The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.Pelham, Camden
History
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.
Pelham, Camden
Crime -- Great Britain; Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England)
"2. The bones thought to be those of the anchoress Rosia were but lately
discovered in a cell at Royston, entire, fair, and undecayed, though
they must have lain interred for several centuries; as is proved by Dr.
Stukely.
"3. But my own country--nay, almost this neighbourhood--supplies another
instance; for in January 1747, were found, by Mr. Stovin, accompanied by
a reverend gentleman, the bones, in part, of some recluse, in the cell
at Lindholm, near Hatfield. They were believed to be those of William of
Lindholm, a hermit, who had long made this cave his habitation.
"4. In February 1744, part of Woburn Abbey being pulled down, a large
portion of a corpse appeared, even with the flesh on, and which bore
cutting with a knife; though it is certain this had lain above two
hundred years, and how much longer is doubtful; for this abbey was
founded in 1145, and dissolved in 1538 or 1539.
"What would have been said, what believed, if this had been an accident
to the bones in question?
"Farther, my lord:--it is not yet out of living memory that at a little
distance from Knaresborough, in a field, part of the manor of the worthy
and patriot baronet who does that borough the honour to represent it in
parliament, were found, in digging for gravel, not one human skeleton
only, but five or six, deposited side by side, with each an urn placed
at its head, as your lordship knows was usual in ancient interments.
"About the same time, and in another field, almost close to this
borough, was discovered also, in searching for gravel, another human
skeleton; but the piety of the same worthy gentleman ordered both pits
to be filled up again, commendably unwilling to disturb the dead.
"Is the invention of these bones forgotten, then, or industriously
concealed, that the discovery of those in question may appear the more
singular and extraordinary? whereas, in fact, there is nothing
extraordinary in it. My lord, almost every place conceals such remains.
In fields, in hills, in highway sides, in commons, lie frequent and
unsuspected bones; and our present allotments for rest for the departed
are but of some centuries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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