Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-10-13
Embalmed Bodies.

db biu Iubpti 1T lNuntbdil iNtAlSf
Warwickshire, which had been pull
led down, all but the belfry tower,
forty years since we thought it ne
cessary TO trench the whole space,
that we might more certainly mark
out the boundaries Of the building,
as we wished 10 restore il in some
measure TO its former state. Ii had
been used as a stack yard and de-
pository for rubbish oy the tenants Of
the farm on which il was ever since
its dilapidaiion. We began to trench
at the west end, and came on great
many bones and skeletons, from
which the collins had crumbled away,
ill, finding the earth had been NOV
ed, we went deeper and discovered a
leaden coffin, quite perfect, without
date or inscription OF any kind
There had been an outer wooden
coffin which was decayed, but guam
titles Of the black rotten wood were
all around it. We cut the lead and
folded back the top, so as not to de-
stroy it; beneath was wooden cof-
fin in good preservation, and also
without any inscription.
As soon as he leaden top was roll
led back, most overpowerlng aro-
matte smell dfiused itself all over
the place. We then unfastened the
INNER coffin, and found the body OF
man embalmed with great care,
and heaps of rosemary and aromat-
ic leaves piled over him. On exam
lining the body more closely, we
found that he had been beheaded-
The head was separately propped up
IN linen, aud the linen shirt which
covered the body was drawn quite
over the neck where the head had
been cut off The head was aid
straight with the body, and where
the luining of the head and neck
should have been, it was tied round
with broad black ribbon. His hands
were crossed on his breast, the wrists
were tied with black ribbon, and the
thumbs were tied together with black
ribbon. He had a peaked beard and
a quanttv of long brown hair, curl
ed and clotted with blood, round his
neck. The only mark on anything
about him was on the linen on his
chest, Just above which his hands
were crossed on it were the letters
IT. B., worked in black silk.
On trenching towards the chancel,
we came on four leaden collins, laid
side by side, with inscriptions on
each. One contained the body oi
Francis, Earl of Chichester, and
Lord Dunsmure, 1868 the next the
body of Audrey, Countess of Chi
chester, 1862 another the body OF
Lady Audrey Leigh, their daughter,
1910; and the fourth the body OF
Sir John Anderson, son of Lady
Chichester by her first husband. We
opened the coffin Of Lady Audrey
Leigh, and found her perfectly EN-
banned, aud IN entire preservation,
her flesh quite plump, as if she were
alive, her face very beautiful, and heI
hands exceedingly small and not was.
ted. She was dressed ia fine linen
trimmed all over with point lace, ano
two rows Of lace fiat across her fore
head. She looked exactly as if she
were lying asleep, and her beauty
was very perfect, even her eyelashes
and eyebrows were quite perfect, and
her eyes were closed no part of hel
face or figure was at all fallen in
We also opened Lady Chichester.
coffin, but with her the embaIming
had perfectly failed. She was skel-
eton, though the coffin was filled will
aromatic leaves. Her hair, however,
was fresh as # she lived il was long
thick, and as soft and glossy as that
of a child, and Of a perfect auburn
color.
In irenching on one side where The
altar had been, we found another
leaden coffin with an inscription. Il
contained the body of Dame Ma
rie Browne, daughter Of one of tn,
Leighs, and of the Lady Marie
daughter of Lord Chancellor Brack.
lev. This body was also quite per,
feet, and embalmed principally with
a very small coffee colored seed, will
which the coffin was nearly filled
and it also had so powerful perfum,
that il filled the whole place. Thu
linen, ribbons, &c, were quite strong
and good in all these instances, ano
remained so after exposure TO the air
We kept piece out Of each collin
and had il washed without its being
at all destroyed. Young Lady Au'
drey had earrings in her ears, blaci
enamelled serpents. The perfume
OF the herbs and gums used in EN-
balming them was so sickening tina
we were all i'll alter inhaIing it, ane
most of the men employed in dig
ging up the collins were i'll also. Nj,
object in sending this is, if possible
10 discover who the beheaded maI
was. The chapel is on the estate o
Lord John Scott, who inherited j
from his paternal grandmother, thu
Duchess Of Buccleuch, daughter o
the Duke Of Montague, into his fam
lily. Nuneham Regis and other pos
sessions in Warwickshire came by tn
marriage Of his grandfather with tn
daughter of Lord Dunsmore, Earl 0
Chichester"