Warning : contains distressing information
One thing that has become clear during our history research is just how cold and harsh Welton’s winters once were. Snow lay deep on the ground most years, and the lake at Welton Place regularly froze solid.
During these long winters the Garrards, who leased the house from the early 1900s to the mid 1940s, often hosted ice‑hockey matches on the ice, and local boys earned a few shillings retrieving the pucks.
The lake in front of Welton Place
In early February 1929, a match was underway between a team from Weedon Barracks and a side led by Col. Finlay. Among the boys collecting pucks were Roy Smith (father of Keith and Derek) and his friend Norman Henley, both young teenagers. As they worked their way across the frozen lake, they made a discovery that surely stayed with them for the rest of their lives.
Norman noticed a brown‑paper parcel lying on the ice and gave it a kick. It felt unusually heavy. Curious, he cut the string and opened it, revealing a tin box.
Inside was the lower half of a newborn baby girl. Shocked, he called Roy over, and one of the boys ran to fetch Mr Smith, the parish constable.
An inquest was opened at the Red Lion, led by Coroner C. H. Davys. Dr W. Arnold Clements of Daventry examined the remains and confirmed that the child had been cleanly cut just below the ribs with a knife. The body showed no signs of decomposition, preserved by the freezing conditions, and the umbilical cord was still attached.
With so many questions unanswered, the inquiry was adjourned for further investigation. Yet no new information ever emerged. The only later reference we could find simply recorded the verdict: the baby was “found dead,” and the case was closed.
One cannot help wondering who that baby girl was, and what awful circumstances led to her life ending even as it had hardly begun. It certainly doesn’t feel like she received any justice.
🖼️ Click to reveal press report
Note: before the widespread development of courts, public houses were frequently used to hear court cases as they were one of the few public spaces that could accommodate a number of people.
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