On this Day in History ... 30 July

Archaeologia Volume 35 1853 XXXIII. On the 30th [Jul 1358], Lord Morley again dined with the Queen (age 63).

After 30 Jul 1792. Memorial to Mary Blackman (deceased) at St Nicholas Church, Whiston [Map] sculpted by Joseph Nollekens (age 54).

Ballidon Moor. On the 30th of July we opened a fine bowl-shaped tumulus [Blackstone's Low [Map]], 15 yards across, situated on Ballidon Moor. The upper part, to the depth of two feet was almost entirely of earth, near the centre presenting the appearance of having been tempered. In this stratum were a few calcined bones, and fragments of a rude urn. Immediately beneath was an accumulation of stones, large and small, forming the base of the mound, which was raised on a rocky and uneven surface, which caused the thickness of the substructure of stone to fluctuate between two feet and a yard. The limestone employed being of a friable nature had become so far decomposed as to yield sufficient sand to choke up the interstices.

After noticing the trifling remains exhumed from the upper bed of earth, we observed nothing until arriving at the sandy stone, amongst which were four skeletons that might have been slightly disturbed before, but from their contracted posture and decayed condition it was difficult to decide, with respect to three of them, whether they had or not; the fourth had certainly been either disturbed at the interment of the others, or had been buried as a skeleton whilst the bones were fresh, as all parts of the skeleton had been collected and the long bones laid side by side. The latter were still unbroken, and it is obvious that they must have been thus arranged while retaining much of their natural strength, had it been otherwise they would have been broken by the stones with which they were in contact. This skeleton was nearer the centre than the others, and a very few inches beyond it we first observed a well-defined stratum of burnt earth, with a layer of pure charcoal above it, interposed between the upper bed of earth and the sandy stone. Pursuing this favourable indication we discovered, almost simultaneously, two very interesting interments which were found by extending the cutting a little beyond the middle of the barrow. The most ancient was about five feet below the summit in a depression in the rock, which was converted into a neat lozenge-shaped cist by four flat stones placed on edge; it was the skeleton of a middle aged man in unusually flne preservation, who lay with the knees drawn up, contrary to the usual custom on his right: side his femur measures 18.6 inches; he was accompanied by one poor flint only, suited to point an arrow. The skull, in perfect preservation, has been engraved in the Crania Britannica, it is chiefly distinguished by the rugged or strongly marked character of the facial bones, and has an internal capacity of 74½ ounces; the nasal bones have been fractured, and re-joined during life, and the teeth were much worn down. The cranium is considered by the learned authors of the Crania Britannica, as a typical example of the brachy-cephalic variety of the Ancient British head, and is engraved as such in Dr. Meigs' Cranial Characteristics of the Races of Men, Philadelphia, 1857.

While taking up this skeleton we met with a large flat stone lying aslant, with its lowest edge within the cist; this was moat likely the cover which had given way; the upper end was embedded in stones and burnt sand, interspersed with partially calcined human bones, and others in their natural state; among the latter were some remains of an infant; close above stood a large cinerary urn in an upright position, containing calcined human bones, and protected from superincumbent pressure by a large stone resting at each end upon an upright slab. The urn, 11½ inches high and 9 diameter at the mouth, is ornamented by patterns impressed from a twisted thong, and is in fine preservation, having been found perfect. The bones within it were beautifully coloured by burning, and perfectly clean; amongst them we found a piece of an animal's jaw, rats' bones, a fine bone pin 4 inches long, a fragment of thin pottery, and a flint arrow head, all (including the rats' bones) much burnt. The presence of partially burnt human bones in the sand, the discoloration of the latter, and the occurrence of calcined rats' bones in the urn, demonstrate the fact of the corpse having been consumed upon the spot. The section will render the arrangement of the interments in this curious barrow easily understood.

On 30 Jul 1854 the Session Kinnoull Parish Church agreed that the "proper steps be taken to notice in the Sessions Records of Kinnoul that the following entry of marriage on Page 64 of the Records of Proclamations viz 'John Ruskin (age 35) of Denmark Hill London and Euphemia Chalmers Gray (age 26) in this Parish were proclaimed and married on the 10 day of April 1848 by the Rev^d John Edward Touch Minister of Kinnoul" had been declared null and void by the Commissary Court of Surrey' in a suit promoted by the said Euphemia Chalmers Gray (age 26) ... (1) to engross in full the said extract ...".