1692: Lower Class Woman’s Fiery Death

The Legend:

In 1692 a woman of lower class, who for three years took no other nourishment than "spirituos liquors," sat down one evening on a straw chair to sleep. Sometime during the night she was consumed by fire to such an extent that all that remained of her body was her skull and the extreme joints of her fingers; all the rest of her body was reduced to ashes.

Variation on a Theme...

        The above appears to merely be a variation on another brief but often recounted story of a drunk woman incinerated to ashes, skull, and digits, that was published in Thomas Bartholin's book Acta Media in 1672 [follow the 'See Also' link below]. Unless additional evidence appears, it has to be the same account, but with the date wrong.