GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2000-03 > 0951933345


From: "D. Spencer Hines" <>
Subject: Re: Richard III and A. Weir
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 17:55:45 GMT


Vide infra postea.

No. That is not true, on several counts.

The tomb in Westminster Abbey was opened in 1933 and the bones were
examined by Dr. Tanner, an archivist, and Professor Wright an anatomist.
Their findings led to the conclusion that the _Bones of 1674_ were
indeed likely to be those of the young princes, Edward [Edward V] and
Richard.

Their report is a good read. Here is the citation:

L. E. Tanner and W. Wright, _Recent Investigations Regarding the Fate of
the Princes in the Tower_, Archaeologia, lxxxiv (1934), pp. 1-26.

It's worth pursuing.

Could additional tests profitably be run today? Of course. Perhaps
they will be, eventually. On the other hand, I can understand why the
Crown and the Royal Family don't want to give blanket permission to
disinterments of royal remains throughout the realm. 'Twould be
unseemly and perhaps un-British ---- at least for people of taste and
refinement ---- to permit too much of such grave-digging sensationalism.

Besides, the _Mystery of the Fate of the Princes in the Tower_ is good
for the tourist trade and the Balance of Payments.

D. Spencer Hines

Lux et Veritas et Libertas
Fortem Posce Animum

"Heavier than air flying machines are impossible." Lord Kelvin,
President Royal Society [c.1895]



"H Sanders" <> wrote in message
news:...
|
|
| mike stone wrote:
| >
| > >From: (k1w1k)
| >
| > >I'm startled by the statement that the 'princes'' bones have been
| > >carbon-dated. The last I'd heard -- about a decade ago -- the
British
| > >government and/or crown had refused to give permission for such a
| > >procedure to be performed ... the ostensible reason being, I
gathered,
| > >that it would require destruction of too great a proportion of the
said
| > >osseous relics to achieve reliable results.
| > Would that *still* be true? I get the impression that carbon-dating
techniques
| > have improved in the last few years - this came up in respect of the
Turin
| > Shroud
| > --
| > Mike Stone - Peterborough England
| >
| > "The English people are like the English beer.
| >
| > Froth on top, dregs at the bottom, the middle excellent" - Voltaire
| --------------------------------
|
| Everything that I've read says that the "princes' bones" have not been
| tested since being placed in the urn. And you can correct me if I'm
| wrong, but I understand that the only analysis of the bones was done
by
| a "forensics pathologist" who was a dentist by profession.
|
| Hal Sanders

This thread: