Old Coffins Found in Church Vault

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 65, 9 December 1937, Page 5

Old Coffins Found in Church Vault

-Press Assp.-

DUTCH ROYALTY? Discovery During WaterDivining Tests INVESTIGATIONS FOllOW

(Br Telegraph -

■ Oor.vnsTit.)

(Beceived 9, 1.30 ,p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 8. The Times representative at The Hague says: "A divining rod resulted in an important historicai discovery at Breda, where a Duteh woman diviner was askod to discover whether there vrere any underground canals. She located subways crossing the Prince's chapel in the Great Church and expressed the opinion that the entrance to it would be discovered within the church. '^OfScials lifted a wooden partition and found a stone staircase leading to a large vault with many niches and subways containing several old coffins, | which are believed to contain the bodies of tho first Counts of Nassau, ancestors of Queen. Wilhemina. ' 1 The coffins were opened in the presence of the Queen 's Master of Ceremonies. One contained the remains of a child and another the remains of a woman. It is suggested that the others may contain the bodies of Henry III. of Nassau and his two wives, who died early in the 16th century. The child may have been the daughter of William the Silent by his first marriage. "After consultation the vault was closed down. Investigations into the Royal archives are proceeding to estab- ■ lish the identity of the remains." -