The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-01-04
M j sc E4L9LA m T. 0;US. ).
Diooovery of Embalmed Bodies.

Ing account:
"A few weeks ago, in clearing out
the ruins of an old chapel at Nuncl,am
Regins in Warwickshirc which had
been pulled down, all but the beltry
tower, 40 years since we thought it
necessary to trench the whole space,
that we might more certainly mark
out the boundaries of the building, as
6wc wished to restore it, in some mcas.
nre, to its former state. 1t has pcen
used as a stack yard and u depository
forrubbish, by the tenants Of the farm
on which it was ever in diapidatiun.
We began to trench Mt the west end,
and came on Il great many bones and
skeletons, from which the coffins had
crumbled away till finding the earth
had been moved we went deeper, and
discovered leadcn coffin, quite per-
feet, without date or inscription of any
kind. There had been an outer wood.
en coffin, which was decaycd but guam
titles of the black rottcd wood were
oil round it. We cut the lead and
folded back the top, so us not to de-
stroy it; beneath WAS u wooden coffin
in good preservation and also without
any inscription.
AS socn rs the lcadcn top was roll
ed back most overpowcring aromatic
smell ditluscd itself all over the place.
We then untastencd the inner coffin,
and found the body of IL man embalm-
ed with great care, and heaps of rose
mary and aromatic leaves piled over
him. On examining the body more
closely we found it had been bchcad-
ed; the head was separately wrapped
up in linen, and the linen 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 joining
OF the neck and head should have
been, it was tied round with broad
black riband. His hands were crossed
ON his breast, the wrists were tied with
black riband, and the thumbs were tied
together with black ribaad. He had
a peaked beard, and quantity of long
brown hair, curled und rlottcd with
blood round his neck; the only mark
or anything about him WAS on the lin
cn OH his chest, just above where his
hands were crossed; Oh it were the
letters ''T b." worked in black silk.
On trcnching towards the channel
VIC came on four lcadcn collins laid
side by side with Inscriptions on each;
one contained the body of Francis.
Earl of Chichester and Lord Duus.
murc 1862; another the body of Lady
audrey Leigh, their daughter, lG40;
and the fourth the body of Sir John
Anderson, son Of Lady Chichester l.y
her first husband. Wcopcncd the coffin
OF Lady Audrey Leigh and found her
perfectly clnbalmcd and in prcscrvu-
ton, her flesh quite plump rs if she
Were alive, her face very beautiful, her
ha'!ds exceedingly small and not vast
cd; She Was dressed in inc linen trim
med all over with all point lace, and
two rows of lace fiat across her fore
head. She locked exactly rs if she
were lying asleep, and seemed not
more than lG or ~ years old; her
beauty was very great even her eye.
lnsles and eye brows were quite per.
feet, and her eyes were closed, no
part OF her face or figure was ut all
fallen in. We also opened Lady
Chchcstcr's coffin, but with her the
cnnbalming had apparently failed; she
wns q skeleton, though the coffin was
full OF aromatic leaves. Her hair
however, was rs fresh lis if she lived:
it was long, thick, and as SIT and clos.
sy as that ola cAild, and If perfect
auburn color.
In trenching on one side Of where
the altar had been, wc found another
leaden collin with an inscription. 1t
contained the body of Dame Marine
Browne, daughter of one Of The l.eighs.
and Of the Lady Marine, daughter to
Lord Chancellor Blacklcy. This body
was quite perfect, and cnbal,ned pin
clpally with very small coffee color
cd seed, with which the coffin was
nearly filed, and it also had SO power.
ilil perfume that it filled the place.
The linen, ribnnd, &C., were quite
strong and good in all these instances,
"io 'ciiaiiieu SO altcr exposure to the
air; we kept piece out Of each coffin,
and had it WISHED without its beng at
all destroyed. Young Lady Audrey
had car iings in her cars-back cnam-
elcd serpcnts. The perfume Of the
herbs and gums used in cmbalminy
them was SO sickcnil,g that we were
Ill i'll after inhaling it. and most Of the
men employed in digging up the collins
were i'll also. My object in sending
this account is, if possible, to discover
who the bcheadcd man is. The chap.
81 is ON the estate OF Lord John Scott,
who inherited it from his patcrnal
grandmother, the Duchess of Bucclc.
uch, daughter ofthc Duke of Montague.
into whose family Nunchan Brsis and
other possessions in Warwick shire
came by the marriage Of his grandtath-
or with tue daughter Of Lord Duns-
mure, Earl of Chichester.
------zz1~ zz1~e-1-Sn.N.-s=-
The Rev. Dir. Dixon, q distiu.
1liShed Ministor in a., II, ,.,