Death at Downings Lodge
.Extract from Northampton Mercury, Saturday 8 May 1886
Photograph showing exterior of Downings Lodge
with members of the family c1920
SUDDEN DEATH
An inquest was held at the house of Mr Alfred Downing, Burton Lodge, in the parish of Burton Latimer, on Monday evening before Mr J T Parker, on the body of John Marriott Garton, of West Street, Wellingborough, who met with his death as detailed below.
George Garton, son of deceased, deposed that up to Sunday his father had been in good health, and had never complained. He drove to Burton from Wellingbrorough about 10 o’clock on Sunday morning and stayed all day. He, witness, and his mother started to return at a quarter past nine, and deceased then seemed quite well. When they had gone two or three hundred yards his father said he felt bad, and got out of the cart. As soon as he got in again he seemed to become much worse, and as they turned to drive back to Burton he became insensible and never spoke again. When they got to the house brandy was administered without success, for he died within ten minutes.
Alfred Downing, of the Lodge, stated that deceased appeared to be well when there. Samuel Wright, assistant to Messrs Crew and Thomas, surgeons, said he saw deceased about 10 o’clock on the same evening. He was quite dead and had apparently been so for about half-an-hour. There were no marks of violence on the body, and in his opinion death was caused by apoplexy. A verdict in accordance with the evidence was returned.
