Florence Maud Roberts

Florence Maud Roberts died from a clot of blood on the brain that had been caused by a burst vessel.

She also had a black eye and it was thought that her injuries could have been caused by violence.

She also had bruises on her left arm, right leg and a large bruise near her hip.

She had lived on Albany Place, Cowick Street, Exeter. At the time she was first taken ill from the injuries, on the Tuesday, she had been scrubbing the floor at the Devonport Inn in Fore Street, Exeter where she worked. She was found near a bucket in the bar and was carried to a sofa from which she fell. After she was taken home but complained of pains in her head.

Florence Roberts had earlier said to a woman at the Devonport Inn that she had had a thick day the day before saying that she had been drinking stout and port with a friend of her husband's. She had said, 'I feel very ill. Yesterday I was out with a friend of my husband's, home from the front, and had too much to drink'.

A barman that had been at the Hippodrome said that he had seen Florence Roberts on the Monday with a woman leaving the Hippodrome. He said that they appeared joyful and considered that they had had a drink. He said that at the time she did not have a black eye.

Florence Roberts had also been seen on the Monday night at the Royal Engineers pub with about three men. The witness said that he could not tell if they were drunk or sober and said they were probably somewhere in-between.

The Coroner said that she might have fallen and received her injuries or they might have been inflicted by violence and an open verdict was returned.