Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-11-26
Discovery of Embalmed Bodies.

Discovery Of Embalmed Bodies.
"A writer in London Notes d, Queries,
gives the following interesting account:l
A few weeks ago, in clearing out the
ruins of an old chapel at Nuneham Regis,
in Warwickshire, which had been pulled
down, all but the belfry tower, 40 years
since, We thought it necessary to trench
the whole space, that We might more GER
tainly mark out the boundaries Of the build
ings, as we wished to restore it, in some
measure, to its former state. 1t had been
used as stack yard and depository for
rubbish, by the tenants Of the farm on
which it was, ever since its dilapidation.
We began to trench at the west end, and
came on great many bones and skeletons
from which the coffins had crumbled away
till finding the earth had been moved, We
went deeper, and discovered leaden coffin
quite perfect, without date or inscription
of any kind There had been an outer
wooden coffin, which was decayed, but
quantities of the black rotted wood were all
round it. We cut the lead and folded
back the top, so as not to destroy it; be-
meath was wooden coffin in good preser-
vation, and also without auy inscription.
As soon as the lsaden top was rolled back
= most over-powering aromatic smell diff
fused itself all over the place. We then
unfastened the inner coffin, found the body
Of man embalmed with great care, and
heaps Of rosemary and aromatic leaves
piled over him. On e1amiring the body
more closely We found it had been behead-
ed; the head WAS separately wrapped up in
linen, and the shirt that covered the body
was drawn quite over the neck where the
head had been cut off the head was laid
straight with the body, and where the join
ing of the neck and head should have
been, it was tied around with black rib
and. His hands were crossed on his breast,
the wrists were tied with black riband,
and the thumbs were tied together with
black riband. He had peaked beard
and quantity Of long blacK hair, curlsd
and clotted with blood around his neck
the only mark on anything about him was
on the linen on bis chest, just above where
his hands were crossed; on it were the
letters 1T Il" worked in black silk.
On trenching towards the chancel we
came on four leaden cofias lad side by
side with inscriptions on each, one Contain
ed the body Of Francis Earl of Chichester
and Lord Dunsmure, 1858; the next the
body of Audrey, Countess Of Chichester,
1852 another the body of Lady Audrey
Leigh, their daughter, 1910. We opened
the coffin of Lady Audrey Leigh, and
found her perfectly embalmed, and in
entire preservation, her flesh quite plump
as if she were alive, her face very beautl-
full, her hands exceedingly small, and not
wasted; she was dressed in fine linen trim
med all over with all point lace, and two
rows of lace fat across her forehead. She
looked exactly as if she were lying asleep,
and seemed not more than l6 or II years
Did; her beauty was very great; even her
eyelashes and eyebrows were quite perfect,
and her eye. were closed; no part of her
4
face or figure was at all fallen IN, although
she had been buried 2l2 years We alse
opened Lady Chichester's coffin, but with
her the embalming had apparensay failed
she was skeleton, though the coffin was
full of aromatic leaves. Her hair, how
ever, was as fresh as if she lived; it was
long, thick, and as soft and glossy as that
of child, and of perfect auburn color.
In trenching on one side of where the
altar had been, we found another leader
coffin with an inscription. 1t contained
THE body of Dame Marie Browne, daugh
ter of one of the Leighs, and Of the Lad.
Marie, daughter to Lord Chancellor braeA