286 



Great Bedwyn. 



&c, inclosed in a cloth, were preserved in liquid. The oak 

 coffin had perished, but some of its fawn-coloured velvet lining re- 

 mained in a sound state, as well as silver-plated coffin handles and 

 nails, and a brass plate with this inscription : — 



"The most noble Lady Frances Devereux Dutchess of Somersett, wife to 

 William Duke of Somersett and daughter to Robert Earle of Essex, aged 74 

 yeares and 6 months, dyed Aprell y e 24, 1674." 



The Parish Register thus briefly records her burial : — 



"1674 Frances Dutches of Som'sett was buried May the 7 th ." 



In her youth when, as Countess of Hertford, she lived at Ames- 



bury, she presented a bell to that church, the 5th of the present 



peal, on which is inscribed 



" Be strong in fay the prayes God well 

 Frances Countess of Hertford's bell." 



Her noble husband's grave was found at a short distance from 



hers. He was created Marquis of Hertford in the year 1640, 



restored to the Dukedom of Somerset and Barony of Seymour in 



1660, and died in the same year aged 74. On his coffin plate is the 



following inscription : — 



" Depositum nobilissimi et illustrissimi Principis Griillielmi Somersetise Ducis, 

 Hertfordise Marchionis et Comitis, Baronis Beauchamp, Oxoniensis Academise 

 Cancellarii, Carolo beatse memorise nuper Regi, serenissimoque nunc Carolo se- 

 cundo a cubiculis et secretioribus consiliis, nobilissimi ordinis Garterii militis, 

 necnon Somersetise et Wiltonise comitatuum, et Bristolliae civitatis, locum ten- 

 entis, qui obiit vicesimo quarto die Octobris, A. Domini MDCLX 0 et JEtatis 

 sua) LXXIiri 0 ." 



The entry of the burial in the Parish Register is: — 



' ' William Semor Duke of Somerset late Marquis of Hartforde was buried on 

 the feast of all Saints at night, being the first day of Nov'ber in the yeare of 

 our Lord God 1660." 1 



Their son Henry Lord Beauchamp, who died in his fathers life- 

 time, aged 27, lay in front of Sir John Seymour's monument. His 



1 Dugdale has the following memorandum in his diary: — 



" 1660 Oct, 31. I went out of London to Reading with y e Duke of Somer- 

 set's Body. 



".Nov. 1. I came to Bedwinde (four miles beyond Hungerford) where we 

 interred the sayd Duke of Somerset's Body, and thence y l evening to 

 Hungerford. 



"Nov. 2. We came back to Reading. 



"Nov. 3. We came back again to London." 



