convinced there was much in the way of team merchandise at the time. Particularly ladies cardigans.

Interestingly, Dudley is the largest town in the UK that doesn't have a professional football team.

Dudley Zoo's a great place, but it always reminds me of a joke.

"The lions escaped from the zoo, it was last seen heading towards Tipton"

"It'll have to fend for itself then..."

Checked that lot before casting a wider net.

Her cardigan seems to have been hand knitted .... blue and mustard.

Michigan is in the US of A.

[DJA]

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

Given the lady's clothes resembled football colors,I had a look at the local teams.

No luck so broadened my search.

The Michigan Wolverines wore blue and maize at the time.

One of the first color pictures published was the cover of Look magazine in 1948.
Bob Chappuis is on the cover.
Also have a color photo of one of their 1940 helmets.
(webp photos unfortunately)

Interesting line of enquiry. West Brom have pretty much always played in dark blue and white stripes. One of the founding members of the league in 1888.

However, the history of colours is vague at best, lots of teams lost to history, and established ones varying their kits. The Mighty Villa are recorded as playing in a blue and brown kit in their early days, but that's based on some really old kit invoices, other evidence is hard to find. There's also another team based in Brum, some amateurs that play in blue.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but I'm not totally convinced there was much in the way of team merchandise at the time. Particularly ladies cardigans.

Interestingly, Dudley is the largest town in the UK that doesn't have a professional football team.

Dudley Zoo's a great place, but it always reminds me of a joke.

"The lions escaped from the zoo, it was last seen heading towards Tipton"

"It'll have to fend for itself then..."

[DJA]

Given the lady's clothes resembled football colors,I had a look at the local teams.

No luck so broadened my search.

The Michigan Wolverines wore blue and maize at the time. Maize vs mustard as described,not yellow or gold.

One of the first color pictures published was the cover of Look magazine in 1948.
Bob Chappuis is on the cover.
Also have a color photo of one of their 1940 helmets.
(webp photos unfortunately)
The above is a black and white ..... obviously.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

so weird. if true, is the bella grafitti bs then? i mean whats the chance of a local prostitute named bella disapearing around the same time the body was determined to be dead whos also called bella?
i mean not really a common name is it?

unless its unquestionably determined that the known prostitute bella turned up alive, im inclined to question that. is their anything in the police record that confirms this?

Hi Abby,

Well this threads coming on nicely!

Bella would've been decidedly common. As an abbreviation for Isabelle and Annabelle, but also as a generic nickname, regardless of what her given name was, in much the same way lots of men are / were called "Jack".

The timeline is important though. Did the missing prostitute story come to light before the appearance of the first graffiti? Was it well known?

The estate belonging to Lord Commander Viscount Biscuits or whatever his name is doesn't mean he lived there, so that's worth pinning down. It was obviously well known to the local scallywags as a spot for a bit of scrumping so it's probably not a huge mystery that others knew of it.

It would be unlikely that someone(s) carried the body there and lucked on a hollow tree, so I'd guess for killed on site or the killer(s) knew the tree was suitable.

And this shoe business is fascinating! We'll have this cracked in no time.

Keep up the good work guys.