THE centuries old mystery of the final resting place of the supermodel of the Pre-Raphaelite era has been solved.

The last days and resting place of Fanny Cornforth have been revealed in a patient case book from the former Graylingwell Hospital held at the West Sussex Record Office in Chichester.

Until now it was not known how, where or when Fanny – who sat for at least 60 oils, watercolours, pastels and pencil drawings for Rossetti – had died.

Newly uncovered hospital records show that the model and muse of the Pre-Raphaelite painter entered the Graylingwell Hospital “asylum” in 1907 and died two years later at the age of 74, suffering from senile dementia.

Born in Steyning, the model was registered as a servant in Brighton in the 1851 census, but was buried in Chichester Cemetery in a common grave without a headstone.

The new information was revealed in case books kept at the West Sussex Record Office which are currently being digitised by volunteers as part of the Graylingwell Heritage Project.

Fanny, born Sarah Cox, sat for renowned paintings such as Lady Lilith, Fair Rosamund, Bocca Baciata and The Blue Bower.

She became Sarah Hughes on her first marriage and Sarah Schott on her second. Widely regarded as the face of the Pre-Raphaelite style, today her image can be seen on chocolate boxes, calendars and art books throughout the world.

County archivist Wendy Walker said: “Archives are full of hidden stories that are just waiting for the right person or the right set of circumstances to reveal their secrets.

“In this instance it was the release of the indexes of the Lunacy Commission and Board of Control records by The National Archives in partnership with Ancestry that held the vital clue that sent two separate researchers to the West Sussex Record Office in pursuit of the last days and the final resting place of Fanny Cornforth.

“Once in the search room, the Graylingwell Hospital case books revealed the truth that had laid hidden and tantalised researchers for over a hundred years.”

“This is a fantastic archive that provides a detailed insight into the lives of all those who were patients at Graylingwell.”

The discovery about her final days was first made at the Record Office by Christopher Whittick, the biographer of Fanny Cornforth for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), and shortly afterwards by Kirsty Stonell Walker, the author of Stunner: The Fall and Rise of Fanny Cornforth.

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SHE is known as a supermodel of her time but the end of Fanny Cornforth’s life remained a mystery until now.

Sarah Rance-Riley, Graylingwell Heritage project manager at the Chichester Community Development Trust, added: “The whereabouts and the final part of Fanny’s life have been a complete mystery until now.

“But now, thanks to this research, we have found Fanny’s patient case book, doctors’ notes, death certificate and even a photograph of her whilst she was there. It is a truly incredible discovery.”