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Baby boy found dead wrapped in newspaper from 1910 is laid to rest
TL;DR
A baby boy, known as Baby Auckland, was found dead wrapped in a 1910 newspaper and has now been laid to rest in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Despite investigations, his identity and cause of death remain unknown.
Key points
- Baby boy found dead wrapped in a 1910 newspaper
- Discovered under floorboards in Bishop Auckland
- Laid to rest in Bishop Auckland town cemetery
- Police unable to identify the baby or cause of death
- Emotional burial service led by DCI Mel Sutherland
Mentioned in this story
Bishop AucklandCounty Durhampolice
Baby Auckland
A baby boy whose skeletal remains were found wrapped in a 1910 newspaper and with twine around his neck has, finally, been laid to rest.
The child has become known as Baby Auckland after he was found at a property in the centre of Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
He was discovered under floorboards by a builder working on a Victorian house in July 2024. More than a century after his death, the mystery child was buried at a gentle and moving service at Bishop Auckland town cemetery.
Despite a detailed investigation, police have been unable to identify the baby or establish how he died, a fact that was clearly of some sadness to DCI Mel Sutherland who led the investigation and gave a tribute at the service.
“It is an emotional day,” he said. “It has been quite a long process. It was a really lovely service.”
He recalled the early stages of the case, how it took two or three days to even get the baby out of the house. “We used a forensic anthropologist to kind of excavate under the floorboards to make sure that we got as much of baby as possible to be fully intact. And we did. I think the only part we didn’t was a tiny little toe bone.”
The funeral service for Baby Auckland. Photograph: Raoul Dixon/North News/North News & Pictures Ltd
The baby was then taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where a postmortem examination was carried out.
It is thought the skeleton was that of a full-term baby of about 40 weeks development, but a cause of death could not be established.
There were media appeals about the case and people did come forward saying they may have been linked to the baby.
“We took some DNA from people and we compared it to the baby and unfortunately it didn’t match,” Sutherland said. “So that was a bit of a disheartening moment.”
All lines of inquiry have now been exhausted, Sutherland said.
At the opening of the inquest it was suggested the baby may have been alive between 1726 and 1812, which only added mystery to mystery.
Sutherland, speaking as a police detective, said given the age of the property and given the baby was wrapped in a 10 June 1910 edition of The Umpire, then a popular Sunday newspaper, he was inclined to believe the baby was alive in 1910, not earlier.
Q&A
Who is Baby Auckland and how was he discovered?
Baby Auckland is the name given to a baby boy whose skeletal remains were found wrapped in a 1910 newspaper under floorboards in a Victorian house in Bishop Auckland.
What were the circumstances surrounding Baby Auckland's death?
The circumstances of Baby Auckland's death remain unclear, as police have been unable to identify him or determine how he died despite a detailed investigation.
When and where was Baby Auckland laid to rest?
Baby Auckland was laid to rest at a service in Bishop Auckland town cemetery after being discovered in July 2024.
What did DCI Mel Sutherland say about Baby Auckland's case?
DCI Mel Sutherland described the burial service as emotional and acknowledged the lengthy investigation without identifying the baby or the cause of death.
