The Vault
The walls and floor are rough plastered and the floor composed of red bricks (nine inches by four inches), and on stone set in the north wall just inside the vault is the inscription: " This vault was built by order of Thomas Sheppard, 1784". Within the vault are clear remains of 21 interments, and remains of sundry others. |
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Section 'A'
Arranged in lines of 10 adult coffins and one of a child, (number 4, resting on number 3). The outer wooden caskets have rotted away, leaving only fragile pieces of wood on top of the lead containers. Several of these are bursting, or have fallen in, and traces can be seen of an inner wooden coffin. Each lead container bears in raised letters the same inscription as engraved upon the brass plates fixed to the top of the outer wooden casket. These inscriptions are as follows: -
Section 'B' - The Tyrell Vault Here are two piles of coffins:
Conclusions It would appear that the Tyrrell vault mentioned by Browne-Willis wherein were interred "no less than six baronets and some of their ladies and children; of above 30 .... in number", was beneath the north chantry as he states when describing the chantry, "In this chapel is a vault." Click here for more information about theTyrell Vault. When this chantry was demolished by Dr Cotton (ob.1782) or his son-in-law Thomas Sheppard, it was evidently desirous to discontinue using the vault - it may have been no longer structurally sound - and so Thomas Sheppard built a new one alongside the nave where the north aisle has previously stood, and over this the north aisle was built in 1850. The two piles of coffins and the heap of remains at the far end of the vault must surely be what remained of the Tyrrell interments, moved into the new vault, the other rows of sarcophagi containing the remains of Thomas Sheppard and his family. Leigh Smith and Sarah Gurney presumably had some connection with the family, but at present that is unknown. The others fit in as follows:- |
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