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be dug up, that the lead might be melted and put to other uses ; 
he persuading William Reynier, his brother churchwarden, that 
by so doing they would save the parish charges. Acting upon 
this order, Robert Fort, the Beadman of the parish, “in an 
afternoone, towards night, the church doares being locked, and 
hee quiet in the church, and again on the next morninge, 
because he could not end that night, about fower or five of the 
clocke, the church doares then likewise kept faste, he digged the 
said grave or vaut ; and Richard Hebditch, parrishe Clark, and 
Edward Hebditch, his sonne, beinge p’sent and consentinge 
thereunto, the said Richard Hebditch went down into the grave 
or vaut with a candle, searching not onelie there but alsoe in the 
said coffin, after itt was ripped upp, for jewells or some other 
thinge of value, and seeing as itt seemed haire in the said coffin of 
a yellow colour, he went to take some of itt in his hand and itt 
fell to dust.” Robert Fort, Edward Hebditch, Francis Boyce and 
John Budgett then lifted and drew the coffin out of the vault, and 
Robert Fort laid the bones that were in it into the grave again 
and filled it up and made the surface plain. Boyce and Budgett, 
being plumbers, then took the lead and melted it. Through 
ill-feeling on the part of one James Beale, as wishing to “ malign” 
Robert Fort, the affair became known. Information was sent to 
the Bishop, and after investigation it was found to be true, partly 
from Beale’s story and also by the frank acknowledgment of those 
engaged in it. 
The Bishop took a serious view of the case, and considering it 
a very barbarous and sacriligious violation of the grave of a 
noble personage on the 24th of February, 1637, “ certified my 
Lords Grace” of all the particulars, with a copy of the depo- 
sitions under his Registrar’s hand. He reported that the 
country “ranged” of it, all who heard of it detested it, and 
people feared that if the accused escaped without heavy censure, 
they in turn would not be allowed to rest in their graves, 
The Archbishop at first had a mind to have the parties 
