South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 21 November 1959
A “Devoted Mother” Loses Her Life
“Accidental Death” Verdict in Thurnscoe Mishap
A Thurnscoe wedding which a young couple had been planning for six months, has been tragically postponed.
Mrs. Lucy Hill (59), mother of the prospective bridegroom, was fatally injured in a road accident on Saturday while on her way to the local cinema.
Mrs. Hill’s fourth son, Wilfred (21), a blacksmith at Hickleton, Main Colliery, and his fiancee, Miss Brenda Grimshaw, a machinist who lives in Darfield, were to have been married at St Hilda’s Parish Church on December 25th.
The couple were engaged over two years ago. “They have been planning the wedding for months,” Wilfred’s elder brother, Mr. Jack Hill, told a ‘South Yorkshire Times” reporter this week. “We are not sure now when the wedding will take place.
Looking Forward To It
He added that his mother had been looking forward to the wedding.” My mother and sister were to have gone shopping on Monday to buy new clothes for the wedding.”‘
Mrs. Hill, and her husband, Mr. Abraham Hill (65), who retired recently after 50 years in mining, had five sons, two daughters and six grandchildren.
“My mother was devoted to the family,” said Mr. Hill. Whenever she went out she brought something back for her grandchildren, She always liked to look after them.” ,
He said that his mother never, missed going to the local cinema three times a week. “Nothing could stop her going. She went on Saturday even though the weather was bad.”
The family believe that their mother, was involved in an accident with a motor scooter as she was crossing Lidgett Lane, had intended to call at a newsagents across the road to buy “comics” for her grandchildren. “She usually bought some comics for the grandchildren on Saturday evening.”
Mr Hill added that his mother had been ill number of years. “She was well on the way to recover and just beginning to enjoy life again.
Tuesday’s Inquest
A verdict of “accidental death” on Mrs Hill, of 57, George St, Thurnscoe, was returned by a jury at a Mexborough inquest on Tuesday.”
Mr Abraham Hill said that his wife left home to go to the cinema as about 5.15. A few minutes later he was told that she had been injured in an accident in Lidgett Lane. His wife will taken to Mexborough Montagu Hospital, where she died on Sunday.
Mrs Edith Clark, of Houghton Road, Thurnscoe, said she was walking along Lidgett Lane in the direction of Great Houghton. It was raining and nearly dusk. She was about to cross the road when she saw a motor scooter coming towards her. At the same time she saw a woman, dressed in dark clothes start to cross the road some distance away.
The motor scooter appeared to brake and then a “broadsided,” said Mrs Clark. It seemed to skid and later with the side. She was thrown to the side of the road and I think she hit her head on the curb.”
Mrs Clark said that Mrs Hill was “just over the crown of the road” when the scooter struck her.
Questioned by the Coroner (Mr WH Carlile) witness said she could not say whether or not the scooter had its lights on. She could not estimate what speed it was travelling when it neared Mrs Hill, but it was not going fast.
Doctor Keith Finney, pathologist, said death was due to cerebral haemorrhage, owing to fractures of the skull. The fractures were probably caused by contact with the road surface.
Scooter Drivers Evidence
The driver of the scooter, Neville Page Hanson, 12, Cross Street, Goldthorpe, said he was driving from Doncaster to Thurnscoe. His view was obstructed by a van on the right side of the road and he did not see the woman until he was about 15 yards away from her.
Hanson said that Mrs Hill was standing about a yard away from the curb on the right-hand side of the road. When he entered Lidgett Lane he was travelling at about 25 miles an hour.
Hanson said he sounded his hooter twice.
Coroner: “Did she take any notice?”
Witness: “She did, but she started to run.”
Coroner: “Then she ran halfway across the road in the 15 yards you had to travel?”
Witness: “By the time she started to run I was about six or 7 yards away from.”
Hanson said he applied his brakes of the machine began to skate. In their attempt to miss Mrs fairly certain the right, but she collided with the left side of the machine. He lost control and fell off. “It all all happened so quickly,” he said.
“I think this is one of those things should never happen if everybody kept their eyes open and took care in crossing the road,” commented Mr Carlile.