Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.15205

    Ancient sepulchre at Cocherel

    Date
    1685
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p14
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 233mm
    width (page): 340mm
    Subject
    Content object
    Description
    Drawing of an ancient sepulchre at Cocherel, France on the river Eure, as described in a legal petition by Olivier Estienne on behalf of Mr Robert, Prevost of Cocherel. Justel's report of this petition was forwarded to the Royal Society by Esprit Cabart de Villermont and read at its meeting on 3 November 1686. It was translated by William Aglionby.

    It was printed in H. Justell, ‘The verbal process upon the discovery of an ancient sepulchre, in the village of Cocherel upon the River Eure in France', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 16, no. 185 (November and December 1686), pp. 221-26 (reference to the figure at pp. 221-23).
    Object history
    At the meeting on 3 November 1686, ‘Two letters of Mons. Justel were read, in one of which he gave an account of a very antient sepulchre lately found in France near the river Eure supposed to be older than the establishment of Christianity in that country: which Dr. Aglionby took home with him, and promised to translate. This was sent to the Society, from Mons. Villermont’ (Birch 4:499).

    'The sepulchres and monuments of the dead having been in all times held sacred, and it being looked upon as a piaculum to remove or deface them: Mr. de Cocherel having discovered this but now described, thought it his duty to inquire into the condition thereof, as not being willing, without legal authority, to disturb the bones of those there interred: This was the occasion of his verbal process, which for the novelty of the thing was thought fit to be published in the form of law, as it was communicated by Mr. Justell’ (Phil. Trans., vol. 16, no. 185 (November and December 1686), pp. 221-26 (p. 226).
    Related fellows
    Henri Justel (1620 - 1693, French) , Royal Librarian, librarian
    William Aglionby (1637 - 1705, British) , Diplomat
    Esprit Cabart de Villermont (1612 - 1707, French)
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > France
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