Rod Collins

Strange Burials in Lincolnshire
A look at a couple of interesting and unusual burials . . .

This article discusses just two burials which took place in the county of Lincolnshire but also serves as a ‘home’ for any others which may turn up, or indeed for any further information on those people involved.

The first involves a man who buried his wife in a turnip field !
In 1838 suspicions were aroused around the death of Elizabeth Wells.
It seems she died suddenly and her husband immediately procured a coffin and buried her in a turnip field!
This, quite reasonably, aroused the suspicions of neighbours and the like, the coroner was called in and the body exhumed.

The court heard evidence that Elizabeth Wells complained of severe pains in the head, she collapsed and died shortly after.
Her husband, also Parish Clerk, then proceeded as mentioned.

The coroner ordered an autopsy which was carried out by a surgeon from Boston called Coupland who declared . . .
the deceased came to her death by the visitation from God
The coroner’s court went with that and declared the death a natural one but it still doesn’t answer the question as to why a husband, and Parish Clerk, would bury his wife himself and in a turnip field of all places ?!

The Recommended Place for Burials

Another case of burial in a field came to light near Grantham when men working in a field digging foundations for a farm building found a stone under which lay the skeleton of a man.
The stone slab was incised . . .
Here lies the body of Zacharias Laxton deceased of the 27th August 1667, being for his excommunication denied the usual place of burial.

Any similar cases would be of great interest as would any comments or opinions on those already noted
Gravely yours,
Rod