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Baby

Age: 0

Sex: male

Date: 12 Aug 1932

Place: Foxholes Hill, Exmouth Esplanade

A newly born child was found on Foxholes Hill at the eastern end of Exmouth Esplanade.

When the child’s body was found it was in an advanced state of decomposition and it was impossible to ascertain its sex or whether it had had a joint or separate existence.

It was found by a 10-year-old boy that was playing at chasing on Foxholes Hill who said that he saw something lying there. He said that he thought that it was a baby by its legs and told a fisherman. The fisherman said that he thought it was the body of a dog.

A policeman that arrived at the scene said that that its body was lying about 20 yards from the sea front on the side of the hill and about five yards in from the cliff path. He said that there was an old blanket lying about two yards from the body.

The doctor that carried out the post-mortem said that the child had weighed about 10lb and might possibly have been a few months old or a newly-born.

He said that there were signs of string around its body.

Its head was missing, thought probably to be due to decomposition.

The Coroner returned an open verdict saying that there was no evidence to show how the child had died.


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

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Friday 12 August 1932