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  "path": "/news/bishop-auckland-baby-boy-skeleton-floorboards-300-years-old",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-16T04:56:46.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "renovating a building on Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland",
    "British museum accused of 'rewriting history' after claiming Victorian boys were 'gender-fluid'",
    "Council row erupts over decision to ban cockerels at allotments as petition racks up signatures",
    "Migrant who fled Iranian regime ‘depressed’ after being sent to Gateshead",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA baby skeleton found under the floorboards of a home in County Durham may be 300 years old, an inquest has heard.\n\nThe baby was discovered by contractors who were renovating a building on Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland in July 2024.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nReferred to as Baby Auckland, County Durham and Darlington senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said the boy came to full-term, with a skeleton of about 40 weeks development.\n\nIt was impossible to confirm whether or not he was a stillborn, Mr Chipperfield said.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nDNA analysis confirmed the baby was a boy, but was not able to identify him, and no other information about his cause death was revealed through post-mortem inspection.\n\nContractors did find a brown twine looped three times around the baby's neck, Mr Chipperfield noted.\n\nThe baby was swaddled in a copy of The Umpire newspaper from June 19 1910, the inquest was told.\n\nBut radio-carbon dating suggested the remains dated further back than that.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe first tests confirmed the baby was born before the first atomic bomb testing in 1945.\n\nAnother type of radio-carbon dating suggested the child was most likely born between 1726 and 1812.\n\nInitial investigations centred around determining who lived in the Victorian era property between 1900 and 1920 because of the newspaper.\n\nWhen the baby was found DCI Mel Sutherland said: \"My focus is on finding out who the baby is, what happened and how it came to be under the floorboards of that house.\n\n### MORE ACROSS THE NORTH EAST:\n\n\n\n\n  * British museum accused of 'rewriting history' after claiming Victorian boys were 'gender-fluid'\n  * Council row erupts over decision to ban cockerels at allotments as petition racks up signatures\n  * Migrant who fled Iranian regime ‘depressed’ after being sent to Gateshead\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"As soon as we are able to, I am determined that this little baby is given an appropriate and dignified funeral.\"\n\nThe forensic postmortem examination was conducted by Dr Louise Mulcahy, a pathologist, and Dr Micol Zuppello, a forensic anthropologist.\n\nThe coroner’s officer Stephanie Clough told the inquest: \"I understand the circumstances to be that on 29 July 2024 police were contacted as a contractor working on the building had found a small skeleton of a baby under the floorboards at the address.\n\n\"The baby appeared to have a thin twine-like material wrapped around its neck.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nShe added: \"Carbon dating and DNA investigations have been undertaken by Durham constabulary. However, the remains of the baby have been unable to be identified.\"\n\nA local undertaker and Durham County Council will give Baby Auckland a funeral after Mr Chipperfield released Baby Auckland's remains and adjourned the inquest.\n\nThe baby will be buried in Bishop Auckland cemetery on April 27.\n\nA full inquest will continue on May 18 at 3pm.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Baby's skeleton found under floorboards by contractors may be 300 years old"
}