Age: 0
Sex: female
Date: 26 Apr 1918
Place: Tonbridge
The body of a newly-born female child was found washed up in the floods in the field adjoining the Star Picture House.
It had a piece of linen tied tightly around its neck.
The body was discovered by a man who lived on Stephen's Street at about 4.30pm on Saturday 26 April 1918 in a parcel in a field at the back of the Star Picture House. He opened it up and then informed the police of what he had found.
The doctor who examined the child said that it was very decomposed and that in his opinion had been in the water for 6-8 weeks. He said that the linen tied around its neck had made quite a mark and that in his opinion death was due to strangulation. He said that the child had not been attended to at birth.
A policeman that had been called out to the field said that in his opinion it had been washed up by the floods. He said that by the side of it he found another parcel containing a woman's petticoat but there were no means of identification on it or the parcel with the child in it.
see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
see Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser - Friday 03 May 1918