Gladys Elton

Gladys Elton (Born 1881 - Died 1970).

Elton achieved notoriety late in life - as an 81 year pensioner and living in a nursing home - the "Haslemere home for the elderly" in Great Yarmouth. In September 1960, Elton, for reasons best known to herself conceived the idea of performing a striptease for her fellow residents. Unfortunately such was the effect of Elton's performance that it caused the death of one resident by way of a cardiac arrest and necessitated the treatment for shock of five other residents.

The same home went on to achieve more fame the next year when another resident, 87 year old Harry Meadows killed another 3 residents through dressing up as the grim reaper and peering through the residents' lounge window whilst holding a scythe. As a result of this the home was forced to shut.

These incidents are the subject of a question on the BBC gameshow QI in the episode "Endings".

Source

• Brewer's Rogues, Villains & Eccentrics Page 240. ISBN 0-304-35728-6 - edited by William Donaldson.