MORTIMER : PRE-IIISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF FIMBER, 229 
Besides the discoveries made within the foundations of the 
present church, remains of two other bodies, seemingly Anglo- 
Saxon, were discovered while excavating for a drain immediately 
contiguous to the exterior and south side of the church. One was 
near the east side of the porch, at a depth of two feet, near which 
was a small Anglo-Saxon bronze buckle; the other body was about 
the same depth, and near the east end of the church. Xot far from 
this body, but seemingly unconnected with it, was a curious little 
article of a metal resembling bronze. 
Could a full search have been made in tliis southern position of 
tlie mound most likely more Anglo-Saxon bodies would have been 
discovered, giving further proof that this British barrow had been, 
like many others, also used as a cemetery by the Pagan-Saxons 
previous to the erection of any cliurcli upon it. Therefore, at the 
introduction of Christianity, this ancient mound and Pagan grave- 
yard, then a sacred spot, was chosen as a fitting site for the house of 
a new^ faith. 
No historical account or discovery is known to the writer to 
show that a Christian gTaveyard had ever been connected with the 
church at Fimber. The present ljurial ground was licensed in 1877, 
after which, on December l.Sth, 1877, the first interment was the 
remains of John Cooper, an old and respected inhabitant of Fimber, 
92 years of age ; and on June 15th, 1883, the writer's mother. 
Hannah Mortimer, who was born at P'imber, and died in her 88th year, 
was entombed in the southern edge of this barrow, on which the 
church stands. 
Many barrows in various parts of England are in immediate 
proximity to a church, but few are known to have been the site of 
three succeeding churches, and the burial place of four different 
nations or races of men, viz., ancient British, Romano-British, Anglo- 
Saxon, and the present English. That an Anglo-Saxon graveyard 
once existed contiguous to this barrow seems evident, from the fact 
that on July 25th, 1863, while excavating the foundations for a 
cottage adjoining the Wesle3"an Chapel, and about eighty yards S.E. 
of the church, the remains of four or more bodies were found. They 
were not more than two feet from the surface ; and some of tliem, as 
