Bodies of Evidence

Case studies

Medieval coffins

Who was buried under St Andrews Church?

In November 2001, experts started to clear hundreds of coffins from the crypt of St Andrews Church in Holborn, London. As the result of bombing during the Second World War, debris had fallen into the crypt, damaging the coffins. Over the years, the rubble started to soak up moisture and began to threaten the stability of the whole building.

The specialised work has required exhumation specialists and archaeologists. Everyone working at the site has been vaccinated against smallpox due to the risk of infection from the coffins.

Historians believe that the coffins contain the bodies of wealthy and influential members of the Holborn congregation buried there prior to 1831, and going back as far as the 14th century. They will be reinterred at the City of London Cemetery, where the remains of less prosperous members of the congregation were moved in 1872 to make way for the Holborn Viaduct. Finally, the remains of rich and poor will be reunited.

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Medieval coffins