Her fame rests on a remarkable escape from a horrific death and her singular importance to the survival of the Wyndham family.
She was buried in the Wyndham family vault in St Decuman’s church at Watchet, Somerset and that same night a covetous sexton opened her coffin in order to remove her rings and cut one of her fingers in the process.
The sexton fled leaving his lantern behind him; and with its aid she made her way home across the fields to her astounded family.
Lewis H. Court, Vicar of St Decuman's church, and includes the following verses: He seized the slender fingers white And stiff in their repose Then sought to file the circlet through; When to his horror blood he drew, And the fair sleeper rose She sat a moment gazed around, Then great was her surprise, And sexton startled saw at a glance This was not death but a deep trance, And madness leapt to his eyes.
The stagnant life steam in her veins Again began to flow She felt the sudden quickening, For her it was a joyous thing, For him a fearsome woe.