John Hunter : his life and labors / by C.W.G. Rohrer.

  • Rohrer, C. W. G. (Caleb Wyand Geeting), 1873-1952
Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: John Hunter : his life and labors / by C.W.G. Rohrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    [21] In 1859 the remains of John Hunter were removed from St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields and reinterred in Westminster Ab- bey, largely through the efforts of Frank Buckland, the emi- nent naturalist.31 For sixteen days, with but one assistant, he [22] searched the vaults of St. Martin’s, before finding Hunter’s coffin. It was well preserved, bearing upon it, besides the brass name plate, Hunter’s arms—a hand with an arrow in it, and the three horns of the-hunter. The happy culmination of this extraordinary labor of Mr. Buckland, this “ chivalrous devotion to the relics of a great man,” can best be described in his own words.32 After a time all the coffins were removed away from the vault but five; two lay side by side upon the floor, and three one over the other in a corner of the vault; and I could see the names on 31 The beginning of the story of the discovery, on February 22, 1859, of the remains of John Hunter in the vaults of St. Martin’s- in-the-Fields, is also of absorbing interest, and I shall here give it in Mr. Buckland’s own words, as related by him on pp. 215-218, of his “Curiosities of Natural History,’’ Fourth Series: “ In the month of January, 1859, when sitting in the mess-room of the 2d Life Guards, at Windsor, looking over the advertisement sheet of the * Times,’ the following caught my attention: — “ ‘ ST. MARTIN’S-in-the-FIELDS—CHURCH VAULTS AND CATACOMBS—ORDER in COUNCIL—NOTICE. Any person or persons having the remains of relatives or friends deposited in any of the vaults under the church, or in any of the catacombs under the churchyard, situate at the north-east corner of Trafal- gar Square, are hereby informed that they may, if they so desire, remove the same before the 1st day of February 1859; after which date, all coffins remaining in the said vaults or catacombs will be reinterred in the same place, and finally built and closed up in accordance with the said Order in Council, and cannot afterwards be inspected on any pretence whatever. “ ‘ BENJAMIN LATCHFORD, Churchwardens of the said CHARLES H. PETTER, Parish. “ ‘ All communications to be made in writing, addressed to us at the Vestry House, Adelaide Place, W. C.’ “ Why, surely John Hunter is buried in this church, was the thought that immediately struck my mind: his remains ought cer- tainly to be looked after; but who is to do it? I will try to rescue his remains. If I fail there will be no harm done.” 32 “ Curiosities of Natural History,” Fourth Series, pp. 225 and 226. (64)
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