A Letter from Mr. G. Stovin to His Son, concerning the Body of a Woman, and an Antique Shoe, Found in a Morass in the Isle of Axholm in Lincolnshire

once, and that after Dinner, when we came down from Mount Vesuvius. The Account I have herein given is all I could particularly remember in the Evening when we came home. They are continually finding more Pictures every Day; and I do assure you, that had I a Month to spare, I would willingly go on Foot to Naples, to have the Pleasure of studying those I have already seen, and seeing those which have been discovered since.* N. B. Cardinal Albani, at Rome, has an antique Group of Theseus and the Minotaur; where the Minotaur has the Head only of a Bull, as in the Picture above-mentioned. II. A Letter from Mr. G. Stovin to his Son, concerning the Body of a Woman, and an antique Shoe, found in a Morass in the Isle of Axholm in Lincolnshire. Read Oct. 22. THE Beginning of June last, a labouring Man, of Amcotts in the Isle of Axholm, in the County of Lincoln, was digging Turf or Peat in the Moors of Amcotts; and, at about six Foot from the Surface, his Spade cut the Toe of a Sandal, which dropped into the Pit he was graveing Peat in; also Part of the Foot dropp'd in, which terrified the Man, and he left it. Hearing of this Discovery, I went and took some Servants with me, to make further Discovery; when we soon found the other Sandal (which I now send you * See more of these Curiosities in these Trans. No. 456 and 458. It was very soft and pliable, and of a tawny Colour, with all the Bones of that Foot in it, and all the grisly Part of the Heel: And proceeding further, we found the Skin and Thigh-Bones, which I measured to be eighteen Inches long. We then found all the Skin of the lower Parts of the Body, which was of the same Colour of the Sandals, and very soft, with fresh Hair upon it, &c. which distinguish'd it to be a Woman. The Skin drew or stretch'd like a Piece of Doc-Leather, and was as strong. We then found the Skin of the Arms, which was like the Top of a Muff or Glove, when the Bones were shaken out. We then found this Hand I have sent, with the Nails as fresh as any Person's living; which are now, both Hand and Nails, shrunk very much, since it was exposed to the Air: This Hand is the Lady's natural Skin so tann'd, with the Nails. We left the Bones in the Fingers, where the Nails are, for fear the Nails should drop off, if that Joint was taken out. I want to be informed what Age they wore those Sandals in. These must, I think, be very antient, and have most certainly been made of a raw Hide, by reason they, and the Skin of the Lady, were both of one Colour, and both had one Tanner; which I presume, is the Moor-Water; which is exactly of the Colour of Coffee; and made so by reason of such great Quantities of Oak and Fir-Wood, that we frequently dig out of these Moors; several Oak-Trees affording 1000 Pales for fencing, five Feet and an half long, and six to eight Inches broad; which Oak-Wood is rated as black as Jet. The Fir-Wood retains its Turpentine-Smell, and in hot Weather (when (when it is exposed to the Sun) the Turpentine will drop from it. This Wood is frequently riven into Laths for the Roofs of Houses or Floors; and what is remarkable, no Worm will touch them. The Pales mentioned above are sold from 10 to 15 Shillings per hundred. We frequently find Hazle nuts and Fir-Apples in Abundance; which I think is a plain Proof, that the Trees fell in Autumn, when the Fruits were at Maturity. I think Dr. Shuckford makes it plainly appear that the General Flood happen'd in Autumn. This Lady in all Probability was overwhelmed by some strong Eddy of Water; for she lay upon one Side bended, with her Head and Feet almost together. It appears by the Maps of the Country, that this has been the Rendezvous of all the Waters from the South, West, and North Parts of the Kingdom; as for Instance, the River Dun, from Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield, which took in many more Streams; as the Idle, Trent, Torn, Dare, Rother, &c. &c. Then the River Trent, which runs South to Gainsbrough; then to Torksey, Newark, Nottingham, Derby, Burton upon Trent, Stafford, Trentham in Staffordshire: And takes in a vast Number of Rivulets: Then the Ouse, which comes from near Richmond, and takes in the Ure, Wharf, Bishop's Dike, Aire, Calder, and a great Number of Rivulets; which are all lost in that famous Estuary the Humber. It is also to be observed, that here is one Morass twenty Miles round, Part in Hatfield-Chace; another ten Miles round in the same Chace, where the famous William of Lindham had his Cell. In the middle of it, where his Body was found, for eight Miles round, is all a Morass. The Connoisseurs will give you their Opinion in the chief thing I want to know, which is, in what Age those Sandals were worn, and by what Nation: For it is not like the Scots or Irish Broges; though the Scots, I think, formerly inhabited but a little Way off, to wit, North of Humber. Perhaps the Danes may wear such, or the antient Saxons; for both these People must be well acquainted with these Parts, as the Danes under Edgar-Atheling incamped a whole Winter in this Neighbourhood, and had a Station at Gigansburgh, now Gainsbrough, upon this River Trent. At Boxby was a famous Roman Pavement, 15 Yards square, the Roman Road, &c.; also a square Platform at Aldbrough, which I take to be Roman, though no Discoveries have as yet been made there; but at Roxby large Quantities of Roman Coins have been found. I am Your ever affectionate Father, G. Stovin. P. S. As to this Water upon these Moors preserving human Bodies *, it is most certain; viz. Part of a Body taken up at Geel by your Grandfather Mr. Empson 50 or 60 Years ago, and one in the great Moor near Thorn, about 7 Years ago, with the Skin like tann'd Leather, the Hair, * See these Trans. No. 434. p. 413. Hair, Teeth, and Nails quite fresh.—You will see the Sandal * is of one Piece of Leather, and a Scam at the Heel, with a Thong of the same Leather. See Tab. I. Fig. 2. and 3. It is the Skin of the Hand that is stuff'd, which has suffer'd by the Spade. † * Mr. Catesby F.R.S. Author of the History of Carolina, &c. being present, said, this Shoe or Sandal was exactly like what the Indians in Virginia wear at this Day, and call Mokasin. † That ingenious Artift and skilful Antiquary Mr. Geo. Vertue communicated to me (G. M.) his Sentiments concerning this Sandal in the following Words: ' When the above Letter was read at the Society of Antiquaries, there was produced a Hand of the Woman therein mentioned, and a Sandal or Shoe taken from one of her Feet; it being made of Leather, tann'd Ox-Hyde; but remarkable for being cut out of one flat Piece, (see Fig. 3.) so as to fold about the Foot and Heel; the Form and make being so contriv'd without under Heel-Piece, as to be flat to tread on; the Shape, that of a Woman's Foot, and the Toe round-pointed. This being of an antient Form, the Society order'd an exact Draught to be taken of both that and the Hand; which Drawings are preserved amongst others belonging to that Society. It may be observed concerning the Antiquity and Use of Leather Shoes in England, that this Shoe or Sandal appears by its Form to be ancient. I conceive it was before Edward the IV.'s Time, when, by Custom, piked Shoes had increas'd in Length, that all such who wore them in excessive Length were to be mulcted, or have them cut shorter, in passing in or out of the City-Gates of London. This very likely had pass'd amongst the better sort of People about the Kingdom; for Chaucer in his Time mentions the Use of long piked Shoes, so long as to be tied up by Strings or small Chains to their Knees. ' Thus it might have been with Mens Shoes, but not in so long a Degree for Womens Use; tho' observing antient Pictures of Men and Women in Books of Illuminations, piked Shoes appear in several Reigns from Ed. III. to Rich. III. in England. Alfo