54 PAPERS, ETC. 
skeletons, whilst digging the foundation of St. Stephen’s 
church. 
“In the year 1843, the workmen employed in the con- 
struction of a new cemetery in Lyncombe Vale, discovered 
a stone coflin, containing the remains of a human being, 
and to all appearance a man of 60 or 70, and of deformed 
stature. The coffin lay in a S.S.E. direction; it was found 
broken; the fracture, it is presumed by some, having been 
made at the interment from too quickly coming in contact 
with a stratum of rock, on which it was found. Thelid of 
the coffin was also broken; and though it appeared to have 
borne an inscription, or some rudely carved memorial of 
the deceased, ingenuity is at fault in seeking to decipher 
it. Afterwards, a second coffin was exhumed, being found 
only about 14 inches beneath the turf. This relic was 
about 64 feet in length, formed of one block of oolite, and 
excepting its weighty lid, unbroken. The skeleton it con- 
tained (supposed to be Roman) was much more perfect 
than that previously found, and was that of a tall man. 
Speaking phrenologically, the skull exhibited the general 
character of a Roman cranium. This coffin had been 
sculptured with more care than the preceding one, but it 
was of rude conformation; the sides and massive cover were 
covered with diagonal lines, but no letters were visible. 
Not far from the coffins were also found three copper coins; 
one was a counterfeit sterling of the reign of Edward I. 
The remaining two were struck by the Emperors Constan- 
tine and Carausius. The date on the former of these was 
sufficiently legible to be read without diffieulty; the latter 
was very much injured, as, indeed, are all the coins of 
Carausius that have been discovered in this country, and 
they generally require to be submitted to the educated eyes 
of those skilled in numismaties. We consider it important 
