The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-11-15
Antiquarian Discovery.

An account of some explorations made
in England says -
A few weeks ago, in clearing out the
ruins Of an old chapel at Nuneham Regis,
in Warwickshire, which had been pulled
down Gall but the belfrey tower) about
forty years since, We thought it necessary
to trench the whole space, that we might
more certainly mark the boundaries of the
building, as we wished to restore it in
some measure to its former state; it had
been used as stackyard and depository
Of 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 skele-
tons, from which the collins had crumbled
away, till finding the earth had been re-
moved, we went deeper, and discovered a
leaden coffin quite perfect, but 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 around it. We cut
the lead and folded the top so as not to
destroy it; beneath was wooden coffin
in good preservation, and also without an
inscription. AS soon as the leaden top
was rolled back, a most overpowering aro-
matte smell diffused 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
aromatic leaves piled over him. On ex-
aiming the body more closely, we found
it had been beheaded, the head was sep
arately 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 with broad black ribbon. His
hands were crossed on his breast, the
wrists were tied with. black ribbon, and
and the thumbs were tied together with
black ribbon. He had peaked beard,
and quantity of long brown hair curled
and clotted with blood round his neck;
the only mark on anything about him was
the linen on his chest, just above where
his hands were crossed on it were the
letters I. B. worked in black silk.
On trenchiIg towards the chancel we
came on four lea1en coffins laid side by
side, with inscriptions on each one con-
tanned the body of Francis, Earl of Chi
chester and Lord Dunmore, 1858; next
the body of Audrey, Countess of Chiches-
ter, 1862, another the body Of Lady Aud
rey Leigh, their daughter, 1910 and the
fourth the body Of Sir John Anderson,
SON Of Lady Chichester, by her first hus-
band, 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 beautiful, her hands exceed
ingly small and not wasted she was dress
ed in fine linen, trimmed all over with old
point lace, and two rows Of lace laid
fiat across her forehead. She looked ex-
actly as if she were lying asleep, and
seemed not more than sixteen or seventeen
years old; her beauty was very great
even her eyelashes and eyebrows werequite
perfect, and her eyes were closed; nopart of
her face or figure was at all fallen in. We
also opened Lady Chichester's coffin, but
with her the embalming had apparently
failed ; she was skeleton, though the
coffin was half full of aromatic leaves her
hair, however, 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 lead
en- coffin with an inscription. It contain
ed the body Of > Dame Marie Browne,