The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

When the corpse of the Duke of Devonshire arrived at Dover, the Custom-house officers behaved in a manner that gave very great offence to every Body present. They not only insisted upon opening the coffin to see if any contraband goods were in it, but on seeing the body struck it with a stick, to be convinced it was a real corpse. But however improperly they may have behaved on this occasion, it is certain that the strict searches made of late have been owing to the very great frauds practised by the stale trick of putting goods of value into coffins. This was very commonly practised about forty years since, and with pretty good success. But once, upon the uncommon appearance of a clergyman, an undertaker, and the rest of the apparatus of a funeral, the officers at Dover were a little suspicious, and determined to open the coffin, and, to their great satisfaction, found a most valuable cargo of fine laces, &c. This did not discourage a late High-Bailiff of Westminster, who, when Bishop Alderbury's corpse was sent from Calais to England for interment, took an opportunity of running, in the coffin, goods to the amount of 7000 l. which were seized and condemned at Dover.