New Orleans Republican., 1875-01-24

The Head of Oliver Cromwell.
"Senex" writes to the London Times as
follows; Several imperfect statements hav-
ing lately appeared on the above subject,
let me explain what became OF the remains
of Cromwell. Partly from printed records
and partly from what / heard from Mr..
Wilkinson, to whom some of the press have
alluded, Oliver Cromwell died at Whitehall
Palace on the third of September, 1858,
after a protracted illness. He had been
long suffering from ague, and his case is
cited in medical books as one of a man who
died of ague while our warehouses were
groaning with Peruvian bark, which we did
not know how to use. During this illness
he became SO depressed and debilitated
that he would allow no barber TO come near
him; and his beard, instead Of being cut
in a certain fashion, grew all over his
face. After his death the body lay in
state at Somerset House, having been care.
fully embalmed, and was afterwards buried
with more than regal honOrs in Henry VII. s
chapel in Westminster Abbey, where it lay
until, after the Restoration, it was taken
out of his grave, as we're also the bodies OF
Iretou (Cfomwell's son-in-lawl and Brad
shaw; the latter, as president of the High
Court of Justice, having pronounced sen
tence of death on Charles |. The three
bodies were taken in carts to the Red Lion,
in HOlborn, and on the thirtieth OF Janua-
ry, the anniversary of King Charles death,
they we're removed on sledges to Tyburn,
where they were hanged until sunset, and
then taken down and beheaded, their
bodies buried in a deep pit Under the gal
lows and their heads stuck upon the top
of Westminster Hall, where at that time
sentlnels walked
Ireton's head was in the middle, and
CrOmwell's and Bradshaw's on either side.
Cromwells head, being EN- 0almed remained
exposed to the atmosphere for twenty-five
years, and then one stormy nightit was blown
down, and picked up by the sentry, who,
hiding 1t under his cloak, took it home and
secreted it in the chimney corner, and, as
inquiries were being constantly made by
the government, it was only on his death
bed that he revealed where he had hidden
it. His family sold the head to one OF the
Cambridgeshire Russells, and, in the same
box in which it still is, it descended to a
certain Samuel Russell, who, being needy
and careless man, exhibited it in a place
near Glare Market. There it was seen by
James Cox, who then owned famous mu-
scum He tried in vain to buy the head
from Russell, for, poor as he was, nothing
would at first tempt him 70 part with the
relic, but after time Cox assisted him
wi tn money, and eventually, 20 clear him
self from debt, he made the head over TO
Cox. When Cox at last parted with his
museum, he sold the head of Cromwell for
E230 to three men, who bought it, about the
time of the French revolution, to exhibit in
Mead Court, Bond street. at half a crown a
head. CnriOusly enough, it happened that
these three gentlemen died sudden death,
and the head came into the possession of
the three nieces OF the last man who died.
These young ladies, nervous at keeping it
in the house, asked Mr.. Wilkinson, their
medical man, TO take care of it for them,
and they subsequently sold it to him. For
the next fifteen or twenty years Mr.. Wilkin.
son was in the habit of showing it to all the
distinguished men of that day, and the
head, much treasured, yet remains in his
family.
The cireumstantial evidence s very curl
GUS. 1t is the only head in history which
is known to have been embalmed and af-
terward beheaded. On the back of the
neck, near the vertebrR, is the, mark of the
cut of an AK where the executioner. hav-
ing, perhaps, no proper block, had struck
too high, and, laying the head, in it's soft,
embalmed state, on the block, hattened the
nose on one side, making it. adhere to the
face. The hair grows prOmiscuOusly about
the face, and the beard, stained TO exactly
the same color by the embalming liquor, is
tucked up under the chin, with the oaken
staff of the spear with which the head was
stuck up on Westminster Hall, which staff
is perforated By worm that never attacks
oak until it has been for many years ex-
posed to the weather.
The iron apeaThead, where il prOtrudes
above the skull, is rusted away by the
action of the atmosphere The jagged way
in which the top of the skull IS removed
throws us back to time when surgery was
| id its infancy, while the embalming is so
beautifully done that the cellular process Of
the gums and the membrane of the tongue
u III l.
/ in the mouth; the membrane Of the eyelid
remains; the pia-mater and the dura-mater,
thin membranes which, believe, lie over
/ the brain, may be seen elinging TO the innef
and upper part of. the skull. The brain
was, Of course, removed, but the cOmpart-
ments are very distinct When the great
sculptor, Flaxman, went to see it, he said at
once, "YOu will not mind my expressing
any disappointment l may feel ON seeing
the headi5 "Oh, nor said Mrs. Wilkinson,
"but will you tell me the characteristics by
which the head might be recognized y
sWell,s replied FlaXmaB, II know good
deal about the conhguFation Of the head Of
Oliver Cromwell. He had a low, broad
forehead, large orbits to the eyes, high
septum to the nose, and high cheek bones
but there is one feature which will be with
me a crucial test, and that Is, that, instead
| of having the. lower jawbOne somewhat
curved, il was particularly short and
| straight, but set out at an angle, which
/ gave him i0wlish appearance The head
exactly answered TO the description, and
Flaxman went away expressing himself u
convinced and delighted.
The head has also length from the fore
head to the back Of the head which is quite
i extraordinary, and one day, before Mr.
Wilkinson retired from practice, his as
sistant called him into the surgery to point
out to him how exactly the shayen head 0.
8 lad who was there as patient resembled
the embalmed head OF Cromwell up stairs
and more particularly In the extreme
put.
Mr. Wilkinson mentioned the circum
stance to the gentleman who brought the
lad 70 him. t.No wonder" said the gentle
man, 'afos this lad Il e direct descendant d
Oliver Cromwell, whose maine, Ike fhis
boys, was williams before they changed Il