Harry Carpenter

Harry Carpenter died from a blow to the head after being found on the road 300 yards from his home.

He was a Royal Marine pensioner and had lived on Gatsford Road in Brampton.

On the Saturday night, 12 December 1926 he had gone out to fetch some groceries that his wife had left at Gatsford Farm near Ross.

When he left the farm it was dark and foggy and an hour later he was found by a farmer that was cycling along the road lying in a cart run. He was said to have been in good spirits at 8.20pm when he was last seen and was found injured in the cart rut only about an hour later.

There was a young couple nearby sitting on a stile and together they moved Harry Carpenter to the side of the road after which he was later carried home.

He died the following day from his injuries.

At his inquest a man said that he had been driving his bakery van along the road around the time and had seen a man in a kneeling position by the road-side groping about as though he was picking things up that he had dropped. He said that he thought the man was under the influence of drink and gave him a plenty of room and didn't stop, adding that he was positive that his van didn't touch him.

The doctor who carried out the post-mortem said that Harry Carpenter had a fractured skull and that considerable violence must have been used to cause it. The post-mortem revealed that the skull fracture had extended six inches from the middle to the left side.

The doctor said that he didn't think that he had been struck by a motor-car as his skin was not broken and the wound was too high unless he had been down in the road at the time. He also said that the injury could not have been caused by an ordinary fall but noted that if a blow had been given on his hat, that the hat would have prevented his skin from being broken.

His death described as a complete mystery and an open verdict was returned.