

THE CONTENTS OF ST. CUTHBERT'S SHRINE 



the handwriting of Bishop Maire (1725 1766). l These two papers state 

 definitely that the precious treasure is the body of St. Cuthbert ; they say 

 that it lies under the second and third steps of the staircase leading to the 

 Bell Tower, and one of the MSS. adds that it was near the great clock. 

 When this became known to the Chapter in 1867 a large and thorough inves- 

 tigation took place, both near the staircase leading to the great clock in the 

 south transept, and also at the stairs in the north-west tower which flanks the 

 west end of the nave, a tower in which some of the bells were formerly 

 hung. Nothing was found in either place. On the other hand the Bene- 

 dictine tradition points to some spot in the western part of the nave, not far 

 from the font. 8 These traditions may now be left while we consider the chief 

 matter that is, the probability that the body was not removed, and that the 

 bones now lying in the vault of 1542 in the platform behind the Neville 

 screen are the actual remains of St. Cuthbert. The known history of this 

 body is short. Three commissioners 8 of Henry VIII., probably in 1537,* 

 going their rounds in search of Church treasure came to the Cathedral. We 

 are told that the chest containing the saint's body was broken into by a 

 goldsmith with a great hammer, and that in so doing the man broke one of 

 the saint's legs. After this the remains were deposited for some time in the 

 Revestry ' of the church c till such time as they did further know the king's 

 pleasure' It was during this period that pious monks are said to have 

 carried the body away, substituting for it a skeleton taken from the Gentry 

 Garth. We have two accounts by eye-witnesses of the burial of the ancient 

 coffin with a body in it ; those who saw it detected no change. The bills 

 for making the vault and for carrying out the burial are still in the Cathedral 

 Library. 7 The body was laid in an ordinary vault ; and into the walls of it 

 were built the blue stones or ' marble ' as they are commonly called, which 

 had been at the base of the destroyed shrine. 8 Over the body they first 

 placed a large slab on which was engraved in bold lettering the name of 

 * Ricardus Heswell, Monachus,' who had been buried in the Gentry Garth 

 in the fifteenth century ; and above this, on the surface, a large blue marble 

 ledger stone without inscription. The marks of the feet of earlier worshippers 

 may still be plainly seen on both sides of this slab. 



Here the coffin lay undisturbed till 1827. Then the Chapter ordered 

 investigations. In the broken coffin they found the bones closely wrapped 

 in ancient robes, among which were discovered several valuable relics of 

 St. Cuthbert, which had escaped the keen eyes of the commissioners. These 

 things answer to certain of the treasures enumerated at the opening which 

 took place in 1 104.' Mr. Raine, 10 an eye-witness in 1827, who unfortunately 



1 Both are quoted in Arch. Ivii. (i.) \j, 1 8. * Ibid. 19. 



* See Rites of Durham (Surtees Soc. crii. loz). * Ibid. 284. 



1 Pulled down in 1802. ' Rites of Durham (Surtees Soc., cvii. 103). 



* Durham Account RO//J, iii. 742 (Surtees Soc., xcii-ciii.). 8 Arch. Ivii. (i.), 14, 16. 



* Sjm. Dur. (Rolls Series), i. 252, 253 : Abbot Richard, of St. Alban's (1097-1119), was present at the 

 translation of 1 1 54, and the account of the event given by Matthew Paris is important. Abbot Richard had 

 a withered arm, which was miraculously restored by touching St. Cuthbcrt's body. The account is as 

 follows : While the holy and undecaycd body of the said Confessor was being lifted by the head and feet to 

 be transferred (to the new shrine), and was bending in the middle and threatened to collapse, Abbot Richard, 

 who was standing by, marvelling that it was flexible as though the saint were merely asleep, sprang forward, 

 and casting away his crozier, supported the body by the middle in his arms ; and straightway the arm which 

 before had been useless was restored entirely by the touch of the holy body. From this it seems dear that 

 the saint was taken out of his coffin in the process. Vitae Viginti Trium S. A. Abbatum (cd. Watts) 1006. 



10 Raine, St. Cutkbert (Durham, 1828). 



251 



