South Yorkshire Times, February 5th, 1944
Mr. W. S. Pettit
Death After Fall
The death occurred at the Montagu Hospital, Mexborough, on Sunday of Mr. William Shepherd Pettit (69) of 41, Adwick Road, Mexborough, a well-known Mexborough tradesman who had the misfortune to facture his thigh by falling in the garden at his home on November 19th.
At an inquest on Wednesday, the Doncaster District Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlile), recorded a verdict of “Accidental Death.”
Mr. Pettit’s son, Captain William Squirrell Pettit, who gave evidence of identification, said the last time he saw his father alive was November 25th.
Lucy Pacey, housekeeper, to Mr. Pettit for a number of years, said for the last two years he had been under the care of a doctor, and he had become weaker during that period. At about 4-45p.m. on November 19th, she saw him fall in the back garden. He complained of his right leg. With the help of men who were doing repairs in the house, he was carried inside, and the same day Dr. Lindsay advised his removal to hospital.
Dr. F. J. Cosgrove, casualty officer at the Montagu Hospital, said the injury was a fracture of the neck of the right femur and an orthopaedic specialist decided on conservative treatment as his condition was unsatisfactory for operation. The man was suffering from high blood pressure and the left side of his heart was slightly enlarged. He developed hypostatic pneumonia and the cause of death was primarily hypostatic pneumonia accentuated by his heart condition.