New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-11
The Head of ChRrles 4.

! A correspondent of Notes and Cveri..
recalls Sir Henry Halford's account of the
| appearance of the remains Of King Charles
| l. sixty-twO years ago. The corpse was
buried in 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 on Apr,l |.
1913. Halford, who witnessed the disinter.
ment, wrote report of the proceeding
which was authenticated by the sign man
ual of the regent. After remayking on the
striking resemblance of the head. even in
its decayed state, to the coina, busts, and
especially the Vandyke pictures OF the
King. the report proceeded
When the head had been entirely Olsen.
gagged from the attachments which confined
1t. it was found to be loose, and without
any difficulty was taken up and held to
view. 1t was quite wet, and gave green
lsh red tinge to paper and to linen which
touched it. The back part of the SCI alp was
entirely perfect. and bad remarkably
fresh appearance, the pores of the skin
being more distinct. as they usually are
when soaked IN moisture. and the tendons
and ligaments of theineck were Of consider.
able substance and tirmness. The hair was
thick at the back of the head, and in ap-
pearance nearly black. A portion of it.
which has since been cleaned and dried. il
OF beautiful! dark brown color. That of
the beard was of redder brown. On the
back part of the head it was more than an
inch in length. and had probably been
cut so sh :rt tor the convenience of the
executioner, or perhaps by the piety of
friends soon after death, in order to furnish
memorials Of the unhappy King.
On holding up the head to examine the
place. of separation from the body, the
muscles OF the neck had evidently retracted
themselves considerably, and the fourth
cervical vertebrs was found to be cut
through its substance transversely, leaving
the surface of the divided portions perfectly
smooth and even. an appearance which
could have been produced only by heavy
blow inflicted with a very sharp instrument.
and which furnished the last proof wanting
to identify King Charles l. After this ex.
animation of the head, which served every
purpose in view, and without examining
the body below the neck, it was immedi,
ately restored to its situation. the coffin
was soldered up again, and the vault closed. |
Neither of the other coffins had any in.
serlption upon them. The larger one, sup
posed on good grounds to contain the re-
mains OF King Henry VIII, measured six
1eet ten inches in length, and had been in |
closed IN an elm one OF. two inches in thick |
ness; but this was decayed and lay in small |
near 1t. The leaden coffin an. |
peared to have been beaten in BY violence |
ABOUT the mloole, and considerable OPEN
ing in that part OF it exposed a mere skele.
ton OF the King. Some beard remained |
upon the chin, and there was nothing to |
the parsonage contained in it. I
The smaller coffin, understood to be that of
queen Jane Seymour, was not touched,
pere curiosity not being considered by the
Prince Regent as a sufficient motive for dis
,urbing these remains.
The correspondent contradicts Halford's
conjecture that the Kings hair was cut
hort :Or the convenience of the execu.
Toner, By quoting the following extract
rom the state trials report of the execution:
He 1.-THE King called to the bishop for his
!ightcap, and having put it on he said to
he executloner, Does my hair trouble
on! who desired him to put it ali under
lis cap, which the King did accordingly, by
he help of the executioner and the bishop,
hen the King said to the executioner. is
~ hair well:'-