12 Records OJ the Rising in the West, A.I). 1655. 



Pass we now to something' more authentic. 



In the Compton Chamberlayne Kcgister there is the following- 

 y in Mr. Martin's (the Vicar) handwriting : — 



" John Penruddock E S( i ,e . died at Exceter May 16 th , and buried at Compton 

 the 19th of the same month." 



In the account book preserved at Compton which has been already 

 mentioned, we read : — 



■ 



ffor bringing home Mr. Penruddock* s body from Ex on to 



Compton £07 09 00 



ffor a tombstone the Mason's work about it 02 07 06 



More for ribbands and gloves 00 19 11 



Then follow items, poor rates, servants at Exon, and one that 

 looks ominous — " sawing boards;" and we hurry on gladly to an 

 entry ahead, " George Penruddock his expences at Oxon in 1660." 



We may be sure then that the last tributes of respect were paid 

 to John Penruddock, in his old home, by his loving wife and children ; 

 but no further record of what occurred has reached me. 



In the autumn of 1855 some repairs were made to the floor of 

 the Penruddock family pew in Compton Church, when, in a small 

 brick vault beneath, a large coffin was discovered, almost entirely 

 decayed — the bottom only just holding to the sides. No doubt it 

 was that of John Penruddock. 



It appeared on examination that a body had been enclosed, first 

 in a half-inch elm shell, and that again in a mahogany coffin, having 

 an outer covering of oak with large thick pieces of wood screwed on 

 the outside as if to protect it and form a packing case for travelling 

 to the whole, a large extra lid being fastened on the top of all. The 

 nails were of brass, thickly gilt. No inscription survived. Cloth ! 

 had been used as a covering of the coffin, but it was totally decayed, 

 the brick vault in which the interment was made having been very 

 damp. The inner coffin contained bones (apparently those of a middle- 

 aged man) and portions of a substance supposed to be skin, with | 

 short light-colored or red hairs on it. No part of a skull or teeth j 

 could be discovered, so that most probably the head was never 



: 



