The mystery surrounding the remains of a baby boy found under the floorboards of a Victorian house in Bishop Auckland has deepened, with an inquest hearing that radiocarbon dating suggests he lived between 1726 and 1812, much earlier than first thought.
The infant, referred to as 'Baby Auckland', was discovered by a contractor in 2024. The skeleton was wrapped in a newspaper from 1910 and had twine looped three times around its neck. It was initially assumed the baby died around that year, but new evidence points to a far older origin.
An inquest opened at Crook Coroner's Court in County Durham on Tuesday. Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield heard that a forensic post-mortem could not determine the cause of death. The baby is believed to have been full-term, around 40 weeks development, but it was not possible to say if he was stillborn.
The newspaper used to wrap the remains was the 19 June 1910 edition of the Umpire, a Sunday newspaper founded in Manchester. Police have attempted to trace occupants of the property between 1900 and 1920, but the carbon dating has complicated the investigation.
Detective Chief Inspector Mel Sutherland stated: 'It is my duty to be the voice of the child.' The baby is due to receive a funeral on 27 April in Bishop Auckland. The inquest has been adjourned until 18 May, when further evidence may shed light on this historical mystery.
