Star.
London, England, 1819-06-12 00:00:00

POLICE.

Orn...ssau..-riron Cjins.--.Disgrarrfsd Riot and Disturbance
et St. 'harry 's Hu rial-gruund—Our Readers will recollect the
citcunistance which occurred a short time date, of the Bettor
of St. Axidrew's, Holborn, refusing to inter a corpse enclosed in
an iron coffin : proceedings have since been instituted against
him, for such a refusal, in the Eccleciastical Court, and the cause
was in progress for hearing ; but by the sudden death of the
Rev. Mr. Clare the Rector, the suit is consequently abated.—
The corpse, which was that of a Mrs. Gilbert, the wife of a re-
spectable inhabitant of that parish, has remained above ground
ever since, a period of nearly three mouths, and the husband
being about to leave town was of course desirous of seeing the
body of his wife decently interred, previous to his departure.
With this view, apprehending no further opposition, the Rector
being dead, be gave'the necessary directions to Mr. Bridgman,
the patentee of the iron coffins, to prepare for the funeraL Mr.
Bridgman accordingly waited on the Bishop of London uu Tues-
day last, and stated to his Lordship the discontinuance of the
suit against the late Rector, requesting that, as there were now
no legal proceedings before the Court, his Lordship would direct
the Minister to bury the body. His Lordship, however, declined
to interfere, upon the ground that the case might ultimately be-
come a question before the Ecclesiastical Court. On the Wed-
nesday, Mr. Bridgman sent notice to the Churchwarden, the
Minister, and the sexton, of his intention to bury the body the
next day ; reply was made, that every thing would be in / eadi-
sess, but that the body must not be brought in an iron coffin.
—Notwithstanding this determination the funeral proceeded
with proper solemnity, attended by the husband of the deceased
and others, to St. Andrew's burying-ground in Gray's-Inn-lane,i
on Thursday ; on their arrival the gates were shut against them,
and all admission &pied by the Sexton and his assistants. After
waiting there a considerabk time, surrounded by a considerable
mob, Mr. Gilbert directed that the body should be taken to St.
Andrew's Church, ilolborn, hoping to find the Minister there at
evening service, and to induce him to perform the ceremony. The
body was accordingly brought thither, and the gates being open
the procession entered without other molestation than from the
immense crowd which accompanied it ; the Minister, however,
was not there to bury it; and the Sexton, who had by this time
arrived, insisted upon the body's being taken away ; this was
refused, and the bearers deposited the coffin upon one of the
tomb-stones near the front door of the Church, so as to be in
the view of the persons in the street. The Sexton, it being then
nearly nine o'clock at night, sent for Mr. tiurzard, the Church-
warden, who shortly afterwards arrived, accompanied by Mr.
Griffiths, the Vestry Clerk, and others, who, after perempto-
rily insisting upon Mr. Bridgman's removing the body, gave
charge of him-to the officersof the night, by whom he was taken
to the Compter.—A long investigation took place yesterday,
before Sir WILLIAM Douvats, who declined to make any order
respecting the coffin or the body ; but Jacob Frewin, the beadle,
having sworn that Mr. Bridgman had assaulted him, the latter
gave bail to answer the charge. The Court was considerably
crowded, and after the decision of the Magistrate numbers fol-
lowed Mr. Bridgman and his friends towards St. Andrew's
Church, to witness the issue of this extraordinary and disgrace-
ful occurrence in a civilized country.—The coffin, up to a late
hour yesterday evening, remained as before, and a considerable
mob was collected in the streets. The body is now deposited in
the bone-house.