Dublin.
_Where was Cromwell buried?_--It has been the belief of many that the
burial at Westminster Abbey was a mock ceremony, that in case a change
in the ruling powers should take place, his remains were deposited in a
place of greater security, and that the spot selected for his grave was
the field of Naseby. The author of _The Compleat History of England_
speaks of a "Mr. Barkstead, the regicide's son," as being ready to
depose--
"That the said Barkstead his father, being Lieutenant of the
Tower, and a great confident of Cromwell's, did, among other such
confidents, in the time of his illness, desire to know where he
would be buried; to which the Protector answered, 'where he had
obtained the greatest victory and glory, and as nigh the spot as
could be guessed where the heat of the action was, viz. in the
field at Naseby in com. Northampton.' That at midnight, soon after
his death, the body (being first embalmed and wrapt in a leaden
coffin) was in a hearse conveyed to the said field, Mr. Barkstead
himself attending, by order of his father, close to the hearse.
That being come to the field, they found about the midst of it a
grave dug about nine feet deep, with the green-sod carefully laid
on one side and the mould on the other, in which the coffin being
put, the grave was instantly filled up, and the green-sod laid
exactly flat upon it, care being taken that the surplus mould
should be clean removed. That soon after the like care was taken
that the ground should be ploughed up, and that it was sowed
successively with corn."
The author further states that the deponent was about fifteen years old
at the time of Cromwell's death.
Some seven or eight years ago I visited the field of Naseby, and whilst
there I met by accident with the aged clergyman of Naseby. Our
conversation naturally referred to the historical incident that had
given so much interest to the spot; and finally we spoke of this very
subject. I remember his telling me that he had collected some very
important memoranda relative to this matter, I think he said, "which
proved the arrival of his remains at _Huntingdon_, on their road
_elsewhere_."
Has this subject been properly investigated? and has any research been
made which has led to a satisfactory decision of the question?