ON New Year's Day, The Northern Echo celebrated its 150th anniversary. We will be telling the story of the paper's rich history throughout this anniversary year.

As part of the anniversary year we will be publishing stories from The Northern Echo as they appeared in the newspaper 150 years ago.

Man found dead in snow at Spennymoor
January 1, 1870

AN inquest was held at the Commercial Hotel, Tudhoe Grange, before Mr Thos. Dean, deputy coroner on Thursday, on the body of a man named Joseph Oates, who was found dead on the morning previous, in the rear of some new buildings, in course of erection, at Tudhoe Grange.

From the evidence adduced, it appeared that deceased, who was 57 years of age, was a native of Leeds, and had been working for Mr Hood, boot and shoemaker, at Spennymoor.

Mr Hood had seen him the previous night and noticed that he was considerably the worse for drink.

He assisted him home to his lodgings, but it appeared he did not now reside there.

A witness named Atkinson, said a man had gone to his house about one o'clock, on Wednesday morning, and wanted to be let in.

He could not swear that deceased was the man, but he was like him.

Nothing further was seen of him until about eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, when a young woman, who was going for milk and found him dead.

He had then been dead some time.

A verdict of "Died from exposure to the cold" was returned by the jury.