Age: 0
Sex: male
Date: 26 Dec 1925
Place: Saxthorpe
The body of a newly-born child was found dead in a field in Saxthorpe.
It was found by a farmer in the corner of a field wrapped up in brown paper and tied with string. The paper was wet and rotting.
The farmer had been to feed the sheep on Boxing Day and was returning through the field to get to Barningham Road when he found it. He said that it had been about a month since he had been that way. He also said that there was no snow in that corner of the field but that a heavy rain had fallen during the night. He said that he looked for footprints but couldn't find any and said that he thought that the parcel had been dropped over the low hedge from the main road.
He said that it was fastened just as one would tie up a parcel for the post.
A doctor who carried out the post-mortem said that there were no marks of violence and that death had taken place several days before. He said that it was a fine child and fully developed and had had a separate existence but had lacked attention at birth.
A verdict of Found Dead was returned.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Thetford & Watton Times and People's Weekly Journal. - Saturday 02 January 1926