An inquest has opened into the death of a baby skeleton found under floorboards during a renovation in Bishop Auckland, Durham, with the remains identified as a full-term male fetus or newborn and the timeline of death under investigation.

The infant was found wrapped in a 1910 issue of The Umpire newspaper, with twine around its neck and multiple loops suggesting possible strangulation, though exact timing remains undetermined.

Radiocarbon dating produced conflicting ranges, one indicating birth before mid-1945 (before atomic bomb tests) and another placing the baby somewhere between 1726 and 1812.

The full inquest is scheduled to resume on May 18 to continue examination of the evidence.

An inquest opened on April 14, 2026 at Crook Civic Centre, presided over by Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield, noting the remains were a late-term male fetus.

Durham Constabulary and Durham County Council plan a funeral for the baby at Bishop Auckland Town Cemetery, with the funeral set for the afternoon of Monday, April 27, and the inquest adjourned to May 18.

The senior coroner formally released the remains for burial, with authorities coordinating a funeral in Bishop Auckland and the inquest resuming later for further investigation.

The funeral will be conducted by Durham Police, Durham County Council, and a local undertaker at Bishop Auckland cemetery.

The inquest, conducted by County Durham and Darlington senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield, concluded the baby predates the 20th century and is not linked to modern events.

The unidentified child’s inquest was opened at County Durham and Darlington Coroner’s Court in Crook, led by Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield, with delays of more than 18 months before proceedings began.

The Crook inquest seeks to determine the circumstances of the death of the unidentified infant and began on April 14, 2026.

A forensic post-mortem conducted at Newcastle RVI on August 2, 2024 concluded the cause of death was unascertained.