The young heiress was distracted at these events, and was recalled to her faculties only by having to provide for her father's funeral as he was not permitted to have Christian burial, being considered as an excommunicated man on account of his extortions, usury, and truly miserable life.
The Friars of Bermondsey Abbey were however prevailed upon while their Abbot was away, to give a little earth to the remains of the wretched Ferryman in return for a sum of money. But when the Abbot returned, saw the recently covered grave and inquired as to who lay there, he was not only angry with his monks for having done such an injury to the Church for the sake of money, but he also had the body dug up and laid on the back of his own ass. The animal was sent out of the Abbey gates, to carry the body to some place left to God's will, where he best deserved to be buried.
The ass proceeded with a gentle and solemn pace through Kent Street, and along the highway, to the small pond once called St. Thomas-a-Waterings, then the common place of execution, and shook off the Ferryman's body directly under the gibbet, where it was put into the ground without any kind of ceremony.
Mary Overs, utterly distressed at these events, and desirous to be free from the numerous offers for her hand and fortune, resolved to retire into a cloister, which she shortly afterwards did, having first provided for the building of the church of Saint Mary Overies, which commemorates her name.