Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-17
THE MOTHERS GRAVE
But When the Mother Died or Who
She Was is Unknown.

In one of the most deSOlate and re
| mote spots conceivable, in the heart of
the widest portion of the Bodmin
MOOrs, under the shadow of Brown
Willy and Rough Tor, the highest gran
tie peaks in Cornwall, lies a group of
very interesting prehistoric remains.
These consist of Il village or town of
hut circles; one large circle of stone is
142 feet in diameter; forty-sX of the
stones are still upright, and ten are
PROSTATE. Owing to the remoteness of
the spot, only a few of the stones have
been removed, probably about twenty,
judging from the gaps, and these al
most certainly We're the largest stones,
that farmers carried away to utilize as
gutepoSts. On the neighboTing heights
are an immense number of cairns, and
on the hill Of Leud0n is Il logan rock
that still yibrates with q slight pres
sure. But one monument in this dis
trict, and connected with this mystic
rious settlement, is of singular interest.
1t lies entirely apart from all the other
interments, and consisted originally, no
doubt, in a cair, which has, however,
been removed, exposed central kist-
yaen. or stone coffin, and by its side
another tiny little stone coffin for a
young child This is The Mothers
Grave, but when that mother died, who
she was, ever to what race she belong
ed, is utterly unknown. The grave is
of the earliest character; before Gre
nation was introduced, for the kist-
of fill
grown body extended, and the child'S
grave is also clearly formed for the
little body to be laid ut full length. In
some Of the tumuli on the Cornish
moorS q central kist or stone box is
found, approximately square, that con
tains ashes or burned bones. These
belong to a later period. Some few
years ago The Mothers Grave was
rifled by certain explorers, but whether
anything was discovered is not known.
When, about forty years since, a gold
cup was found in a barrow near the
Cheese wiring, the cupidity of the moor
men was excited, and scarcely a cairn
was left unturned over. Now the
stones composing the grave of the
mother are exposed, and the capstOnes
covering it have been removed and car
ried off. SO, also, have the stones that
composed the lower portion of the
grave. Apparently the two graves
were formerly inclosed within a circle
of upright stones, but of these only one
remains in position; the others have
been carried away to serve as gate
posts, or to be built into walls The
child's grave is complete, except that
the covering stones have been removed;
it measures 2 feet II inches in length
by y inches at the head and 10 inches
at the foot. The large kistvaen was
probably intended for more bodies than
one, as internally at the head it meas
ured 4 feet three inches. Probably 1t
was the common tomb Of a husband
and his wife 1t is infinitely touching
to see the little cradle grave or stone
by the side We know nothing OF who
were here buried, we know only that
they belonged to that mysterious race
which preceded the Britons; but the
little cradle for the dead child beside
The last bed Of the mother shows us
that human hearts We're in that vastly
remote period moved with the same
feelings as hearts now, and that men
in every age and Of the most diverse
races are alxin.-S. Barring Gould, in the
Queen.