Ancient burial ( weird topic, I know )

[Hanford]

Hello

I have come across an article written by my ancestor talking of 3 skeletons found whilst workmen were building the basement of the Harp Inn in Waltham Abbey, these skeletons were found in the grounds of the Abbey in an ancient cemetery, with a stake through each one and buried in a V shape... My ancestor reckoned they were buried about 200 years ago which would be in the earl 1600s then... These were the type of burials found when they thought people were vampires...

What I was wondering is, if I contacted Waltham Abbey about this do you think they'd have any records of who these  people may have been?
... I'd contact them now but I'd not want them thinking I was a vampire buff or anything 

[cati]

There is a Historical Society for Waltham Abbey: www.walthamabbeyhistoricalsociety.org.uk - they may be able to help you

Cati

[Hanford]

Thank you Cati, I will give them an email! 

[Deb D]

Oooooh - please let us know if you find out anything?   

[Redroger]

Be grateful if you would post any information on this thread? If the dating is accurate then it seems to me they may have been found guilty of witchcraft. There is also the possibility that the burials are far older than the Abbey and pre date it either into the Bronze Age or the Neolithic period.

[Hanford]

Oooooh - please let us know if you find out anything?   

I will indeed  Just waiting to hear back from people, should be interesting to hear what they say 

[Hanford]

Be grateful if you would post any information on this thread? If the dating is accurate then it seems to me they may have been found guilty of witchcraft. There is also the possibility that the burials are far older than the Abbey and pre date it either into the Bronze Age or the Neolithic period.

This is the article, how accurate the dating is I'm not sure, but I hope to some how find out 

1867 Magazine - Skeletons at Waltham Abbey
 
The following was written by Edmund Littler, a Waltham Abbey Littler, who was interested in antiquities. Mr. Littler was a surveyor who was living at Clapton when his last child was born (wife - Mercy Anna Pugh). He died in 1885.
 
3rd S. XII. Sept. 21, ’67 NOTES AND QUERIES
SKELETONS AT WALTHAM ABBEY. – In the month of June, some workmen engaged in excavating for the basement of a building to be erected on the east side of the Harp Inn, Waltham Abbey, disclosed several human skeletons, some of which were buried in so peculiar a manner that I wish to know if any of your readers can give the probable reasons for such modes of sepulture.
 
The massive foundations of the south boundary wall of the abbey ground abutting on the main road were laid bare and shewed that the Harp Inn and the building just taken down, were within the boundary of the ancient cemetery belonging to the abbey, the remainder still forming the churchyard. The buildings recently taken down, it is believed, were standing for more than two hundred years, and covered the ground where theses remains were buried.
 
About six feet down from the foundations of the south wall, at the depth of about seven feet in the native soil, a workman turned up
a dagger-blade about seven inches long, slightly curved, the thickest part of the blade being at the inner edge. This blade was subsequently broken and lost. On removing the earth just below the same spot, a perfect skeleton was uncovered, lying nearly due east and west. It was surrounded with lime, retaining its whiteness and friableness.
About twenty feet from this spot towards the abbey, a new well has been dug.
When about six feet six inches deep, the workmen came upon three stakes, when, proceeding cautiously, they discovered that these stakes had been driven through three bodies, which were lying almost entirely within the circumference of the well, the heads towards the north-west. The bodies were buried something in the form of the letter V, the limbs of the two inclining in towards the centre body,
Two of the stakes were rough unhewn pieces of oak about four inches in diameter with the bark on; the other was a piece of wood about three inches by two inches, sawn square, all well pointed. The lower parts of the stakes that had been driven through the bodies into the clayey soil were sound, while the upper parts were decayed. The ground where these three bodies were found appeared to have once been a made path or road through the cemetery towards the south entrance of the abbey church.
 
Other skeletons were also found beneath the site of the demolished buildings and within the boundary wall; but there were no traces of coffins or anything to indicate the period of interment.
 
Edmund Littler
Rendlesham Road, Clapton

[Redroger]

Thanks; from the report my first guess at a possible date, and it's only a guess is late Anglo Saxon. Hopefully anything that is discovered will include a sketch or sketches of the excavations and remains. Anticipating!!!

[Deb D]

Ditto!