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Bishop Auckland Baby Found Under Floorboards May Be 300 Years Old
DNA confirmed the infant was a full-term male foetus, while radiocarbon tests gave conflicting dates and the cause of death remains unascertained.
- On Tuesday, Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield formally opened an inquest at County Durham and Darlington Coroner's Court into a baby boy's remains discovered beneath floorboards in Bishop Auckland.
- A contractor renovating a property on Fore Bondgate discovered the "small skeleton of a baby under the floorboards" on July 29, 2024, wrapped in a 1910 edition of The Umpire with twine around its neck.
- DNA analysis confirmed the infant was a 38 to 40 week full-term male, yet carbon dating suggests he lived between 1726 and 1812—a stark contradiction to the 1910 newspaper wrapping.
- Durham Constabulary and Durham County Council are arranging a funeral at Bishop Auckland Town Cemetery for April 27, with the inquest adjourned until May 18.
- Experts have recorded the cause of death as "unascertained," and officials continue investigating the mystery of how an 18th-century infant was concealed in 20th-century newsprint.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left4Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Center
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources are Center
53% Center
L 27%
C 53%
R 20%
Factuality
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