Following an accident on November 3 at her home, 55, Tennyson-road, Rushden, in which she fell and broke her hip bone, Mrs. Caroline Sharpe (64) died at Northampton General Hospital on Saturday. She was taken to the hospital immediately after the accident, and three days later under-went an operation. Until last Saturday morning she appeared to be making good progress, her death at 2 p.m. being most unexpected.

  A native of Whitton Park, Durham, Mrs. Sharpe regularly attended the Full Gospel Church. She leaves a husband, Mr. George Sharpe; two sons, Messrs. Leonard and Frederick Sharpe, and a daughter, Miss Frances Ivy Sharpe, all of Rushden. Three brothers, Messrs. William and Alfred Briggs, Durham, and Mr. Frank Briggs, of Usher Moor, Durham, are also bereaved.

Inquest

  An inquest was held by the Northampton Borough Coroner (Mr. A. J. Darnell) at the hospital on Tuesday.

  The husband, George Sharpe, a pensioner, said that on November 3 he left home at 6.15 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m., was told by his grand-daughter, Mrs. Hilda Frances James, who lived with them, that his wife had met with an accident and had been taken to Northampton General Hospital.  Mrs. James told him that she heard a bump and going up to her grandmother’s bedroom in response to a call for help, found her in a sitting position of the floor.  The grandmother told her that she had caught her toe against a mat.

  Leonard George Sharpe, of the same address, corroborated, and said that Mrs. James was the only person in the house at the time of the accident.

  Dr. P. W. D. Goddard, house surgeon at the hospital, said that an X-ray examination revealed a fracture of the right hip-bone and the fact that deceased was suffering from Pagett’s disease of the bone which rendered the bone very brittle.  An operation was performed with very good results, but unfortunately on Saturday afternoon Mrs. Sharpe collapsed and died, death being due to a clot on the lung, accelerated by the accident.

  The verdict was in accordance with this.  The Coroner could not call Mrs. James for health reasons.

Funeral

  The funeral took place at Rushden on Wednesday, a service at the Full Gospel Church, being conducted by Pastor Whitehouse.

  The mourners were : Mr. G. Sharpe (husband), Miss Ivy Sharpe (daughter), Mr. L. Sharpe, Mr. F. Sharpe (brothers), Mrs. M. Sharpe, Mrs. M. Roberts (niece), Mrs. M. Hollis, Mrs. A. Willmott (sisters-in-law), and Mrs. G. Garley (friend).