66 Great Eastern Street, Cambridge

History of 66 Great Eastern Street

1939

Miss Agnes Gentle

Cambridge Independent Press 1.9.1939:

WOMAN DEAD IN YARD Neighbour’s Tragic Discovery INQUEST DISCLOSURES FIVE minutes after she had been talking to her neighbours over the fence, a Cambridge woman heard the partition rattle between the two houses. She went into the next yard a moment later and found the neighbour, lying dead. This was the experience on Wednesday morning of Miss Agnes Gentle, 66, Great Eastern-street, Cambridge. She was the principal witness at the inquest held by Mr. W. R. Wallis at the Guildhall Friday afternoon concerning Mrs. Annie Parfey, a 73-year-old widow, of 68, Great Eastern-street, Cambridge. The Coroner recorded a verdict of “Accidental death.’ Supt. Sharman watched the proceedings on behalf of the police.

IN GOOD HEALTH. Mrs. Alice Jane Cook, 106, Argyle-street, office cleaner, giving evidence of identification, said she last saw deceased alive at about 9.30 on the morning of the tragedy. She was quite normal then. For years the deceased had suffered from neuritis in her left leg, and this necessitated her walking with the aid stick. She had never been under medical treatment for neuritis, and apart from her age was, generally, in good health. “She was a strong woman, even the day it happened,’’ declared witness. Mrs. Cook described the conversation she had with her sister on Wednesday morning. When she left deceased she said to her, “Toodle-00, girl, will see you this evening.’’ Witness explained that her sister always had supper with her Wednesday evenings. Miss Agnes Gentle, 66, Great Easternstreet, said she had known deceased very well for several years. She was talking to her about 10.30 on Wednesday morning, and she said that she felt very hot and that her feet were very swollen. Deceased was in her yard. She always used her stick when she went out, but this was the first occasion witness had seen her with stick in the yard.

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1962

John L James