The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-16 00:00:00

Extraordinary Discovery of Skeletons.

In our last number we published the circumstance
that a certain discovery of skeletons had been made
in a field belonging to Mr. Savage, on the right of
the road leading from Guildford to Merrow, and at
a distance of about 300 yards back from the road.
In common with many others, we have been to see
these relics of the past, and now present a few in-
teresting facts to our readers, in the hope that they
may assist to enable those whose antiquarian re-
searches entitle them to be heard on such a subject
to form some theory as to the probable period when
these burials took place. We ascertained from the
labourer Chandler, wh3 first discovered the remains,
that the skeletons, five in number, were found while
digging for flints, at a depth of between two and
three feet from the surface. Each skeleton lay in a
direction which he indicated by placing a slick on
the ground, and, on comparing the direction of the
stick with a pocket compass, we ascertained that
each must have lain due cast and west, the head to
to west and the feet to the east. The skeletons were
found lying in excavations cut in the solid chalk.
The five excavations were relatively parallel to each
other—parallel as far as the directions of their long
axis ; but the feet of No. 2, commencing from the
lowest and most eastward one, was on a level with
the skull of No. 1, but two feet higher up the field,
or more southward. No. 3 had a like relation to
No. 2, and so on with the remainder, the fifth being
found jammed" under the hedge, as Chandlerex-
pressed it, the hedge being evidently of far more
recent constriction than the rude sarcophagi under-
neath. The chalk " coffins," as they were called, had
been removed, and therefore no opportunity was
afforded us of seeing these remarkable receptacles of
the dead. The bones removed from the several holes
had been placed under the soil in another part of the
field, and these were disinterred for us, in the pre-
sense of Mr. Fred. D. Ross, the well-known sur-
geon of this town, to see. As portions of bones were
one by one thrown cut, Mr. Ross had no difficulty in
pronouncing that while there were strong evidences
for believing that they all had been interred about
the same time, there was a considerable variation in
the ages of the persons whose entire skeletons had
thus been unexpectedly exhumed. Without ex-
pressing any opinion at the time, we asked Chandler
to pick u
1 the skull or portions of
bone excavation, to No. 2, and
belonging ot ,
i f
h toecould,
No .
so on. He seemed readily to recognise the portions
beionging to each, and on each part of skull so
identified as belonging to No. 1,2, 3,4, or 5 Mr.
Ross marked with a pencil. Three thigh bones, in
remarkable preservation, he indicated as belonging
to No. 1, and the other to No. 5, its fellow being
much broken ; the bones generally were very much
smashed, the jaws only excepted, which were
armed with very perfect sets of teeth, in wonderful
preservation. Besides the above, Mr. Ross pos-
sessed himself of some portions (the best he could
find) of the pelvic bones; and, on more carefully
examining them at home, he has arrived at the
following conclusion—viz., that the skull marked
No. 1 was certainly the oldest of all, and the one
marked No. 5 certainly the youngest ; No. 2 was
younger than No. 1, and older than No. 3,4, or 5.
Nos. 9 and 4 were much of the same age, but both
older than No. 6. The pelvic bones, &c., of No. 1
lead him to believe that they belong to a woman,
and the pelvic bones of No. 5 to a young man. The
pelvic bones of the remaining three were unfortu-
nately too much broken to afford any indication as
to the sex to which they belonged. Subsequently,
Mr. Ross showed these bones to Mr. Schollick, the
resident medical officer of the dispensary, and a very
skilful surgeon, and asked him to arrange them on
the table according to their respective ages. This
he did, and on comparing these portions with his
his own preconceived ideas Mr. Ross found that
they were agreed. Mr. Schollick concurred, also,
that the pelvis, &c. of the first belonged to a woman,
and that of the fifth to a young man. We should
add that a piece of iron, in the form of a blade, was
also found in one of these excavations. It is much
corroded, about four inches in length and about half
an inch in breadth. We afe informed, also, that
some time ago, while something was being done to
a portion of this and an adjoining field, the work-
men came down upon a large quantity of human
bones, which were carted away and buried
somewhere else. About eight or nine months since
also an old stirrup iron was found near the same
spot, but it was thrown away and thought nothing
of. We now leave these facts to spur readers, among
whom must be many capable of giving some idea as
to the period of history to which they relate, and to
state whether or not this discovery is a valuable
one in an antiquarian point of view. Among the
various theories which have been suggested are—
first, the probability of these being the remains of
soldiers engaged either in the early A
conflicts, or in some of the wars about the period oi
The Conquest; secondly, that they are the remains
of soldiers slain in some conflict between the Par-
, iiamentarians and Royalists in Cronavv oil's time;

thirdly, it is stated, on the authority of Russell's
" History of Surrey," that the plfigue visited Guild
ford in the fourth yeti!. of Elizabeth's reign, and
that this might have been the burying-place for
those who died of that dre idful scourge ; again, it
is suggested that this might have been the place
where criminals were executed, and that these are
remains, therefore, of persons who have suffered the
sentence of the law. It is within the recollection
of the "oldest inhabitants" that executions used to
take place at a spot called Gang-hill, which is
within a quarter of a mile from wrier() these skele
tons were found, and close to that again there is a
place still called " Gallows-copse." It is beyond
question that the Hospital of St. Thomas, and pos-
sibly also a priory, stood somewhere between the
existing Merrow and Ripley roads, and within a
short distance of where these bones were found.
This, therefore, might have been the interment
place of one of these institutions. We have only to
add that portions of the five skulls, the three
thigh bones, portions of the pelvic bones,
and the small piece of iron described above, are in
the possession of Mr. Ross, and that he will be happy
to show them to any person desirous to see them.—
West Surrey Times.