South Yorkshire Times February 19, 1955
Conisbrough Woman Fractured Skull after Death
The Doncaster District Coroner (Mr W.H.Carlisle), returned a verdict of “Natural Causes” on Monday, at an inquest on Mrs Alice Lupton (72), 89, old Road, Conisbrough, who fractured her skull when she collapsed and died at her home last Friday.
Her son, Mr Benjamin William Lupton, of the same address, said that when he and his wife left home work on Friday morning, his mother and his daughter were still in bed. He said that his mother had been in good health and had not had any recent medical attention. When he returned home for his dinner at noon he found the front door open and upon entering found his mother in the front room, lying across the hearth. There was a pool of blood near her head, and some in her ear.
Nearby, he found a broken cup, which smelled faintly of whiskey. She was in the habit of taking a little whiskey during the cold weather. Mr Lupton lifted her onto the settee and asked a neighbour to phone the doctor, and another to phone the police and try to notify his wife at work.
He thought that his mother was dead then and when the doctor came, he certified that she was.
In evidence Mr Lupton’s daughter Barbara Lupton (15), said her grandmother had seemed all right when she left for school. She remembered her looking out of the window, watching her go down the road. Her grandmother had made the fire and made some tea before Barbara set out.
The pathological registrar at Doncaster infirmary (Dr K.H.J.Fulde) said Mrs Lupton was in a state of poor nutrition and had a fracture of the left temple and the base of the skull and had slight haemorrhage from the ear. The skull was rather thin, but no blood got into the brain substance. He thought that the fracture of the skull had occurred after death and the cause of death was a natural one.