Monument record 400/2/1 - St Mary's Churchyard, Badby

The churchyard wall is mentioned in records from 1631. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1886. A number of medieval and later burials have been excavated, including one of a probable medieval priest.

{2}Two graves containing remains of a young adult and a child respectively; both burials appear to predate the construction of the porch. A small bronze shroud pin was found with the adult burial.,

{1}Two burials found under porch footings during excavation prior to extension to the church. Burials left in situ as both were of sufficient depth not to be effected by works.

{3} Archaeological observation was undertaken during improvements to storm drainage and access around the church. Areas affected included the churchyard path and the south porch. Within the south porch area, there were three soil horizons; the earliest buried soil appeared to be contemporary with the south nave foundations and this horizon contained a truncated burial and other disturbed human remains probably dating to the 14th-century, when the church was constructed. Four burials were encountered in the layer above and a further seven in the layer above that. All burials pre-dated the construction of the porch in the 16th century. Observation of the excavation of a soakaway along the route of the churchyard path encountered a further 27 burials, probably dating between the medieval period and the Victorian period, when the churchyard was closed for burials. Much intercutting and disarticulated bone was present. Thirteen coffin nails and a line of copper alloy upholstery studs were found with one burial, dating it to the 17th/18th centuries. A lead-alloy paten and lead-alloy chalice fragments found with another burial suggest it may have been the remains of a parish priest, since a ruling of 1229 instructed priests to be buried with base-metal copies of silver communion vessels.

<1> NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGY, 1995, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN49381.

<2> Parry, S, 1995, An archaeological evaluation at St Mary's Church, Badby, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN28532.

<3> Morris, S., 2018, Archaeological observation, investigation and recording at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Badby, Northamptonshire, January-March 2018 (Report). SNN111581.

<4> Crank, N. (Editor), 2019, South Midlands Archaeology (49), p. 72 (Journal). SNN111755.

Record last edited

Nov 25 2019 2:42PM