THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
293
diameters, shows readily that it is skin, and two hairs which grew upon it I find
to be human hairs, and to present the characters that hairs of light haired people
do. The hairs of the human subject differ greatly from those of any other mam-
malian animal, and the examination of a hair alone, without the skin, would have
enabled me to form a conclusion."
This specimen of skin was procured from the doors of Worcester Cathedral;
and being thus encouraged with the result, Mr. Way lost no time in the endeavour
to obtain a fragment of the "Dane's exuvia from Hadstock in order to subject it
to a similar test." Through the kindness of the Hon, Richard Neville (who had
noticed the tradition preserved at Hadstock, in his interesting memorial of re-
searches made by him, near Chesterford, and Audley End),10 Mr. Way obtained
a sample of this skin. The door of Hadstock Church, being much decayed, had in
1846 been removed ; but part of the original wood-work, with the massive nails
which served to attach the skin, is in the Museum at Audley End, and also a piece
of the hide, of considerable thickness, which had possibly been tanned previously
to its being laid upon the wood. This relic had been given by the Rector of
Hadstock (the Rev. C. Townley) to Mr. Neville, who, in a very obliging manner,
Mr. Way tells us, supplied a portion to enable him to facilitate his enquiries.
We are told by our author that he "again submitted this piece to the examina-
tion of Mr. Quekett with the same corroborative answer, tending to support the
popular tradition." Mr. Quekett's answer was as follows :—"I have been again
fortunate in making out the specimen of skin you last sent me, to be human; I
found on it three hairs which I have preserved. I shall shortly send you a drawing
of them, as compared with one from a living subject, and you will at once see the
identity. I should further state that the skin was in all probability removed from
the back of the Dane, and that he was a fair-haired person." Mr. Way also says,
"that on communicating this satisfactory verdict to Mr, Neville, he informed him
that Mr. Townley had likewise just ascertained the fact by scientific examination
of these remains."
In the year 1855, my father, Nathan Maynard, in some remarks in his writings
relating to Hadstock, wrote:—"A few years ago [1846] a gentleman procured
from the son of the parish clerk of Hadstock a piece of this so-called 'Danish
pirate's' skin, which came from behind one of the hinges." He presented the
same to my father ; it is still in existence, and in possession of my brother, Mr. H.
Maynard, M.Inst.CE.11
In the College of Surgeons, London, may be seen three pieces of hide, all pre-
sented by Mr. Albert Way. One of these pieces is from Hadstock, one from
Copford, and the other from Worcester Cathedral.
Taking a hint from Morant, Mr. Way next devoted his attention to the Church
of Copford, near Colchester, and the Rector, the Rev. Kennett C. Bayley, sent
him the following information:—"There are no remains of skin on the door at the
present time (1848),12 but I have in my possession a short M.S. account of the parish
written during the incumbency of John Dane, 1689—1714, wherein is the follow-
ing:—' The doors of this church are much adorned with flourished iron-work,
10 "Antiqua Explorata, &c." By the Hon. R. C. Neville (afterwards Lord Braybrooke). Saffron
Walden, 1847.
11 In 1789 Sir Harry Englefield laid before the Society of Antiquaries a plate of iron taken from
the door of Hadstock Church, with a portion of skin, considered to be human, found under the
iron.
12 At the visit of the Club to Copford on May 21st, 1888, one of our members noticed a small
piece of skin attached to the ancient door of the Church, and the Rector showed a larger piece
which had been taken off the door some time ago (see Essex Naturalist, vol. ii, p. 124).