Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-07-15
VOL. LXXVI.
THE HEAD OF CHARLES I

uarleS Will De charSeQ al advertisement rateS
for notices over four lines.
THE HEAD OF CHARLES l.
A correspondent Of Notes and Queries re-
calls Sir Henry Haltords account of the ap-
pearance of the remains of King Charles six
ty two years ago. The corpse Was buried n
the vault Of Henry VIII in St. Georges
chapel at Windsor, and the coffin was opened
by the command and in the presence Of the
Prince Regent oD April /, 1918.
Halford, who witnessed the dispterment,
wrote report of the proceeding, which was
authenticated by the sign manuel Of the regent.
After remarking on the striking resemblance of
the head, even 10 its decayed state, to the coins,
busts, aud especially the Vandyke pictures of
the king, the report proceeded
when the head had been entirely diseu-
gagged from the attachments which corfoed it,
it was found to be loose and without any diff
Guilty was taken up and held to view. 1t WAS
quite wet, and gave greenish red tinge topaper
and to linen which touched it. The back part
Of the scalp was entirely perfect, and had re-
markably fresh appearance, the pores of the
skin being more distinct, as they usually are
when soaked in moisture, and the teDdous and
ligament of the neck were of considerable sub
stance and frmness.
1.-THE hair was thick at the back of the head
and in appearance nearly black. A portion of
it, which has since been cleaned aud dried is
of beautiful dark brown color. That of the
beard was of a redder brown. 90 the back
part Of the head it was more than an inch in
length, and had probably been cut so short for
the convenience of the executioner, or, per-
haps, by the piety Of friends after death, in
order to furnish memorials of the unhappy
king.
"Oo holding up the head to inspect the place
OF separation from the body, the muscles of the
neck bad evidently retracted themselves con-
siderably, and the fourth cervical yertebra was
found to be cut through its substance transver-
sely leaving the surface the divided portions
perfectly smooth and even, an appearance which
could have been produced ooIy by heavy blow
Inflicted with sharp instrument, and which
furnish the last proof wanting to identity King
Charles l.
after this examination of the head, which
served every purpose 10 view, and without ex-
aminlDg the body below the neck, it was imme-
dlately restored to its situation, the coffin was
sodered up again, and the vault closed.
Neither Of the other cofius had any inscrip-
ton upon them. The larger one, supposed on
good grounds to coDtain the remains of kns
Henry VIII, measured sx feet ten inches 10
length, and bad been inclosed 10 on elm one of
two inches 10 thickness, but this was decayed,
and lay in small fragments near it.
The leaden cofin appeared to have been
beaten IN by violence about the middle, and a
considerable opening 10 that part Of it exposed
mere skeleton of the king Some beard re.
NAMED upon the chin, and there was nothing
to discriminate the parsonage contained in it.
The smaller coftin, understood to be that of
Queen Jane Seymour, was not touched, mere
curiosity not being considered by the Prince
Regent as sufficient motive for disturbing
these remains
The correspondent contradicts Haford' con.
lecture that the kings hair was cut short for
the convenience OF the executioner, by quoting
the following extract from the state trials re-
port Of the execution: "He (the kug) called
to the bishop for his nIghtcap, and having put
1t on said to the executioner, Does my hair
trouble you2 who desired him to put it all
under his cap, which the king did accordingly,
by the help OF the txecutioner and the bishor.
Then the king said to the executioner, rs my
hair well2"
SEVEN TIMES MARRIED. -On the 3Oth ult.
Benjamin Abbott and MIS- Mary Pratt we're
welded at Smyrna, Del. This is the seventh
time the bride has been led to the altar, and
the Smyrna Times prints some Interesting gos
sip concerning her past life The contracting
parties to these nuptials, it says, are we'll up
tie ascending grade to eighty years. The groom
Is quiet, uuassuming old man, a widower,
with means enough (particularly if combined
with her income) to meet his not very numer-
Gus wauts. The bride was the relict of the
late ex Sheriff Henry Pratt, Of Kent county,
who Was the last anti Democratic Sheriff who
has hlled that office 10 that county. He was
elected Sheriff in 1874 by the Wings His de-
scendants, children, grandchildren and great.
grandchildren, at the time of his marriage,
numbered over l56, and yet he had never then
had but one death 10 his family-his first wife.
Mrs. Abbotts names have been eight in all
Miss Williams, Mrs. Truax, Mrs Farrow,
Mrs. Riggs, Mrs Wallace, Mrs. Berry, Mrs.
Pratt, and now Mrs. Abbott. In every in-
stance, says the Times. "save the first, she
has married q widower some Of them with
never sustained the maternal relation by con-
sanguluity. She was reared 10 this commuu
ty' as were all her husbands, so far as We can
learo, and hence her record has been as an
open 0ook to all her seven companions, yet
record, age, nor aught else seems to work ia
lallty to the charm that wiDs," whatever that
may be-and to hod that out is the rub. The
hVe years and over widowhood that existed
between ber last and her preseu. husband is
the longest she has endured This, however.
may not be wholly her fault, as we are eerta;n
tnaI ln one instance Ut ieast sne offered to share
her comfortable home With one of our most
worthy old citizens, but the mere proposition
filled him with fear and trembling, and to avoid
repetition he burriedly married young lady
in her teens, with whom, and his little prattler,
he is now enjoying the fullest share OF domestic
bliss. We have no intimation, however, that
her numerous conquests have been made by
open, direct assault On the contrary We
think they have not. 1t has been asserted on
good authority that she has confessed to a pre-
sentiment that she should have seven husbands.
She now enjoys the fuliilment of this prophe-
tic notion, and. hale, seventy odd, she wears
her bridal wreath with becoming dignity
nILSl OILSi OILSl-Just received anoth-
W er supply of Machine Natural and Lard