NOTES ON COLDINGHAM l25 



The graves of the two Priors were accidentally discovered 

 at the same period by Aleck Storey and another workman 

 named Waldie. They were engaged in clearing away the 

 stones and lime after the demolition of the comparatively 

 modern bell tower at the west end of the choir, when 

 suddenly one of the spades made an opening into what 

 proved to be a vault, and, looking down, the men saw the 

 bodies. A careful examination was subsequently made, and 

 it was found that the two Priors were interred in one vault, 

 built in with stone and lime, no earth being about them, 

 only a little adhering to the mouth of one of them. The 

 one had been sewed up in leather, which was quite black ; 

 he had on shoes, a hazel stick with the bark on, and a 

 crooked handle, lay by his side ; he was a tall, large man, 

 with teeth in good preservation. The other was sewed up 

 in linen, but both were sewed up so as to cover the whole 

 figure, the head as well. The stitch of the leather covering 

 was what is called the sack stitch, and the shoes had a 

 welt round them such as "pumps" had. The two bodies 

 were lyiug a little apart from each other, and in the very 

 centre of the transepts. 



In 1877 a portable altar was turned up in the churchyard, 

 at the north side of the church. It is a smooth, sandstone, 

 square slab, about ten inches in breadth, and an inch and a 

 half in thickness. There are five circles on it, and five crosses. 

 Five dots or stigmata appear to have been intended to be 

 represented at the intersections of the circles. Mr Wood of 

 Woodburn, Galashiels, secured the stone, and afterwards 

 presented it to the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries, 

 Edinburgh. A portion of another portable altar stone was 

 found near the same place shortly after. 



"The five crosses on the stone — including the central 

 cross over the relics — are very ancient, more ancient than 

 the symbolical explanation of the thing, probably before 

 AD. 506." 



A portable altar stone was consecrated for saying Mass, 

 and made of a suitable size for travelling. The privilege 

 of possessing oue was granted by licence from Eome, and 

 it is curious and most interesting to learn, in connection with 

 this, that "a licence for using an altar stone was granted 



