54 THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LEONARD WHEATCROFT. 



interments, but one was kept at the church, in which the body — 

 secured in its winding-sheet — was laid to be carried to the church. 

 Leonard had provided that his body should be placed in an 

 ancient stone coffin, which probably he had discovered in his 

 grave-digging within the church. This coffin he had caused to be 

 placed in his future grave, so that on the day of the funeral, his 

 body sewn in the winding sheet, would be borne in the parish 

 coffin, carried on these black staves,'^' to the church and grave, 

 and from thence transferred to the stone receptacle . already 

 prepared in the ground ; it was, in fact, an exact repetition of 

 an interment of the middle ages] . 



" Upon July 17, I and my doughter went to Chesterfeild to buy 

 some household goods, when Rich. Stringfelow broke. After that 

 I went to severall places up and downe to se my Relations, but 

 above all, I and my brother William went to Morton to see an 

 vnckell of ours, who married my father's sister, whom we had no^^ 

 seen of maney years, nor he us, for he had beene blind 7 years, and 

 no little was he coumforted to hear of us at that time, which was 

 May 31, '99. The next day I did retourne to my family. And 

 againe June 5 in the same yeare, I went to a christning at Cow- 

 hous-lane, to my cuzen, John Benbrig, who had married James 

 Brough's doughter Mary. There, and at my sister Chadwicks, I 

 stayed tow nights, and from thence I safely retourned, but very 

 ill tired. 



" My next jorney was to Chesterfeild, July 8, with the Church 

 Bible to get it bound. That day I came horn by Alton. There 

 I spent 6d., and so came hom. 



"Oct. 9, 1699, I went to brother SoUomons, where I met with 

 brother William. There did we 3 bretheren spend the day very 

 merrily, and blessed be God, hom very well that night. 



"Vpon Jan. 31, I went to Winster, to my brother Robard's, 

 where I taried 5 nights, and with him to Higrouses [? Highouses], 

 and seeing good store of oare [? lead ore] I bought of him 



* Hand-staves. In the Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xv., p. 372 

 (1795)) concerning Campsie, co. Stirling, we have, " However distant any part 

 of the parish was from the place of interment, it was customary for the attendants 

 to carry the corpse on hand-spokes." 



