Age: 0
Sex: male
Date: 16 Jun 1943
Place: St Laurence Church, Evesham
The body of a newly-born child was found in the porch of St Laurence Church in Evesham.
It was wrapped up in brown paper and left on a seat in the porch.
It was found by the caretaker on 16 June 1943 as he was working in the church grounds. He said that he entered the church at about 2pm to put his bicycle in the porch, at which time he said that he didn't notice anything being on the porch seats. He said that he then worked in the church grounds, during which time the church was unlocked, and that at about 5pm he went back in the church and noticed the brown paper parcel on the seat. However, he said that he thought that it had been left by mistake and left it there and locked the church up and went home.
However, he said that when he returned the following day he saw that the parcel was still there and so he thought that he had better take it to the police but before he did so he said that he undid the bottom end of the parcel and saw two feet of a child inside and so he put it back and reported it to the police.
The police arrived at the church at 8.45am on 17 June 1943 and inspected the parcel and untied it to reveal the body of a newly-born male child which they then took to the mortuary.
The body was wrapped up in a clean pillow slip and then wrapped up in brown paper.
When the body was later examined it was found to have no marks of violence on it.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Evesham Standard & West Midland Observer - Saturday 03 July 1943