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Baby

Age: 0

Sex: female

Date: 21 Jul 1903

Place: Diglis Weir, River Severn

The body of a new-born female child was found in the River Severn on Sunday 21 June 1903. 

It was found by a fisherman who lived in Lee Gardens, Blackfriars, Worcester, as he was  fishing about 100 yards down from Diglis Weir, wrapped up in some dress lining and brown paper floating down the river. 

Another fisherman that had lived in Blockhouse, Worcester, that had been fishing nearby, said that a man called out to him and told him that there was a child in a parcel. He said that the other man had just got the parcel out of the water and so he cut it open and saw a child's foot. He said that he then went off to give information to the police but that when he came back to the river the man that had found the parcel, and whom he had left in charge, had gone.

A policeman that examined the body said that it had been wrapped up in the lining of an old skirt and tied up in brown paper and string. He said that he had made inquiries but had failed to find the mother or the person that had taken the remains to the river.

The divisional surgeon said that the child was full term had had a separate existence and that its organs showed signs of congestion. 

He said that he thought that death had occurred before the body was put in the water and that it was due to exposure and the omission to tie the umbilical cord. 

He said that he thought that it had been dead for about a fortnight.

The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder by some person or persons unknown.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Worcestershire Chronicle - Saturday 27 June 1903

see Birmingham Daily Gazette - Wednesday 24 June 1903