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diff --git a/32614.txt b/32614.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4ea8da0 --- /dev/null +++ b/32614.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4661 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Diary of a Resurrectionist, 1811-1812, by +James Blake Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Diary of a Resurrectionist, 1811-1812 + To Which Are Added an Account of the Resurrection Men in + London and a Short History of the Passing of the Anatomy Act + +Author: James Blake Bailey + +Release Date: May 31, 2010 [EBook #32614] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +THE DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST + + + + +[Illustration: "THE DISSECTING ROOM." By ROWLANDSON. + +The figure standing up above the rest is William Hunter; his brother John +is on his right-hand side, and Matthew Baillie is the next figure to +William Hunter on the left; Cruikshank is seated at the extreme left of +the picture, and Hewson is working on the eye of the subject on the middle +table.] + + + + + THE DIARY + OF + A RESURRECTIONIST + + 1811-1812 + + TO WHICH ARE ADDED AN ACCOUNT OF + _THE RESURRECTION MEN IN LONDON_ + AND A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PASSING OF + THE ANATOMY ACT + + + BY + JAMES BLAKE BAILEY, B.A. + + LIBRARIAN OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND + + + _LONDON_ + SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., LIM. + PATERNOSTER SQUARE + 1896 + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The "Diary of a Resurrectionist" here reprinted is only of a fragmentary +character. It is, however, unique in being an actual record of the doings +of one gang of the resurrection-men in London. Many persons have expressed +a wish that so interesting a document should be published; permission +having been obtained to print the Diary, an endeavour has been made to +gratify this wish. To make the reprint more interesting, and to explain +some of the allusions in the Diary, an account of the resurrection-men in +London, and a short history of the events which preceded the passing of +the Anatomy Act, have been prepared. + +The great crimes of Burke and Hare drew especial attention to +body-snatching in Edinburgh, and consequently there have been published +ample accounts of the resurrection-men in Scotland.[1] For this reason, +Edinburgh has been omitted from the present work. + +As to the genuineness of the Diary there can be no doubt. It was presented +to the Royal College of Surgeons of England by the late Sir Thomas +Longmore. In his early days, Sir Thomas was dresser to Bransby Cooper, and +assisted him in writing the _Life of Sir Astley Cooper_. + +At the suggestion of Lord Abinger, it was decided to introduce an account +of the resurrection-men into the book. The information for this was partly +obtained by Mr. Longmore from personal communication with some of the +resurrection-men, who were then living in London. One of these handed over +portions of a Diary he had kept during his resurrectionist days. This was +preserved for some years at Netley, and was afterwards presented to the +College, as stated above. A few extracts from the Diary were printed in +the _Life of Sir Astley Cooper_. + +The information respecting the resurrection-men is very scattered; the two +most useful works for getting up this subject are the _Life of Astley +Cooper_ before mentioned, and the _Report of the Committee on Anatomy_ +published in 1828. Most of the detailed information has to be sought for +in the newspapers of the period. The accounts there given are, however, +generally of such an exaggerated character that it is often very difficult +to arrive at the truth. When any fresh scandal had given prominence to the +doings of the resurrection-men, the newspapers saw "Burking" in every +trivial case of assault. If a child were lost, the paragraph announcing +the fact was headed, "Another supposed case of Burking." Reports of the +most ridiculous character were duly chronicled as facts by the newspapers +of the day. Sometimes over a hundred bodies were supposed to have been +found in some building, and it was expected that several persons of +eminence would be named in the subsequent proceedings. Search in the +papers nearly always fails to find any further mention of the case. + +In reading these accounts it must be remembered that "Burking" did not +always mean killing a person for the purpose of selling the body, but it +referred to the mode adopted by Burke and Hare in killing their victims, +viz., suffocation. Elizabeth Ross is called a "Burker," and may be found +so described in Haydn's _Dictionary of Dates_. She murdered an old woman +named Catherine Walsh, but in the report of her trial there is no evidence +of her having attempted to sell the body. + +The broadside here printed is an excellent example of this exaggeration. +The facts are so circumstantial, that it appears as though there could be +no mistake. Enquiry at Edinburgh, however, shows that no such case +occurred. Mr. A. D. Veitch, of the Justiciary Office, has very kindly made +search, and can find no record of Wilson's supposed crimes. Had the +statements in the broadside been true, there is no doubt that this case +would have been referred to in books on Medical Jurisprudence. Poisoning +by inhalation of arsenic is rare, and Wilson's would have been a leading +case. There would also have been great opportunities for studying _post +mortem_ appearances, as it is stated that three bodies were found in +Wilson's possession. Search through the chief books on the subject has +failed in finding any reference whatever to this case. + + +"BURKING BY MEANS OF SNUFF. + +"_The following Account is of so serious a Nature that no one can be too +cautious how they receive Snuff from Strangers._ + +"It appears that, on Monday se'nnight, a man, named John Wilson, was +apprehended at Edinburgh on a charge of Burking a number of persons by +introducing arsenic into snuff kept by him. He had long excited the +suspicion of the police of that place, but so deep-laid were his +diabolical schemes that he eluded their vigilance for a considerable time, +until Monday last. When, on the moors, on that day, between Lauder and +Dalkeith, practising his dreadful trade, it appears that the victim of +Wilson's villainy was a poor man travelling over the moor, whom he +accosted, and offered a pinch of snuff. He took it, and it had the desired +effect. The next individual whom he accosted was a labouring-man breaking +stones, who was asked the number of miles to Edinburgh; when answered, he +then offered his snuff-box to the labourer, which was refused, alleging +that he never used any. Wilson urged him again, which excited the man's +suspicions, but he took the snuff, and wrapped it up in paper, and carried +it to a chemist at Dalkeith, who analysed it, when it proved to be mixed +with arsenic. The police were then informed of Wilson's villainies, who +went in pursuit of him, and after a search of him for several days was at +length apprehended at a place three miles from Edinburgh, driving rapidly +in a vehicle like a hearse, which, on examination, contained three dead +bodies. They were recognised from their dresses to be an elderly man, and +his wife and son, who were seen travelling towards Lauder the day before. + +"Wilson was immediately ironed and conveyed to Edinburgh, and a sheriff's +inquest was held on the bodies. After an investigation of nearly two hours +a verdict of Wilful Murder was returned against John Wilson, who was fully +committed to the Calton gaol to take his trial at the ensuing sessions. + +"Wilson is described as a desperate character, and of ferocious +countenance. He is supposed to have been two or three years in this +abominable practice, and to have realised a considerable sum in the course +of that time. His career is now stopped, and that justice and doom which +overtook a Burke and a Hare are his last and only portion. + + +"LINES ON THE OCCASION. + + Of Burke and of Hare we have heard much about, + Yet Burking's a trade that was lately found out-- + Their plans of despatching were wicked indeed, + 'T was thought of all others that theirs did exceed; + But the scheme first invented of Burking by snuff, + May yet be prevented by taking the huff, + For if strangers invite you to take of their dust, + Decline their kind offers--refuse them you must; + And would you be safe, and keep from all evil, + Shun them as pests as you'd shun the d----l; + By these means you'll live, avoiding all strife, + Shunning snuff takers all the days of your life. + + "_Printed for the Publishers by T. KAY._" + +The difficulty of getting reliable information is increased by the +incomplete nature of most of the newspaper records. In many cases there is +an account of a preliminary examination of some of the men who were +arrested for body-stealing. The report states that they were remanded, but +further search fails to find any subsequent notice of the case. It is +often impossible to fix who the men were who thus got into trouble, as +they nearly always gave false names: unless they were too well-known to +the police who arrested them, they invariably did this. + +For the photographs, from which the illustrations of the house at Crail +are taken, the writer is indebted to the kindness of Prof. Chiene, of +Edinburgh. + + + + +THE DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +The complaint as to the scarcity of bodies for dissection is as old as the +history of anatomy itself. Great respect for the body of the dead has +characterised mankind in nearly all ages; _post mortem_ dissection was +looked upon as a great indignity by the relatives of the deceased, and +every precaution was taken to prevent its occurrence. + +It would be beyond the scope of the present work to attempt a history of +anatomical teaching; as will be pointed out later on, the resurrection-men +did not come into existence until the early part of the eighteenth +century. + +In Great Britain the study of medicine and surgery was much hampered at +this date by the scarcity of opportunities by which the student might get +a practical acquaintance with the anatomy of the human body. A knowledge +of anatomy was insisted upon by the Corporation of Surgeons, as each +student had to produce a certificate of having attended at least two +courses of dissection. It is unnecessary to point out the wisdom of this +condition in the case of men who were to go out into the world as +surgeons, and, consequently, to have the lives of their fellow-men in +their hands. The attendance on the two courses of dissection could be +evaded, and this was frequently done. The Apothecaries' Hall had no such +restriction, and, consequently, many men went thither and received a +qualification to practise, although they were quite unacquainted with +human anatomy. The work of such 'prentice hands one trembles to think of; +whatever experience these men did gain was obtained after they began to +practise, and so must have been at the expense of their patients, who were +generally those of the poorer class in life. + +It was pointed out by Mr. Guthrie, that in the then state of the law a +surgeon might be punished in one Court for want of skill, and in another +Court the same individual might also be punished for trying to obtain that +skill. Before the Anatomy Committee, in 1828, Sir Astley Cooper narrated +the case of a young man who was rejected at the College of Surgeons on +account of his ignorance of the parts of the body; it was found, on +enquiry, that he was a most diligent student, and that his ignorance arose +entirely from his being unable to procure that which was necessary for +carrying on this part of his education. + +When bodies were obtained for dissection it was generally by surreptitious +means; the newly-made grave was too often the source from whence the +supply was obtained. At first there was no direct trade or traffic in +subjects by men who devoted all their efforts to this mode of obtaining a +livelihood. The students supplied their own wants as they arose. Mr. G. S. +Patterson told the Committee that at St. George's Hospital the students +had to exhume bodies for their own use. + +In the _Diary of a Late Physician_ Samuel Warren has given us a chapter on +this subject, which he calls "Grave Doings," and which is probably +founded on fact. The object in the expedition here recorded was, however, +rather to obtain a valuable pathological specimen, than to get a body for +dissection. Writers of fiction have made use of body-snatching, and have +given a gruesome turn to their stories by making the body, when uncovered, +turn out to be that of a relation or friend of some one of the party +engaged in the exhumation. Such a tale is recorded in the _Monthly +Magazine_ for April, 1827; there a sailor is pressed into the service of +some students who were anxious to obtain a body. The subject was safely +brought home, and, on being taken from the sack, turned out to be the +sweetheart of the sailor, who had just returned from sea, and, not having +heard of his girl's decease, was on his way to greet her after a long +absence from home. Truth and fiction often agree. There is a case on +record of a child who had died of scrofula, and whose body was brought to +St. Thomas' Hospital by Holliss, a well-known resurrectionist. The body +was at once recognised by one of the students as that of his sister's +child; on this being made known to the authorities at the hospital, the +corpse was immediately buried before any dissection had taken place. + +In vols. 1 and 2 of the _Medical Times_ there is a series of articles, +entitled "The Confessions of Jasper Muddle, Dissecting-room Porter." These +papers are signed "Rocket," but were written by Albert Smith.[2] One of +the articles contains an account of a handsome young lady who came to the +dissecting-room late at night, and begged for the body of a murderer +executed the previous day, which was then being injected, ready for +lecture purposes. In the _Tale of Two Cities_, Dickens has given us a good +study of a resurrection-man in the person of Mr. Cruncher. Moir in _Mansie +Wauch_, Lytton in _Lucretia_, Mrs. Crowe in _Light and Darkness_, and Miss +Sergeant in _Dr. Endicott's Experiment_, have also used the body-snatcher +in fiction. + +As long as the Barber Surgeons kept to their right of the exclusive +teaching of anatomy, there was small need of bodies for dissection. This +right the Company jealously guarded. On 21st May, 1573, the following +entry occurs in the records, "Here was John Deane and appoynted to brynge +in his fyne x{li} for havinge an Anathomye in his howse contrary to an +order in that behalf between this and mydsomer next."[3] As late as 1714 +this rule was put in force against no less a man than William Cheselden. +The entry in the books of the Company runs as follows, "At a Court of +Assistants of the Company of Barbers and Surgeons, held on the 25th March, +1714. Our Master acquainting the Court that Mr. William Cheselden, a +member of this Company, did frequently procure the Dead bodies of +Malefactors from the place of execution and dissect the same at his own +house, as well during the Company's Publick Lectures as at other times +without the leave of the Governors and contrary to the Company's By law in +that behalf. By which means it became more difficult for the Beadles to +bring away the Companies Bodies and likewise drew away the members of this +Company and others from the Public Dissections and Lectures at the Hall. +The said Mr. Cheselden was, therefore, called in. But having submitted +himself to the pleasure of the Court with a promise never to dissect at +the same as the Company had their Lecture at the Hall, nor without leave +of the Governors for the time being, the said Mr. Cheselden was excused +for what had passed with a reproof for the same pronounced by the Master +at the desire of the Court."[4] + +By the Act Henry VIII., xxii., cap. 12, provision was made for the Company +of Barbers and Surgeons to have the bodies of malefactors for the purpose +of dissection. This part of the Act was as follows: "And further be it +enacted by thauctoritie aforesayd, that the sayd maysters or governours of +the mistery and comminaltie of barbours and surgeons of Londo & their +successours yerely for ever after their sad discrecions at their free +liberte and pleasure shal and maie have and take without cotradiction +foure persons condempned adjudged and put to deathe for feloni by the due +order of the Kynges lawe of thys realme for anatomies with out any further +sute or labour to be made to the kynges highnes his heyres or successors +for the same. And to make incision of the same deade bodies or otherwyse +to order the same after their said discrecions at their pleasure for their +further and better knowlage instruction in sight learnyng & experience in +the sayd scyence or facultie of Surgery." + +The "foure bodies" could not always be obtained without difficulty; +despite the precautions of the Company private anatomy was, to a certain +extent, carried on, and the bodies of malefactors had a market value. The +following entries from the _Annals of the Barber Surgeons_ are +illustrative of this: + +"6th March, 1711.[5] It is ordered that William Cave, one of the Beadles +of this Company, do make Inquiry who the persons were that carryed away +the last body from Tyburne, and that such persons be Indicted for the +same. + +"9th October, 1711. Richard Russell, one of the persons who stands +Indicted for carrying away the last publick body applying himself to this +Court and offering to be evidence against the rest of the persons +concerned It is ordered that the Clerk do apply himself to Her Majesty's +Attorney Generall for a Noli p'sequi as to the said Russell in order to +make him an evidence upon the s{d} Indictment and particularly ag{st} one +Samuell Waters whom the Court did likewise order to be indicted for the +said fact." + +Often there were riots caused by the Beadles of the Company going to +Tyburn for the bodies of murderers. This rioting was carried to such an +extent that it was found necessary to apply for soldiers to protect the +Beadles. + +"28th May, 1713. Ordered that the Clerk go to the Secretary at War for a +guard in order to gett the next Body [from Tyburn.]" + +The dissection of these bodies was made known by public advertisement. The +following is from the _Daily Advertiser_ of January 15th, 1742: "Notice is +hereby given that there being a publick Body at Barbers and Surgeons Hall, +the Demonstrations of Anatomy and the Operations of Surgery will be at the +Hall this evening and to-morrow at six o'clock precisely in the +Amphitheatre." + +In 1752 it was ordered that bodies of murderers executed in London and +Middlesex should be conveyed to the Hall of the Surgeons Company to be +dissected and anatomized, and any attempt to rescue such bodies was made +felony. + +In 1745 the Barbers and Surgeons, who from 1540, until that date, had +formed one Company, separated, and the latter were incorporated under the +title of "The Masters, Governors, and Commonalty of the Art and Science of +Surgery." To the Surgeons naturally fell the duty of dissecting the bodies +of the malefactors handed over for that purpose. The building of the +Surgeons' Company was in the Old Bailey; there was, therefore, no +difficulty in removing the bodies from Newgate. In 1796 the Company came +to a premature end through an improperly constituted Court having been +held. It was attempted to put matters right by a Bill in Parliament, but +there was so much opposition from those persons who were practising +without the diploma of the Corporation, that the Bill, after passing +safely through the Commons, was thrown out by the Lords. In the following +year attempts were made to come to terms with the opponents of the Bill, +and finally it was agreed to petition for a Charter from the Crown to +establish a Royal College of Surgeons in London. These negotiations were +successfully carried out in 1800, and the old Corporation having disposed +of their Old Bailey property to the City Authorities, the College took +possession of a house in Lincoln's Inn Fields, the site of part of the +present building. + +During the debate in the House of Lords on the Bill just mentioned, the +Bishop of Bangor, who had charge of the measure, sent for the Clerk of the +Company, and informed him that a strong opposition was expected to the +Bill, on account of the inconvenience that would arise from the bodies of +murderers being conveyed through the streets from Newgate to Lincoln's Inn +Fields. To remedy this a clause was proposed, giving the College +permission to have a place near to Newgate, where the part of the sentence +which related to the dissection of the bodies might be carried out. + +That this difficulty of moving the bodies was not a fancied one, the +following extract from "Alderman Macaulay's Diary" will show: "Dec. 6, +1796. Francis Dunn and Will. Arnold were yesterday executed for murder and +the first malefactors conveyed to the new Surgeons' Hall in the Lincoln's +Inn Fields. They were conveyed in a cart, their heads supported by tea +chests for the public to see: I think contrary to all decency and the laws +of humanity in a country like this. I hope it will not be repeated."[6] + +Just at this date the Corporation were removing from their old premises to +Lincoln's Inn Fields; the last Court in the Old Bailey was held on October +6th, 1796, and the first at Lincoln's Inn Fields on January 5th, 1797. + +In July, 1797, it was reported to the Court that Mr. Chandler, one of +their members, "had in the most polite and ready manner offered his stable +for the reception of the bodies of the two murderers who were executed +last month." The thanks of the Court were voted to Mr. Chandler "for his +polite attention to the Company upon that occasion." + +After the Bill had been lost in the Lords, the following resolution was +passed by the Court in November, 1797: "Resolved that in order to evince +the sincerity of the Court to remove all reasonable objections to the +present situation in Lincoln's Inn Fields the Clerk be directed, with +proper assistance, to look for a temporary dissecting-room at a place in +or near the Old Bailey until a permanent one near the place of execution +can be established." + +In June, 1800, a warehouse was taken in Castle Street, Cow Cross, West +Smithfield, for eighteen months, as, owing to the labours of taking over +the Hunterian Collection, there had been no time for obtaining a permanent +place. A house in Duke Street, West Smithfield, was afterwards leased for +the purpose, and arrangements were made for Pass, the Beadle, to reside +there. This landed the College in a small expense, as in 1832 the Beadle +was elected Constable of the Ward of Farringdon, and the Council had to +pay a fine of L10 in place of his serving the office. At the expiration of +the lease of the Duke Street house, so great an increase of rent was +demanded that the College gave up the premises, and took a newly-built +house in Hosier Lane, on a lease for twenty-one years. Here the +dissections were carried on until the passing of the Anatomy Act, when the +College had no longer to share with the hangman the duty of carrying out +the sentence on murderers who were condemned to be hanged and anatomized. + +The bodies were not really dissected by the College Authorities; a +sufficient incision was made to satisfy the requirements of the Act, and +the body was then handed over to one of the Teachers of Anatomy. The +following is a copy of an order authorizing the Secretary of the College +to give up a body: + + "Ordered. + + "That the body of Mary Whittenbach executed this day at the Old + Bailey for murder be delivered (after the necessary dissection by the + College) to Mr. Joseph Henry Green. + + "WILLIAM BLIZARD + "WM. NORRIS + "ANTH{Y} CARLISLE. + + "Royal College of Surgeons + "_17th day of Sept. 1827_ + "To Mr. BELFOUR, Secy. to the College." + +There is in the Library of the Royal College of Surgeons of England a +series of drawings of the heads of murderers, made by the two Clifts, +father and son, when the bodies were brought to the College for +dissection. These drawings include Bishop and Williams (see p. 107),[7] +and Bellingham, who was executed in 1812 for the murder of Mr. Perceval +in the lobby of the House of Commons. + +Earl Ferrers, who suffered the extreme penalty of the law in 1760 for the +murder of his steward, was taken to Surgeons' Hall, where an incision was +made in the body; instead of being further dissected it was given over to +the relatives for burial. + +At the execution of Bishop and Williams the Sheriffs of London felt that +some means should be taken to show gratitude to Mr. Partridge, and the +other officials of King's College, for the way they had brought the +murderers to justice. The following letter was therefore addressed to the +College of Surgeons: + + "JUSTICE HALL, + "_Dec. 5, 1831._ + + "_To the Governors and Directors of the College of Surgeons._ + + "It is our particular desire and we do ask that it may be thought but + a reasonable request that the bodies of the malefactors executed in + the front of Newgate this morning should be sent to King's + College--by the vigilance of whose surgical establishment these + offenders were detected and ultimately brought to justice, we shall + therefore feel obliged by your handing over these bodies to the + King's College. + + "We are, with great respect, + "Your mo. ob. Servts., + + "J. COWAN } + } _Sheriffs_." + "JOHN PIRIE} + +The body of Bishop was given to Mr. Partridge, and that of Williams went +to Mr. Guthrie at the Little Windmill Street School of Anatomy. + +The following account of the reception of one of the bodies is by Mr. T. +Madden Stone, for many years an official at the College. It was printed in +a series of articles, entitled "Echoes from the College of Surgeons."[8] + +"The executions generally took place at eight o'clock on Mondays, and the +'cut down,' as it is called, at nine, although there was no cutting at +all, as the rope, with a large knot at the end, was simply passed through +a thick and strong ring, with a screw, which firmly held the rope in its +place, and when all was over, Calcraft, _alias_ 'Jack Ketch,' would make +his appearance on the scaffold, and by simply turning the screw, the body +would fall down. At once it would be placed in one of those large carts +with collapsible sides, only to be seen in the neighbourhood of the Docks, +and then preceded by the City Marshal in his cocked hat, and, in fact, all +his war paint, with Calcraft and his assistant in the cart, the procession +would make its way to 33 Hosier Lane, West Smithfield, in the front +drawing room of which were assembled Sir William Blizard, President of the +Royal College of Surgeons, and members of the Court desirous of being +present, with Messrs. Clift (senior and junior), Belfour, and myself. On +extraordinary occasions visitors were admitted by special favour. The +bodies would then be stripped, and the clothes removed by Calcraft as his +valuable perquisites, which, with the fatal rope, were afterwards +exhibited to the morbidly curious, at so much per head, at some favoured +public-house. It was the duty of the City Marshal to be present to see the +body 'anatomised,' as the Act of Parliament had it. A crucial incision in +the chest was enough to satisfy the important City functionary above +referred to, and he would soon beat a hasty retreat, on his gaily-decked +charger, to report the due execution of his duty. These experiments +concluded, the body would be stitched up, and Pearson, an old museum +attendant, would remove it in a light cart to the hospital, to which it +was intended to present it for dissection." + + * * * * * + +These bodies of murderers were the only ones which could be legally used +for dissection; it is therefore obvious that the number was quite +insufficient for the wants of the Metropolitan Schools, and the teachers +were thus forced to obtain a supply from other sources. + +It was strongly urged, but urged in vain, that the whole difficulty would +disappear if a short Act were passed, doing away with the dissection of +murderers, and enacting that the bodies of all unknown persons who died in +workhouses or hospitals, without friends, should be handed over, under +proper control, to the different teachers of anatomy. That these would be +sufficient was afterwards made clear by the Committee on Anatomy.[9] In +their Report it is stated that the returns obtained from 127 of the +parishes situate in London, Westminster, and Southwark, or their immediate +vicinity, showed that out of 3744 persons who died in the workhouses of +these parishes in the year 1827, 3103 were buried at the parish expense, +and that of these about 1108 were not attended to their graves by any +relations. The number of bodies obtained from this source would have +exceeded those supplied by the resurrection-men, and would have been +adequate for the wants of the London Schools. + +The newspapers of the day contain many proposed solutions of the +difficulty. One correspondent gravely suggested that as prostitutes had, +by their bodies during life, been engaged in corrupting mankind, it was +only right that after death those bodies should be handed over to be +dissected for the public good. Another correspondent proposed that all +bodies of suicides should be used for dissection, and that all those +persons who came to their death by duelling, prize-fighting, or +drunkenness, should be handed over to the surgeons for a similar purpose. + +Mr. Dermott, the proprietor of the Gerrard Street, or Little Windmill +Street, School of Medicine, proposed a scheme by which a fund was to be +raised by grants from Government, and from the College of Surgeons, and by +voluntary contributions from the nobility and gentry. This fund was to be +invested in the names of "opulent and respectable men," not more than +one-third of whom were to be members of the medical profession. It was +proposed to expend the interest on this fund in paying a sum not exceeding +seven pounds to those persons who were willing to contract for the sale of +their bodies for dissection. Registers were to be kept of all such +persons, and the Committee were to have the power of claiming the body six +hours after death. Mr. Dermott also suggested that all medical men should +leave their own bodies to be used for anatomical teaching. It is hardly +necessary to point out the absurdity of the first part of this scheme; the +Committee, after paying their seven pounds, would have had no control over +the subsequent movements of the persons whose bodies they had thus +purchased, and it was hardly to be expected that friends of the deceased +would send notice to the Committee that the body was ready for them. Both +parts of the scheme would have required an Act of Parliament, as executors +were not bound to give up a corpse, even though instructions had been left +that it was a person's wish that his body should be used for anatomical +purposes. Many such bequests have been made, and in some instances the +desire of the testator has been carried into effect. To try to do away +with some of the prejudices against dissection, Jeremy Bentham left his +body for this purpose; the dissection was duly carried out at the Webb +Street School, and at the request of Dr. Southwood Smith, Mr. Grainger +delivered the following oration over the body on June 9th, 1832: + +"Gentlemen,--In presenting myself before you this day, at the request of +my friend and colleague, Dr. Southwood Smith, I can assure you I do so +strongly impressed with the high importance of the duty I have undertaken, +and the responsibility I have thus assumed. Gentlemen, it is no ordinary +occasion on which we are assembled. We are here collected to carry into +execution the last wishes of one whose mortal career, prolonged far beyond +the usual limits of man's existence, has been devoted with almost +unexampled energy and perseverance to the establishment of those great +moral and political truths, on which the happiness and the enlightenment +of the human race are founded. Ill would it become me, however, to dwell +on the genius, the philanthropy, or the integrity of the illustrious +deceased. His eulogium has already been eloquently pronounced by one more +fitted to do justice to such an undertaking than the humble individual who +now addresses you. It would be more suitable to the object of the present +meeting that I should consider in what manner the intentions of the late +Mr. Bentham, regarding the disposition of his remains, can best be carried +into effect. But before I do this, it may be proper to inform some of my +auditors what those intentions were. This great man was an ardent admirer +of the science of medicine, and his penetrating mind was not slow in +perceiving that the safe and successful practice of the healing art +entirely rests on a thorough knowledge of the natural structure and +functions of the human body. He also perceived that there was but one +method of obtaining such knowledge, viz., dissection. In proceeding to +inquire how it came to happen that in a country like England, justly proud +of those numerous institutions in which science is so successfully +cultivated, so little encouragement, or more correctly speaking, so much +opposition, was offered to the advancement of so indispensable a branch of +knowledge, Mr. Bentham discovered that this repugnance to dissection +sprang from a feeling strongly implanted in the human breast--a feeling of +reverence towards the dead. Far be it from me to condemn such a sentiment, +for it has its source in some of the purest principles of our nature. But +if it can be shown that an undue indulgence in this feeling produces +incalculable mischief in society, it becomes the duty of all who are +interested in the happiness of mankind to oppose the progress of such +injurious opinions. Mr. Bentham, impressed with this idea, and thinking it +unjust that the humbler classes of the community should alone be called +upon to sacrifice those feelings which are cherished alike by the rich and +poor, determined to devote his own body to the public good. He knew that +this determination would inflict pain on many of his dearest friends. An +example of this character, emanating from a person so talented, so +influential, and so esteemed, is calculated to operate a most beneficial +effect on the public mind, and I cannot refrain from considering the +dissection of the body now before us as an important era in the progress +of anatomy, as it is one of the first that in this country has been +employed for the purposes of science, under the direct sanction of the +individual expressed during his lifetime; he also knew that obstacles +would probably be offered to its fulfilment, but with an indifference to +personal feeling rarely witnessed, he took effectual means to carry his +resolution into effect. And thus, gentlemen, did the last act of this +illustrious man's existence accord with that leading principle of his +well-spent life--the desire to promote the universal happiness and welfare +of mankind." + +Bentham's skeleton, clothed in his usual attire, is now in University +College, London. + +Messenger Monsey, the eccentric physician to the Chelsea Hospital, was +exceedingly anxious that his body should be examined after death. He +obtained a promise from Mr. Forster, of Union Court, that he would +perform this service for him. So anxious was Monsey for the _post mortem_ +to be carried out, that in May, 1787, he wrote to Cruikshank, the +anatomist, as follows: + + "Mr. Foster (_sic_) a Surgeon in Union Court, Broad Street, has been + so good as to promise to open my Carcass and see what is the matter + with my Heart, Arteries, Kidnies, &c. He is gone to Norwich and may + not return before I am [dead]. Will you be so good as to let me send + it to you, or if he comes will you like to be present at the + dissection. I am now very ill and hardly see to scrawl this & feel as + if I should live two days, the sooner the better. I am, tho' unknown + to you + + "Your respectfull humble Servant + "MESSR. MONSEY." + +Monsey lived until December 20th, 1788; his wishes were duly carried out +by Mr. Forster, at Guy's Hospital, in the presence of the students. + +Ninety-nine gentlemen of Dublin signed a document, in which the wish was +expressed that their bodies, instead of being interred, should be devoted +by their surviving friends "to the more rational, benevolent, and +honourable purpose of explaining the structure, functions and diseases of +the human being." + +A Mr. Boys, who died in 1835, wished to be made into "essential salts" for +the use of his female friends. In a letter to Dr. Campbell, written four +years before his death, he asks: "Are you now disposed (without Burking) +to accomplish my wish, when my breath or spirit shall have ceased to +animate my carcase, to perform the operation of vitrifying my bones, and +sublimating the rest, thereby cheating the Devil of his due, according to +the ideas of some devotees among Christians? And, that I may not offend +the delicate olfactory nerves of my female friends with a mass of +putridity, if it be possible, let me rather fill a few little bottles of +essential salts therefrom, and revive their drooping spirits. It may be +irksome to you to superintend the business, but, perhaps, you have +knowledge of some rising genius or geniuses who may be glad of a subject +without paying for it. Let them slash and cut, and divide, as best please +'em." + +The following account, taken from a newspaper of 1810, shows that +untoward events sometimes followed a request of this kind. A journeyman +tailor died at the _Black Prince_, in Chandos Street, and directed, in his +will, that his body should be opened in the presence of Mr. Wood, the +landlord. This instruction was carried out. The paragraph goes on to say +that the dissection was scarcely concluded "when the landlord, a stranger +to such exhibitions, was seized with sickness and vomiting; and, on +reaching the bar, was prevailed upon by his wife to take a glass of brandy +and water; in a few minutes he was obliged to be carried to bed, never to +rise again; on Friday last, the third day from the attack, he died in a +state of delirium, not from contagion, or a predisposition to disease, but +solely from the impression made upon his mind by the anatomical +performance, which, he observed, exceeded in horror any thing he had ever +beheld." + +It was not an uncommon thing for persons to try to put into effect part of +Dermott's plan, by offering to leave their bodies for anatomical purposes, +on the condition that they were paid a certain sum down. This was +generally only a swindling dodge, and one by which the teachers were not +to be caught, as they could have no hold on the persons whose bodies they +purchased, nor could they compel the friends to give them up after death. +The following letter, preserved amongst Sir Astley Cooper's papers, and +now forming part of the Stone Collection at the Royal College of Surgeons +of England, is a specimen: + + "SIR,--I have been informed you are in the habit of purchasing bodys + and allowing the person a sum weekly; knowing a poor woman that is + desirous of doing so, I have taken the liberty of calling to know the + truth. + + "I remain, your humble servant." + + [10] + +On the back Sir Astley has written, "The _truth_ is that you deserve to be +hanged for such an unfeeling offer. A. C." + +The idea at the present day has not died out; quite recently a man called +at the College of Surgeons, and offered to sell his body for a cash +payment. It is a fairly common experience of Curators of Pathological +Museums to have similar offers from persons suffering from a rare disease, +or a curious deformity. + + + + + +[Illustration: MORTSAFE IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH.] + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +As has been stated in the previous chapter, there was no need of the +resurrection-men, so long as the teaching of anatomy was confined to the +Company of Barbers and Surgeons. It has also been pointed out that, as +late as 1714, Cheselden was reprimanded for having anatomical +demonstrations at his private house. Soon after this date, however, began +the establishment of private schools. Mr. Nourse, of St. Bartholomew's, +was one of the first to deliver public lectures at his own house. After a +time this probably became inconvenient, as we find his advertisement, in +1739, worded thus: + + "ANATOMY. + + "Designing to have no more lectures at my own house, I think it + proper to advertise that I shall begin a Course of Anatomy, + Chirurgical Operations and Bandages on Monday, the 11th of Nov., at + St. Bartholomew's Hospital. + + "EDW. NOURSE, Assistant Surgeon + and Lithotomist to the said Hospital." + +Percivall Pott, who was apprenticed to Nourse, followed his master's +example, and lectured on Surgery. In 1737 we find Dr. Fr. Nicholls +advertising thus: + + "On Wednesday, the 2nd of February, at the House below the Bull Head, + in Lincoln's Inn Fields, at five in the evening, will begin a Course + of Anatomy and Physiology, introductory to the study and practice of + Physick in all its branches by Fr. Nicholls, M.D. N.B. A compendium + referring to the several matters, explain'd in these Lectures, is + sold by John Clarke, under the Royal Exchange, and F. Woodward, at + the Half Moon, within Temple Bar, Booksellers." + +The following is the advertisement of Caesar Hawkins, from a newspaper of +1739: + + "In Pall Mall Court, in Pall Mall. On Thursday, the 5th of February + next, will begin a Course of Anatomy, with the principal Operations + in Surgery and their suitable Bandages, by Caesar Hawkins, Surgeon to + St. George's Hospital." + +Joshua Brookes' advertisement, in 1814, ran as follows: + + "THEATRE OF ANATOMY, BLENHEIM STREET, + GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. + + "The Summer Course of Lectures on Anatomy, Physiology, and Surgery, + will be commenced on Monday, the 6th of June, at seven o'clock in + the morning. By Mr. Brookes.--Anatomical Converzationes will be held + weekly, when the different Subjects treated of will be discussed + familiarly, and the Students' views forwarded. To these none but + Pupils can be admitted. Spacious Apartments, thoroughly ventilated, + and replete with every convenience, will be open at five o'clock in + the morning, for the purposes of Dissecting and Injecting, when Mr. + Brookes attends to direct the Students and demonstrate the various + parts as they appear on Dissection. + + "The inconveniences usually attending Anatomical Investigations, are + counteracted by an antiseptic process. Pupils may be accommodated in + the House. Gentlemen established in Practice, desirous of renewing + their Anatomical Knowledge, may be accommodated with an apartment to + dissect in privately." + +A very interesting account of the old Anatomical Schools, by Mr. D'Arcy +Power, will be found in the _British Medical Journal_, 1895, vol. 2, p. +141. The paper is entitled "The Rise and Fall of the Private Medical +Schools in London." It has been reprinted, with other articles, in a +pamphlet, entitled _The Medical Institutions of London_. + +In Great Britain, as no licence was required for opening an Anatomical +School, there was no limit to their number; there was also no regular +legal supply of subjects, except the bodies of murderers, executed in +London and the county of Middlesex, which came to the schools through the +College of Surgeons. In Paris a licence had to be obtained before opening +an Anatomical School, and bodies were regularly supplied to the licensed +places. + +With the rise and competition of the Medical Schools in London, the +difficulty of getting an adequate number of bodies increased. The absolute +necessity of having a good supply for the use of students, so as to +prevent them from going off to rival schools, caused the teachers to offer +large prices, and thus made it worth while for men to devote themselves +entirely to obtaining bodies for this purpose. At first the trade was +carried on by a very few men, and without any public scandal, but the +inducements mentioned above enticed others into the business; these were +of the lowest class, often professed thieves, and the fights and disputes +of these men, one with the other, in churchyards, often made really more +scandal than the actual stealing of the bodies. It was stated by the +police in 1828 that the number of persons who, in London, lived regularly +on the profits of exhumation, did not exceed ten; but there were, in +addition to these, about two hundred who were occasionally employed. These +latter individuals were thieves of the lowest grade, and the most +desperate and abandoned class of the community. The men worked generally +in gangs, and would do anything to spoil the success of their opponents in +the business. If a body were bought by one of the teachers from an outside +source, the regular men would sometimes break into the dissecting-room and +cut the body in such a manner as to make it useless for anatomical +purposes. If this could not be done, they would give information to the +police that a stolen body was lying in a certain dissecting-room. Joshua +Brookes, the proprietor of the Blenheim Street, or Great Marlborough +Street, School, was a victim in this way; a body, for which he had paid 16 +guineas, was taken away from his school through information of this kind, +and the police officer who carried out the business was, as a reward for +his efforts, presented with a silver staff, purchased by public +subscription. Brookes seems to have got on very badly with the +resurrection-men; at one time, because he refused five guineas as a +douceur at the beginning of the session, two dead bodies, in a high state +of decomposition, were dropped at night close to his school by the men +whom he had thus offended; one of these bodies was placed at the Poland +Street end of Great Marlborough Street, and the other at the end of +Blenheim Street. Two young ladies stumbled over one of these bodies, and +at once raised such a commotion that, had it not been for the prompt +assistance of Sir Robert Baker and the police, Brookes would have fared +very badly at the hands of the mob which soon collected. The fact of his +house being near to the Marlborough Police Court, on more than one +occasion saved Brookes from the popular fury. + +A subject was brought to him one day in a sack, and paid for at once; soon +after it was discovered that the occupant of the sack was alive. This was +not a case of attempted murder; the "subject" was a confederate of those +from whom he had been purchased, and had, in all probability, been thus +introduced to the premises for purposes of burglary. + +The competition of the schools had risen to such a height in the demand +for bodies, that Brookes stated that for a subject, which would have cost +two guineas in his student days, he had paid as much as sixteen guineas. +Nor was the cost of the body the only expense to the teacher. At the +beginning of each session he was waited upon by the resurrection-men, who +offered to supply him regularly with bodies at a fixed price, on the +condition that a douceur was paid down at once. The teachers were +powerless in the matter, and had either to accede to the offered terms, or +to lose their students through not having a sufficient supply of subjects. +The scarcity of bodies was most keenly felt at the beginning of the +session; the resurrection-men knew that they could command their own +terms, and would not supply any subjects until the teachers had conceded +all their demands. This was felt to be bad for the students, and Dr. James +Somerville, who was assistant to Brodie at the Great Windmill Street +School, in giving evidence before the Committee on Anatomy, said that +"the pupils not being able to proceed for a certain time lose their +ardour, and get into habits of idleness." + +At the end of the session the resurrection-men again waited on the +proprietors of the schools, and demanded "finishing money." In some papers +relating to Sir Astley Cooper, which were referred to in a letter +published in the _Medical Times_, 1883, vol. 1, p. 343, we read: "May +10th, 1827, Paid Hollis, Vaughan, and Llewellyn, finishing money, L6 6s. +0d. 1829, June 18th, Paid Murphy, Wildes, & Naples, finishing money L6 6s. +0d." + +The cost of the bodies in this way to the teachers was more than they +could charge to the students, and the deficiency thus created was made up +by increased fees for the lectures. The expenses, moreover, did not end +here. If one of the resurrection-men was unfortunate enough to get a term +of imprisonment, the teacher had to partly keep the man's wife and family +whilst he was serving his sentence. A solatium was also expected on his +release from gaol. Mr. R. D. Grainger spent L50 in this way for one man, +and several guineas in keeping the family of another Resurrectionist +whilst the latter was in gaol. Sir Astley Cooper is known to have spent +large sums of money for a similar purpose. The following may be cited as +examples: "January 29th, 1828, Paid Mr. Cock to pay Mr. South half the +expenses of bailing Vaughan from Yarmouth and going down L14 7s. 0d. 1829, +May 6th, Paid Vaughan's wife 6s. Paid Vaughan for twenty-six weeks' +confinement at 10s. per week, L13 0s. 0d." + +If any independence were shown by the teachers, and the demands of the men +resisted, victory generally fell to the lot of the Resurrectionists. A +teacher, perhaps, would refuse to pay the exorbitant demands, and would +employ other men to obtain bodies for him. These were then watched by the +regular gang, and information to the police was laid against them on every +occasion. The bodies obtained by the irregular men were often taken from +them by those who considered they had a monopoly in the business; these +subjects were then hacked and cut about so as to make them quite useless +for anatomical purposes. So the supply at this particular school would be +very short, and great indignation would arise amongst the students, who +had paid their fees, and therefore demanded an adequate number of bodies +for dissection. The teacher was thus obliged to give way, and to accede to +the demands of the regular gang. + +The teachers formed themselves into an Anatomical Club for their own +protection; by this means it was hoped to regulate the price to be paid +for bodies, by agreement amongst the members of the Club not to give more +than a certain amount. This agreement does not seem, according to Mr. +South, to have been very faithfully kept, and so, with new schools +springing up and giving rise to still greater competition, the teachers +were as much as ever in the hands of the resurrection-men. + +It must not be supposed that all the bodies which were supplied to the +schools were exhumed. Many of them were stolen or obtained by false +pretences before burial. Glennon, the police officer, who has been before +mentioned in connection with Joshua Brookes, told the Committee that he +had recovered between fifty and a hundred bodies for persons who had had +their houses broken open, and bodies stolen from them whilst in the +coffin awaiting burial. The following case, tried at the London Sessions +in 1830, is an example of this: + +"LONDON ADJOURNED SESSIONS. + +"TUESDAY.--BODY-SNATCHING.--A well-known pilferer of graves, named Clarke, +was tried upon an indictment, charging him with having stolen the body of +a dead child, aged about four years, which had been under the care of a +nurse named Mary Hopkins. The facts which came out in evidence are as +follows: The deceased was the daughter of a woman of the town, residing in +Shire Lane, and had been kept at the nurse's lodging, which was in the +same neighbourhood. She died on a Friday, and Clarke, whose ears were +described as 'quick to the toll of the passing bell,' paid the nurse a +visit the next morning, under pretence of hiring a cellar under the house. +He took occasion to notice the poor woman's son; said it was a pity to see +the boy idle, and that he should have immediate employment, and called +again with evidences of still stronger interest in favour of the family. +'By the way,' said he, 'I understand you have had a death lately.' 'Yes, +sir,' said the nurse, 'a poor little girl is departed.' 'Poor little +dear,' cried the snatcher, 'I should like to look at the little innocent.' +He was forthwith led into the front parlour, where the body lay in a +coffin, and observing that its position was favourable to his intention, +he sympathized with the nurse, and said, 'We must all come to this sooner +or later,' and then he went to get a half-pint of summut to comfort them. +The nurse disposed of a glass, which presently set her in a profound +sleep, and when she awoke the body of the babe was gone. It appeared that +the snatcher, after having quitted the house, as if for good, returned, +and opening the parlour-window hooked out with a stick the corpse of the +child, and went off with it towards a market that is open at all hours, +near Bridgewater Square. However, a police officer, who knew his trade, +laid hands upon him, telling him he was wanted. The snatcher then threw +down the child and took to his heels, but was apprehended and lodged in +the Compter. The nurse proved the identity of the body. Upon her +cross-examination, by Mr. Payne, she stated that the mother had not been +to see the deceased for four or five days before the death. The Jury +returned a verdict of Guilty, but some of them audibly spoke of +recommending the prisoner to mercy, but made no appendage to that effect. +The Recorder sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for the space of six +calendar months." + +Sometimes these stolen bodies were claimed after payment had been made to +the resurrection-men, but before any dissection had taken place. The +following refers to Guy's Hospital: "Returned to Vestry Clerk of +Newington, by order of the Treasurer, one male and two females, purchased +of Page, &c., on the 25th, who had broken open the dead-house to obtain +them." + +Bodies of suicides, and of those who had met with an accidental death, +were frequently stolen whilst they were awaiting the coroner's inquest. +Often in these cases the body-thieves, after selling the subject to a +teacher of anatomy, secretly gave information to the police where the +missing body might be found. It was then seized by the police, and, after +the inquest, handed over to those who claimed to be relatives; these +supposed relatives were frequently confederates of the thieves, and by +them the body was at once taken off and again sold to another teacher. + + * * * * * + +The following case is from a newspaper of 1823: + +"SUICIDE AND THE BODY STOLEN.--Tuesday evening last a young woman of +respectable and interesting appearance was observed for some time parading +the banks of the Surrey Canal, Camberwell, in a melancholy mood, and at +length she plunged into the water; on which a man rushed in after her and +dived several times, but failed in recovering the body, which was not +found till the following morning, when it was taken to the Albany Arms, +near the Canal, for the Coroner's inquest, which was to have taken place +on Thursday. On the landlord proceeding to the shed on Wednesday morning, +where the body had been deposited, he discovered, that in the course of +the night, it had been broken open, and the corpse of the female stolen +away. He instantly repaired to the Police Office, Union Street, and gave +information of the circumstance to the Magistrates, who gave orders that +immediate inquiry should be made at Mr. Brookes's, where the body has +since been discovered and given up. The poor woman was unclaimed, and the +verdict of the Coroner's Jury was 'Found Drowned.'" + +A favourite trick, in the carrying out of which a woman was generally +necessary, was that of claiming the bodies of friendless persons who died +in workhouses, or similar institutions. Immediately it was found out that +such an one was dead a man and woman, decently clad in mourning, in great +grief, and often in tears, called at the workhouse to take away the body +of their dear departed relative. If the trick proved successful, as it +often did, the body was taken straight off to one of the schools and sold. +The parish authorities, probably, were not over particular about giving up +the body, if the deceased were a stranger, as by this means they saved the +cost of burial. + +Subjects, too, were obtained from cheap undertakers, who kept the bodies +of the poor until the time for burial. The coffin was weighted so as to +conceal the fraud, and the mockery of reading the Burial Service over it +was gone through in the presence of the unsuspecting relatives. + +That some bodies were obtained by murder there can be no doubt. The +exposure caused by the trials of Burke and Hare in Edinburgh, and Bishop +and Williams in London, proves this. + +The facts previously stated, however, go very far to exonerate the +anatomists from the false charge (freely made at the time) of their being +privy to these murders. It has been frequently stated that signs of murder +could be easily seen, and that the fact of the body being fresh, and there +being no evidence of its having been interred, ought to have at once +suggested foul play, and to have caused the teacher to communicate with +the police. But it must be remembered that the murders were generally very +artfully contrived by suffocation, so as to leave no outward signs of +ill-treatment. It was also no uncommon thing, for the reasons just given, +to receive at the schools bodies in quite a fresh state, which had +evidently never received sepulture. + +An account of the _post mortem_ on the Italian boy, for whose murder +Bishop and Williams were hanged,[11] has been preserved by Mr. +Clarke.[12] The examination of the body was carried out by Mr. +Wetherfield, of Southampton Street. There were also present Mr. Mayo, +Lecturer on Anatomy at King's College; Mr. Partridge, his demonstrator; +Mr. Beaman, Parish Surgeon; and his Assistant, Mr. D. Edwards, and Mr. +Clarke. The boy's teeth had been removed and sold to a dentist, but beyond +this there were no external marks of violence on any part of the body. The +internal organs were carefully examined, but no trace of injury or poison +could be found. Mr. Mayo, who had a peculiar way of standing very upright +with his hands in his breeches' pockets, said, with a kind of lisp he had, +"By Jove! the boy died a nathral death." Mr. Partridge and Mr. Beaman, +however, suggested that the spine had not been examined, and after a +consultation it was decided to do this. It was then found that one or more +of the upper cervical vertebrae were fractured. "By Jove!" said Mr. Mayo, +"this boy was murthered." The conviction of Bishop and Williams was due, +in a very great measure, to Mr. Partridge and Mr. Beaman. + +At the present day it is well-nigh impossible to understand the relations +between men of honour and education, such as the teachers of anatomy were, +and the ruffians who carried on this ghastly trade. It must, however, be +borne in mind that, until the passing of the Anatomy Act in 1832, there +was no provision for supplying the means by which the student might be +taught this necessary part of his professional education; the only way in +which teachers could get material for giving instruction was by dealing +with the resurrection-men. + +It would have been quite impossible for the resurrection-men to have +obtained the number of bodies they frequently did, had they not been able +to bribe the custodians of the different burial-grounds. Sometimes they +met with a difficulty in the shape of a keeper newly appointed to replace +one who had been dismissed for being privy to these depredations. In most +instances this was soon overcome; if, at the outset, the custodian could +not be bribed, he could generally be induced to drink, and then, whilst he +was in a state of intoxication, the body which the resurrection-men wished +to obtain could be easily removed. After this first step there was +generally very little difficulty in the future. + +Sometimes, too, the grave-diggers not only gave information to the +Resurrectionists, but acted as principals themselves. In Benson's +_Remarkable Trials_ is recorded the case of John Holmes, Peter Williams, +and Esther Donaldson. Holmes was grave-digger at St. George's, Bloomsbury; +Williams was his assistant, and Donaldson was charged as an accomplice. +They were prosecuted before Sir John Hawkins at the Guildhall, +Westminster, in December, 1777, for stealing the body of Mrs. Jane +Sainsbury, who died in the previous October, and was buried in the St. +George's burial-ground. Holmes and Williams were sentenced to six months' +imprisonment, and to be whipped on their bare backs from the end of +Kingsgate Street, Holborn, to Dyot Street, St. Giles. The sentence, says +Benson, was duly carried out amidst crowds of well-satisfied and approving +spectators. The woman Donaldson was acquitted. + +The ranks of the resurrection-men were largely recruited from the keepers +of burial-grounds. When these men had lost their situations for +connivance at the stealing of bodies, they naturally joined their old +associates, and became part of the regular gang. + +The bribery of the custodians will account for the large number of bodies +often obtained in one night. Had there been the slightest vigilance on the +part of the authorities, it would have been absolutely impossible for the +resurrection-men to have spent the time necessary for their work without +detection. The amount of time required for the work depended greatly on +the soil. One man told Bransby Cooper that he had taken two bodies from +separate graves of considerable depth, and had restored the coffins and +the earth to their former positions in an hour and a half. Another man +said that he had completed the exhumation of a body in a quarter of an +hour; but in this instance the grave was extremely shallow, and the earth +loose and without stones. If much gravel had to be dug through, the +resurrection-men had a peculiar way of using their spades, so that the +gravel was thrown out of the grave quite noiselessly. + +On Thursday, February 20th, 1812, the Diary tells us that 15 large bodies +and one small one were obtained from St. Pancras. No doubt this was +simplified by the custom of burying several paupers in one grave. To +obtain these it was necessary to dig all the earth out, so that each +coffin could be dealt with; the men generally worked very soon after a +funeral, and so the earth was much more easily moved than it would have +been if they had been obliged to dig through undisturbed ground. When only +one body was to be had, a small opening was dug down to the head of the +coffin, which was then broken open, and the body was pulled up with a +rope, fastened either round the neck or under the armpits. + +In a memoir of Thomas Wakley, the founder of _The Lancet_,[13] the +following account of the _modus operandi_ of the resurrection-men is +given: "In the case of a neat, or not quite new grave, the ingenuity of +the Resurrectionist came into play. Several feet--fifteen or twenty--away +from the head or foot of the grave, he would remove a square of turf, +about eighteen or twenty inches in diameter. This he would carefully put +by, and then commence to mine. Most pauper graves were of the same depth, +and, if the sepulchre was that of a person of importance, the depth of the +grave could be pretty well estimated by the nature of the soil thrown up. +Taking a five-foot grave, the coffin lid would be about four feet from the +surface. A rough slanting tunnel, some five yards long, would, therefore, +have to be constructed, so as to impinge exactly on the coffin head. This +being at last struck (no very simple task), the coffin was lugged up by +hooks to the surface, or, preferably, the end of the coffin was wrenched +off with hooks while still in the shelter of the tunnel, and the scalp or +feet of the corpse secured through the open end, and the body pulled out, +leaving the coffin almost intact and unmoved. + +"The body once obtained, the narrow shaft was easily filled up and the sod +of turf accurately replaced. The friends of the deceased, seeing that the +earth _over_ his grave was not disturbed, would flatter themselves that +the body had escaped the Resurrectionist; but they seldom noticed the +neatly-placed square of turf, some feet away." + +A somewhat similar account is given in the _Memorials of John Flint +South_.[14] This method is also referred to by Bransby Cooper,[15] who +states that it was told him by one "who fancied he had found out their +secret, but had, no doubt, been deceived by some of them purposely." +Bransby Cooper also says that he asked one of the principal +resurrection-men as to the feasibility of this method, and the man showed +him several objections to it, and stated that "it would never do." This +statement was made after the resurrection-days were over, when there could +be no advantage in keeping the true plan secret. It must be remembered +that there were some amateur body-snatchers, and that it was not at all +unlikely that the regular men would tell to them a plan as full of +difficulties as that quoted above. To make the tunnel as described, would +be impossible, and it is somewhat difficult to see how grappling-irons +were fastened to the coffin; a man could hardly get down a tunnel 18 in. +in diameter and 15 feet in length to do this; if he did succeed, his +difficulties in returning must have been still greater. To pull a body +out of the head or foot of a coffin, as described, is an impossibility. No +allowance is made, either, in digging the tunnel for obstacles, in the +shape of intervening graves or grave-stones. As regards the evidence on +the surface of a grave having been disturbed, it would be greater in one +opened in this manner than if the recently-disturbed earth had been again +dug out. It would be impossible to get back into the tunnel all the earth +dug out in the course of its construction, and this loose earth would at +once attract attention. Generally, bodies were removed before the graves +were finally tidied up, so that it was difficult to notice a fresh +disturbance. + +The writer of the Diary was a cemetery-keeper when he first began his +resurrection proceedings; his _modus operandi_, in some cases, was to take +the body out of the coffin, and place it in a sack, before he began to +fill in the grave. Then, as he gradually threw the earth in, he kept +pulling the sack to the surface, so that when his work of filling in was +completed, he had the sack close to the top of the grave. He had then only +to wait until night, when he was able, under cover of the darkness, to +remove the body without fear of detection. When the resurrection-men had +been successful in their night's work, they were glad to find a temporary +shelter for the bodies, as near at hand as possible. This was generally an +out-house belonging to one of the schools which they regularly supplied; +the men were permitted to place the bodies there for the night, and to +fetch them away the next day. This explains some of the entries in the +Diary, such as "Took the whole to ----," and the next day, "Removed the +whole from ----." Before removing any of the bodies, the men would find +out exactly where they were wanted, and so would save much risk of being +arrested with the bodies in their possession. + +If the following broadside could be believed, the resurrection-men +sometimes performed a valuable service to those who had been buried-- + +"MIRACULOUS CIRCUMSTANCE: + +"_Being a full and particular account of John Macintire, who was buried +alive, in Edinburgh, on the 15th day of April, 1824, while in a trance, +and who was taken up by the resurrection-men, and sold to the doctors to +be dissected, with a full account of the many strange and wonderful things +which he saw and felt while he was in that state, the whole being taken +from his own words._ + +"I had been some time ill of a low and lingering fever. My strength +gradually wasted, and I could see by the doctor that I had nothing to +hope. One day, towards evening, I was seized with strange and +indescribable quiverings. I saw around my bed, innumerable strange faces; +they were bright and visionary, and without bodies. There was light and +solemnity, and I tried to move, but could not; I could recollect, with +perfectness, but the power of motion had departed. I heard the sound of +weeping at my pillow, and the voice of the nurse say, 'He is dead.' I +cannot describe what I felt at these words. I exerted my utmost power to +stir myself, but I could not move even an eyelid. My father drew his hand +over my face and closed my eyelids. The world was then darkened, but I +could still hear, and feel and suffer. For three days a number of friends +called to see me. I heard them in low accents speak of what I was, and +more than one touched me with his finger. The coffin was then procured, +and I was laid in it. I felt the coffin lifted and borne away. I heard and +felt it placed in the hearse; it halted, and the coffin was taken out. I +felt myself carried on the shoulders of men; I heard the cords of the +coffin moved. I felt it swing as dependent by them. It was lowered and +rested upon the bottom of the grave. Dreadful was the effort I then made +to exert the power of action, but my whole frame was immovable. The sound +of the rattling mould as it covered me, was far more tremendous than +thunder. This also ceased, and all was silent. This is death, thought I, +and soon the worms will be crawling about my flesh. In the contemplation +of this hideous thought, I heard a low sound in the earth over me, and I +fancied that the worms and reptiles were coming. The sound continued to +grow louder and nearer. Can it be possible, thought I, that my friends +suspect that they have buried me too soon? The hope was truly like +bursting through the gloom of death. The sound ceased. They dragged me out +of the coffin by the head, and carried me swiftly away. When borne to +some distance, I was thrown down like a clod, and by the interchange of +one or two brief sentences, I discovered that I was in the hands of two of +those robbers, who live by plundering the grave, and selling the bodies of +parents, and children, and friends. Being rudely stripped of my shroud, I +was placed naked on a table. In a short time I heard by the bustle in the +room that the doctors and students were assembling. When all was ready the +Demonstrator took his knife, and pierced my bosom. I felt a dreadful +crackling, as it were, throughout my whole frame; a convulsive shudder +instantly followed, and a shriek of horror rose from all present. The ice +of death was broken up; my trance was ended. The utmost exertions were +made to restore me, and in the course of an hour I was in full possession +of all my faculties. + +"STEPHENSON, PRINTER, GATESHEAD." + + * * * * * + +It was quite necessary for the Committee on Anatomy to adopt some means to +protect the resurrection-men who gave evidence before it; this was done +by suppressing their names, and using letters of the alphabet to +distinguish the witnesses one from another. Popular feeling was so bitter +against these men that they were often severely handled by the mob. +Sometimes the mob made a mistake, and the innocent suffered for the +guilty. In 1823 a coach containing an empty coffin was being drawn along +the streets of Edinburgh; the people, suspecting that it was intended to +convey a body, taken from some churchyard, seized the coach; it was with +great difficulty that the police rescued the driver from the fury of the +mob. The coach they could not save; it was taken through the streets, +thrown over a mound, and smashed; the people then kindled a fire with the +fragments, and danced round it. It turned out that the coffin was intended +to convey to his house, in Edinburgh, the body of a physician who had died +in the country. + +On another occasion two American gentlemen, who were looking at the Abbey +of Linlithgow after nightfall, were mistaken for resurrection-men, and +assaulted by the mob. + +One of the witnesses, called "A. B.," but who was probably Ben Crouch +himself, stated that twenty-three in four nights was the greatest number +he had ever obtained. He added, "When I go to work, I like to get those of +poor people buried from the workhouses, because instead of working for one +subject, you may get three or four. I do not think, during the time I have +been in the habit of working for the schools, I got half a dozen of +wealthier people." Another witness, who is called "C. D.," but who was, +without doubt, the writer of the Diary, stated that, "according to my +book," in 1809 and 1810 the number of bodies disposed of in England was +305 adults and 44 small; but the same year 37 were sent to Edinburgh, and +the gang had 18 in hand, which were never used at all. In 1810-11, 312 +adults were disposed of in the regular session, and 20 in the summer, in +addition to 47 smalls. In the Report of the Committee in 1828, it was +pointed out that, at that time, there were over 800 students attending the +Schools of Anatomy in London, but of these not more than 500 actually +worked at dissection. The number of subjects annually available for +instruction amounted to between 450 and 500, or rather less than one for +each student. + +The average price of an adult body was stated to be L4 4s. 0d. It may be +here explained that a "small" was a body under three feet long; these were +sold at so much per inch and were generally classified as "large small," +"small," and "foetus." The earnings of the resurrection-men may be +gathered from the above entry. To take the year 1810-11, the receipts for +bodies alone come to 1328 guineas; this is exclusive of "smalls," and +probably also of the teeth, in which these men did a large trade. Teeth, +in those days, were very valuable; the amounts received by some of the men +for teeth only will be dealt with in the chapter containing biographical +notices of some of the principal London resurrection-men. It may be here +mentioned that on one occasion Murphy obtained the entry to a vault +belonging to a meeting-house, on the pretence of selecting a burial-place +for his wife. Whilst in there he managed to slip back some bolts, so that +he could easily gain an entrance at another time; this he did at night, +and got possession of teeth by which he made L60. + +From the statements of the teachers it is most likely that L4 4s. 0d. is +under the average price paid for bodies. It must be remembered, too, that +this amount does not include the retaining-fee paid at the beginning of +the session, nor the "finishing-money" which was demanded at its close. +The 1328 guineas spoken of above would be divided amongst six or seven +persons, and this, for men in their position, was a large income. The +biographical notes of the chief workers in this horrible trade will show +that some few of them did save money. Taking them, however, as a whole, +they were a dissolute and ruffianly gang; reference to the Diary proves +their drunken habits, and there is more than one entry to show that they +were often in pecuniary difficulties; so much so that on one occasion they +were obliged to have recourse to Mordecai, the Jew. + +It was quite useless for those who had just buried a relative or friend to +depend either upon the custodian of the burial-ground, or upon the watch, +to see that the newly-made grave was not violated. The resurrection-men +often met with a guard, instituted by the friends of the deceased, who +would take it in turns to watch by the grave-side through the whole +night; these friends were frequently armed, and were not afraid to use +their arms if the resurrection-men gave them an opportunity. As a rule the +body-snatchers made off when they found a guard in the cemetery; it was to +their interest not to create a riot, and if they were strong enough to +drive off the watchers, the latter could soon raise a tumult, whereby the +bodily safety of the thieves would be endangered. + +Matters did not always pass off so peaceably, particularly in Ireland, as +the following extract from an Irish newspaper for 1830 shows: + +"DESPERATE ENGAGEMENT WITH BODY-SNATCHERS.--The remains of the late Edward +Barrett, Esq., having been interred in Glasnevin churchyard on the 27th of +last month (January), persons were appointed to remain in the churchyard +all night, to protect the corpse from 'the sack 'em-up gentlemen,' and it +seems the precaution was not unnecessary, for, on Saturday night last, +some of the gentry made their appearance, but soon decamped on finding +they were likely to be opposed. Nothing daunted, however, they returned on +Tuesday morning with augmented force, and well armed. About ten minutes +after two o'clock three or four of them were observed standing on the wall +of the churchyard, while several others were endeavouring to get on it +also. The party in the churchyard warned them off, and were replied to by +a discharge from fire-arms. This brought on a general engagement; the sack +'em-up gentlemen fired from behind the churchyard wall, by which they were +defended, while their opponents on the watch fired from behind the +tomb-stones. Upwards of 58 to 60 shots were fired. One of the assailants +was shot--he was seen to fall; his body was carried off by his companions. +Some of them are supposed to have been severely wounded, as a great +quantity of blood was observed outside the churchyard wall, +notwithstanding the ground was covered with snow. During the firing, which +continued for upwards of a quarter of an hour, the church bell was rung by +one of the watchmen, which, with the discharge from the fire-arms, +collected several of the townspeople and the police to the spot--several +of the former, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, in nearly a +state of nakedness; but the assailants were by this time defeated, and +effected their retreat. Several of the head-stones bear evident marks of +the conflict, being struck with the balls, &c." + + +[Illustration: MORTSAFE IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH.] + + +Most of the disgraceful riots which took place in the burial-grounds, were +not between resurrection-men and friends guarding a grave, but between two +gangs of body-snatchers. In cases of this kind one gang would do all in +its power to bring its rival into disrepute; the stronger party, after +driving the weaker one away, would put the burial-ground into a most +disgraceful state, and then give information against their opponents. + +Besides watching, many other devices were tried to prevent the +depredations of the resurrection-men; spring guns were set in many of the +cemeteries, but these were often rendered harmless. If the men intended +going to a certain grave at night, late in the afternoon a woman, in deep +mourning, would walk round the part of the cemetery in which the grave was +situated, and contrive to detach the wires from the guns. Loose stones +were placed on the walls of the grave-yard, so as to make scaling the +walls almost an impossibility; this was useless when the custodian had a +house with a window looking into the burial-place. If entrance could not +be obtained in this way, there was generally some other house through +which the men could gain admission to the grave-yard. Mort-safes, or +strong iron guards, were placed over newly-made graves for protection; +some of these can be seen at the present day in the Greyfriars Churchyard, +Edinburgh (see illustrations). + + +[Illustration: MORTSAFE IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH.] + + +Iron coffins were also used by some persons to protect their friends from +the Resurrectionist. The following interesting advertisement appeared in +_Wooler's British Gazette_ for October 13th, 1822: + +"Many hundred dead bodies will be dragged from their wooden coffins this +winter, for the anatomical lectures (which have just commenced), the +articulators, and for those who deal in the dead for the supply of the +country practitioner and the Scotch schools. The question of the right to +inter in iron is now decided. Lord Chief Justice Abbott declared he wished +they might be generally used; Justice Bailey declared that if the +Ecclesiastical Court was to grant a suit for a fee, they, the Court of +King's Bench, would grant a prohibition, knowing it had no such right. Sir +William Scott, now Lord Stowell, decided and directed the interment +without any extra fee, as this question was raised by an undertaker; those +undertakers who have IRON COFFINS must divide the profits of the funeral +with EDWARD LILLIE BRIDGMAN. TEN GUINEAS reward will be paid on the +conviction of any Parish Officer demanding an extra fee, whereby I shall +lose the sale of a coffin. The violation of the sanctity of the grave is +said to be needful, for the instruction of the medical pupil, but let each +one about to inter a mother, husband, child, or friend, say shall I devote +this object of my affection to such a purpose; if not, the only safe +coffin is Bridgman's PATENT WROUGHT-IRON ONE, charged the same price as a +wooden one, and is a superior substitute for lead. Edward Lillie Bridgman, +34, Fish Street Hill, and Goswell Street Road, performs funerals in any +part of the kingdom, and by attention to moderate charges insures the +recommendation of those who employ him. Twenty-five private grounds within +the Bills of Mortality receive them; dues from seven shillings to one +guinea. Patent cast-iron tombs and tablets, superior to stone." + +The advertisement is headed by a rough cut, showing the coffin[16] and the +iron clamps by which it was fastened. There was another maker of patent +coffins, who is mentioned by Southey in his ballad called _The Surgeon's +Warning_. The ballad represents the fear of a dying surgeon, lest his +apprentices should serve him after death as he, during his life, has +served many other persons: + + "And my 'prentices will surely come + And carve me bone from bone, + And I, who have rifled the dead man's grave, + Shall never rest in my own. + + "Bury me in lead when I am dead, + My brethren, I entreat, + And see the coffin weigh'd I beg, + Lest the plumber should be a cheat. + + "And let it be solder'd closely down + Strong as strong can be, I implore, + And put it in a patent coffin + That I may rise no more. + + "If they carry me off in the patent coffin + Their labour will be in vain, + Let the undertaker see it bought of the maker, + Who lives in St. Martin's Lane." + + +[Illustration] + + +All the surgeon's wishes were duly carried out as regards his coffin; +money was also given to watchers to keep guard every night over the grave. +The "'prentices," however, were able easily to buy the watchers, and so + + "They burst the patent coffin first, + And then cut through the lead, + And they laugh'd aloud when they saw the shroud, + Because they had got at the dead. + + "And they allow'd the sexton the shroud + And they put the coffin back, + And nose and knees they then did squeeze, + The surgeon in a sack. + + * * * * + + "So they carried the sack pick-a-back, + And they carved him bone from bone, + But what became of the surgeon's soul, + Was never to mortal known." + +The following extract from a Scotch paper shows the alarm felt for the +safety of the newly-buried: + +"RESURRECTION-MEN.--Curiosity drew together a crowd of people on Monday, +at Dundee, to witness the funeral of a child, which was consigned to the +grave in a novel manner. The father, in terror of the resurrection-men, +had caused a small box, inclosing some deathful apparatus, communicating +by means of wires, with the four corners, to be fastened on the top of +the coffin. Immediately before it was lowered into the earth, a large +quantity of gunpowder was poured into the box, and the hidden machinery +put into a state of readiness for execution. The common opinion was, that +if any one attempted to raise the body he would be blown up. The sexton +seemed to dread an immediate explosion, for he started back in alarm after +throwing in the first shovelful of earth." + +Friends and relatives often placed objects on the newly-made grave, such +as a flower or an oyster-shell, so that they might be able to tell if the +earth had been disturbed. These objects were generally carefully noted by +the resurrection-men, and were put back in their exact places after the +body had been removed and the grave re-filled. + +In some burial-grounds, houses were built in which the bodies could be +kept until they were putrid, and therefore useless to the +resurrection-men. Such a house is still standing in the burial-ground at +Crail.[17] + + +[Illustration: HOUSE AT CRAIL (Described on page 80). Over the door is +the following inscription: "Erected for securing the Dead. Ann. Dom. +MDCCCXXVI."] + + +[Illustration: HOUSE AT CRAIL (Described on page 80). Over the door is +the following inscription: "Erected for securing the Dead. Ann. Dom. +MDCCCXXVI."] + + +As a rule, the resurrection-men were able not only to supply the +London schools from the grave-yards in and around the Metropolis, but also +to send bodies to some of the provincial schools; the Diary shows that +even Edinburgh received some of the proceeds of the work of this London +gang. If, however, from increased vigilance or other causes, the supply of +bodies ran short in London, recourse was had to the provinces. A case +occurred some seventy years ago at Yarmouth. A man died, and was buried in +St. Nicholas Churchyard. Not long after, his wife died also. On the +husband's grave being opened, it was discovered that the man's body had +been removed; this led to a panic amongst people in Yarmouth who had +recently buried friends in that churchyard. Many graves were opened, and, +in a large number of instances, were found to have been violated. This led +to a regular watch being established over newly-made graves in the +churchyard. It was the custom of the resurrection-men, when they had +bodies to send from the country to London, to forward them so that they +should, in outward appearance, correspond with the class of goods exported +from the place where the bodies had been obtained. If the goods usually +came to London in crates, crates were used by the body-snatchers; if +ordinary packing-cases, then the bodies were enclosed in like receptacles. +The proceeds of the exhumations at Yarmouth were probably packed in +barrels, and came through Billingsgate. + +In 1826 three casks, labelled "Bitter Salts," were taken down to George's +Dock at Liverpool, to be shipped on board the _Latona_, bound for Leith; a +full description of this transaction was printed as a broadside, of which +the following is a copy: + +"RESURRECTIONISTS AT LIVERPOOL. + +"Discovery of 33 Human Bodies, in Casks, about to be shipped from +Liverpool for Edinburgh, on Monday last, October 9, 1826. + +"Yesterday afternoon, a carter took down one of our quays three casks, to +be shipped on board the Carron Company's vessel, the _Latona_, addressed +to 'Mr. G. Ironson, Edinburgh.' The casks remained on the quay all night, +and this morning, previous to their being put on board, a horrible stench +was experienced by the mate of the _Latona_ and other persons, whose duty +it was to ship them. This caused some suspicion that their contents did +not agree with their superscription, which was 'Bitter Salts,' and which +the shipping note described they contained. The mate communicated his +suspicions to the agent of the Carron Company, and that gentleman very +promptly communicated the circumstances to the police. Socket, a +constable, was sent to the Quay, and he caused the casks to be opened, +when Eleven Dead Bodies were found therein, salted and pickled. The casks +were detained, and George Leech, the cart-man, readily went with the +officer to the cellar whence he carted them, which was situated under the +school of Dr. McGowan, at the back of his house in Hope Street; the cellar +was padlocked, but, by the aid of a crow-bar, Boughey, a police officer, +succeeded in forcing an entrance, and, on searching therein, he found 4 +casks, all containing human bodies, salted as the others were, and three +sacks, each containing a dead body. He also found a syringe, of that +description used for injecting hot wax into the veins and arteries of the +dead bodies used for anatomization; he also found a variety of +smock-frocks, jackets, and trowsers, which, no doubt, were generally used +by the Resurrectionists to disguise themselves. In this cellar were found +twenty-two dead bodies, pickled and fresh, and in the casks on the quay, +eleven, making in the whole thirty-three. The carter described the persons +who employed him as of very respectable appearance, but he did not know +the names of any of them. + +"Information of the above circumstances was speedily communicated to his +Worship, the Mayor, who sent for Dr. McGowan. This gentleman is a reverend +divine, and teacher of languages; he attended the Mayor immediately, and, +in answer to the questions put to him, we understand he said, that he let +his cellar in January last to a person named Henderson, who, he +understood, carried on the oil trade, and that he knew nothing about any +dead bodies being there. George Leech deposed that he plies for hire as a +carter (the cart belongs to his brother); yesterday afternoon, between +three and four o'clock, a tall, stout man asked him the charge of carting +three casks from Hope Street to George's Dock passage; he replied, 2s. +They then went to Hope Street, where the witness found two other men +getting the first cask out of a cellar under Dr. McGowan's schoolroom, and +witness assisted to get two other casks out of the cellar; the three were +then put into his cart, and the men who employed him gave him a shipping +note, describing the casks as containing 'Bitter Salts,' and told him to +be careful in laying them down upon the quay, and that they were to be +forwarded to Edinburgh by the _Latona_. + +"Mr. Thomas Wm. Dawes, surgeon, of St. Paul's Square, deposed that he had +examined the bodies, by the direction of the Coroner. In one cask he had +found the bodies of two women and one man; in another, two women and two +men; in the third, three men and one woman, and in the other casks and +sacks he found 22 (_sic_) bodies, viz., nine men, five boys, and three +girls; the bodies were all in a perfect state; those in the casks appeared +to have been dead six or seven days, and three men found in the sacks +appeared to have been dead only three or four days. In each of the casks +was a large quantity of salt. There were no external marks of violence, +but there was a thread tied round the toes of one of the women, which is +usual for some families to do immediately after death. Witness had no +reason but to believe that they had died in a natural way, and he had no +doubt the bodies had all been disinterred. The Season for Lectures on +Anatomy is about to commence in the capital of Scotland. + +"The police were ordered to be upon the alert to discover the persons who +had been engaged in this transaction, but as yet nothing further has been +ascertained. The bodies, by the direction of the Coroner, were buried this +morning in the parish cemetery, in casks, as they were found. + +"It is not yet ascertained whence these bodies have been brought, but it +is supposed that the Liverpool Workhouse Cemetery has been the principal +sufferer. Some of them are so putrid, that it is extremely dangerous to +handle them. + +BOAG, PRINTER." + + * * * * * + +The statements in this broadside are quite true, and agree with the +account which is to be found in the _Liverpool Mercury_ for October 13th, +1826. Henderson, who was a Greenock man, and the principal in this +business, escaped, and could not be brought to justice; but a man named +James Donaldson, who was a party to the transaction, was made to pay a +fine of L50, and was sent to Kirkdale Gaol for twelve months. + +From Ireland very many bodies were exported, chiefly to Edinburgh; a +better price could be obtained there than in Dublin, and the consequence +was that the Irish schools were often very badly supplied with subjects. +In Dublin there were several ancient burial-grounds, all badly protected; +the poor were all buried in one part, and, as their friends were generally +unable to afford watchers, their bodies fell an easy prey to the +resurrection-men. In January, 1828, the detection of a body about to be +exported caused a tumult in the streets of Dublin, and led to the murder +of a man named Luke Redmond, a porter at the College of Surgeons.[18] The +body-snatchers in Dublin seem to have done more damage than the men +engaged in a like occupation in London; they were not content with taking +the bodies, but, in addition, they broke the tomb-stones, and played +general havoc in the grave-yards. + +According to the following cutting from the _Universal Spectator and +Weekly Journal_, May 20th, 1732 (printed in _Notes and Queries_, 5th ser. +i. 65), bodies were sometimes taken for other than dissection purposes. +"John Loftas, the Grave Digger, committed to prison for robbing of dead +corpse, has confess'd to the plunder of above fifty, not only of their +coffins and burial cloaths, but of their fat, where bodies afforded any, +which he retail'd at a high price to certain people, who, it is believed, +will be call'd upon on account thereof. Since this discovery several +persons have had their friends dug up, who were found quite naked, and +some mangled in so horrible a manner as could scarcely be suppos'd to be +done by a human creature." + +Southey also refers to this in the poem before quoted, where he makes the +surgeon say in his lamentation, + + "I have made candles of infants' fat." + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +It is well-nigh impossible to read of all these misdoings and not to ask +why the Government did not step in and put a stop to them? It was urged by +many that a short Act should be passed, making the violation of a grave a +penal offence, as it was in France. There was a general agreement that +anatomical education was absolutely necessary for medical men, and that +this education was an impossibility without a supply of subjects; yet +there was a great reluctance to interfere by legislation. The Home +Secretary told a deputation that there was no difficulty in drawing up an +effective Bill; the great obstacle was the prejudice of the people against +any Bill; this impediment, he added, had not been trifling. + +By no class of men was legislation more earnestly asked for than by the +teachers of anatomy; to them the system then in vogue was not only +degrading, but it meant absolute ruin. + +There was at that time no property in a dead body, and a prosecution for +felony could not take place unless some portion of the grave-clothes or +coffin could be proved to have been stolen with the body. The +resurrection-men were well aware of this fact, and generally took +precaution to keep themselves out of the meshes of the law. + +There had been some successful prosecutions like that of Holmes and +Williams before mentioned, but magistrates would not always convict. + +In 1788 this question first came before the Court of King's Bench in the +case of Rex _v._ Lynn. The indictment charged the prisoner with entering a +certain burial-ground, and taking a coffin out of the earth, and removing +a body, which he had taken from the coffin, and carrying it away, for the +purpose of dissecting it. For the defence the following passage from Lord +Coke was quoted: "It is to be observed that in every sepulchre that hath a +monument two things are to be considered, viz., the monument, and the +sepulture or burial of the dead: the burial of the cadaver is _nullius in +bonis_, and belongs to Ecclesiastical cognizance; but as to the monument, +action is given at the common law for defacing thereof." The only Act of +Parliament which was said to bear on the subject was that of 1 Jac. I., c. +12, which made it felony to steal bodies for purposes of witchcraft. The +Court, however, held in this case of Rex _v._ Lynn that to take a body +from a burial-ground was an offence at common law, and _contra bonos +mores_. In the judgment it was stated that as the defendant might have +committed the crime through ignorance, no person having been before +punished for this offence, the Court only fined him five marks. The +reference here, to no one having been previously punished for a like +offence, refers only to the Superior Courts, as there had been convictions +at the Police Courts and the Old Bailey. Despite this decision of the +Court, prosecutions were very seldom undertaken, although Southwood +Smith[19] states that there had been fourteen convictions in England +during the year 1823. In examination before the Committee on Anatomy, in +1828, Mr. Twyford, one of the magistrates at Worship Street Police Court, +stated that he had not had more than six cases in as many years. + +The following account of proceedings at Hatton Garden Police Court, in +1814, will show the difficulty of getting a conviction. In this case there +seems to have been no one to identify the bodies. It is very improbable +that in a case of this sort the authorities of burial-grounds would come +forward to give evidence, and so confess their own negligence. + +"HATTON GARDEN. + +"T. Light, W. Arnot, and ---- Spelling, were brought up on Wednesday. It +appeared that the prisoners were going up Holborn about half-past four +o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, with a horse and cart; they were observed by +two officers, who, knowing the prisoners to be resurrection-men, stopped +the horse and cart, and, after a hard contest, succeeded in securing the +prisoners. They then examined the contents of the cart, and found it +contained seven dead bodies of men and women; one of the bodies was +headless, but how it came to be so remains as yet to be cleared up. They +were packed up in bags and baskets. The prisoners were followed by an +immense crowd to Hatton Garden Office, whence they were committed to +prison, and the bodies deposited in the lock-up house. The cart was hired +at Battle Bridge. Some of the officers were sent to make enquiry at the +different burying-grounds. The Office was crowded with men and women, who +had some of their relatives buried on Sunday last, to see if they could +recognize any of the bodies. They were brought up again on Thursday, and +discharged." + +In 1822 the case of Rex _v._ Cundick was tried at Kingston Assizes, +_coram_ Graham.[20] This was an indictment for misdemeanour. A man named +Edward Lee was executed in the parish of St. Mary, Newington; George +Cundick was employed by the keeper of the gaol to bury the body of Lee, +and for this he was paid. Instead of burying the corpse, he sold it for +dissection, or, in the words of the indictment, he "for the sake of wicked +lucre and gain did take and carry away the said body, and did sell and +dispose of the same for the purpose of being dissected, cut in pieces, +mangled, and destroyed, to the great scandal and disgrace of religion, +decency, and morality, in contempt of our Lord the King, and his laws, to +the evil example of all other persons in like cases offending." The +evidence showed plainly that Cundick had had possession of the body, and +that he had received the burial fees. On the friends of Lee wishing to see +the corpse, Cundick declared that it was already buried; but several days +after this he clandestinely went through the ceremony of burying a coffin +filled with rubbish. It was also proved that Cundick had been seen to +remove a heavy package from his house at night, and that the body of Lee +had been identified in a dissecting-room. The defence was, in the first +place, that the indictment was bad "as a perfect anomaly in the history of +criminal pleading." In the second place, if the indictment were good, it +was unsupported by evidence. It was argued by counsel that the only +evidence before the Court was that the body was not buried, and that it +was found at a dissecting-room. Without the production of the owner of the +dissecting-room, and the proof that he had bought the body from Cundick, +the jury could not be asked to give a verdict against the defendant. The +Judge, however, over-ruled these objections, and the jury found the +prisoner guilty. + +These trials and verdicts made it still more difficult than before to get +subjects for dissection, as even men of the Resurrectionist class +hesitated to run the risk of getting the punishment, which now the +superior Courts had upheld. Those who did run this risk very naturally +expected a price proportionate to the danger, and so the cost of subjects +was still more increased. + +But to surgeons, and to teachers of anatomy, by far the most important +trial of all was that of John Davies and others, of Warrington, for +obtaining the body of Jane Fairclough, which had been taken from the +chapel-yard belonging to the Baptists, at High Cliff, Appleton, Cheshire, +in October, 1827. This case was tried at Lancaster Assizes, March 14th, +1828. The defendants were John Davies (a medical student at the Warrington +Dispensary), Edward Hall (a surgeon and apothecary in practice at +Warrington), William Blundell (an apprentice to a stationer in the same +town), and Richard Box. Thomas Ashton was also included in the indictment, +but no evidence was offered against him. There were fourteen counts in the +indictment, ten charging the defendants with conspiracy, and four charging +them with unlawfully procuring and receiving the body of Jane Fairclough. +It appears, from the report of the trial, that Davies called on Dr. Moss, +one of the Physicians to the Dispensary, and obtained permission to use a +building in his garden for the purpose of dissecting a subject which he +had purchased. Mr. Hall, on behalf of Davies, paid four guineas to the men +who brought the body to a cellar in Warrington, but he knew nothing more +of the transaction; from the cellar the body was removed to Dr. Moss' +premises by Blundell and another man, and was received by Davies and a +servant of Dr. Moss. Information of the exhumation seems to have quickly +got about. The funeral was on a Friday; on the Monday following the grave +was undisturbed, but on Tuesday the soil was spread about, and an +examination of the grave showed that the corpse had been removed. The +body was identified at Dr. Moss' house, and was taken away before any +dissection had been performed on it. + +In charging the jury, Mr. Baron Hullock said that, as conspiracy was an +offence of serious magnitude, they should be satisfied, before finding a +verdict of guilty on the former part of the indictment, that the conduct +of the defendants was the result of previous concert.... If any of the +defendants were in possession of the body under circumstances which must +have apprized them that it was improperly disinterred, the jury would find +them guilty of the latter part of the charge. The only bodies legally +liable to dissection in this country were those of persons executed for +murder. However necessary it might be, for the purposes of humanity and +science, that these things should be done, yet, as long as the law +remained as it was at present, the disinterment of bodies for dissection +was an offence liable to punishment. The jury found all the defendants not +guilty of the charge of conspiracy, but they pronounced Davies and +Blundell guilty of possession of the body, with knowledge of the illegal +disinterment. The defendants were brought up for judgment in London in +May, 1828. Mr. Justice Bayley, in passing sentence, said that "there were +degrees of guilt, and in this case the defendants were not the most +criminal parties." He sentenced Davies to a fine of L20, and Blundell to a +fine of L5. + +It will be noted that in this trial there is no charge against anyone for +violating the grave, or stealing the body. The fines were inflicted on +Davies and Blundell for having the body in their possession, knowing it to +have been disinterred. This decision, therefore, as before stated, was of +the utmost importance to teachers of anatomy, as they were clearly liable +to punishment for all the subjects supplied to them by the +Resurrectionists. The teachers knew well the sources from which the bodies +were obtained, and were only driven to get them in the way they did +through there being no regular supply of subjects from a legitimate +source. The feeling that legislation on this subject was absolutely +necessary, was more keenly felt than ever, and the teachers did all they +could to get a change in the laws. Many pamphlets were issued from the +press, urging this duty upon Parliament; it was pointed out that if a +supply of bodies could be regularly obtained in a legal way, the trade of +the Resurrectionist would at once cease. There were many who doubted this, +but subsequent events proved the statement to be strictly accurate. + + +[Illustration: _Surgical Operations, or a New method of Obtaining +Subjects._] + + +It was very strongly urged that the Act of Geo. II., which ordered the +bodies of all murderers executed in London and Middlesex to be anatomized +by the Surgeons' Company, ought to be repealed. No doubt this provision +much increased the dislike of the poor to any regulations by which the +bodies of their friends might be given up for dissection after death. It +was felt that dissection by the Surgeons was part of the sentence passed +on a murderer, and therefore carried with it shame and disgrace. To make +provision by law, therefore, for the dissection of the bodies of any other +class of persons was, not unnaturally, distasteful, in that it partly put +them in the same position as murderers. + +The answer to the desire for the repeal of this obnoxious clause was that +nothing must be done to weaken the law; it was stated that to withdraw the +part of the sentence which related to dissection would rob the punishment +of its prohibitive effect. It is somewhat difficult to understand the +argument; surely if the risk of suffering the extreme penalty of the law +would not keep a man from crime, the extra chance of being dissected after +death could hardly be expected to do so. As Sir Henry Halford said, "I +certainly think that while that law remains they [the public] will connect +the crime of murder with the practice of dissection; an order to be +dissected, and a permission to be dissected, seem to be too slight a +distinction." + +Another objection to the dissection of murderers came from the teachers. +They stated that when the body of a notorious criminal was lying at either +of the Anatomical Schools, the proprietor was pestered by persons of a +morbid turn of mind for permission to view the body. This difficulty was +also felt by the College of Surgeons, and in consequence a placard was +hung up outside the place where the dissections were made, giving notice +that no person could be admitted, unless accompanied by a member of the +Court of Assistants. + +To make dissection less distasteful to the general public, and to show the +advantages of anatomy, some endeavours were made to explain the structure +of the human body to non-professional persons. In Ireland Sir Philip +Crampton lectured with open doors, and gave demonstrations in anatomy to +poor people. These persons, he tells us, became interested in the subject, +and often brought him bodies for dissection. A newspaper cutting of 1829 +shows that this was also tried in London. A surgeon called in the +overseers and churchwardens of St. Clement Danes, and gave a demonstration +on a body, explaining its construction, and the use of the internal +organs. "By this means," says the paragraph, "he so fully absorbed the +self-interest of his audience as to extinguish the pre-conceived notions +of horror and disgust attached to the idea of a spectacle of this +description. The enlightened governors of the parish assented to the _post +mortem_ examination of the body of every unclaimed pauper, an enquiry into +whose case might appear conducive to the interests of medical science." + +It has been already pointed out that, to try to overcome the repugnance to +dissection, some persons left specific instructions that their bodies +should be used for this purpose. + +The representations of the teachers were so far successful, that in 1828 a +Select Committee was appointed by the House of Commons "to enquire into +the manner of obtaining subjects for dissection in the Schools of Anatomy, +and into the state of the law affecting the persons employed in obtaining +and dissecting bodies." Amongst those who gave evidence before the +Committee were the principal teachers of anatomy, and three of the +resurrection-men. The tone of the Report was decidedly in sympathy with +the teachers, but it strongly condemned the way in which they were +compelled to obtain bodies for dissection. After showing how badly off +English students were for opportunities of learning anatomy, as compared +with those of foreign countries, and pointing out that those students who +really wished to master their art were compelled to go abroad, the Report +proceeds: "These disadvantages affecting the teachers are such, that +except in the most frequented schools, attached to the greater hospitals, +few have been able to continue teaching with profit, and some private +teachers have been compelled to give up their schools. To the evils +enumerated it may be added, that it is distressing to men of good +education and character to be compelled to resort, for their means of +teaching, to a constant infraction of the laws of their country, and to be +made dependent, for their professional existence, on the mercenary +caprices of the most abandoned class in the community." + +In March, 1829, Mr. Warburton obtained leave to introduce into the House +of Commons "A Bill for preventing the unlawful disinterment of human +bodies, and for regulating Schools of Anatomy." In this Bill it was +enacted that persons found guilty of disinterring any human body from any +churchyard, burial-ground or vault, or assisting at any such disinterment, +should be imprisoned for a term not exceeding six months for the first +offence, and two years for the second offence. Seven Commissioners were to +be appointed; the majority of these were not to be either physicians, +surgeons, or apothecaries. All unclaimed bodies of persons dying in +workhouses or hospitals, were, seventy-two hours after death, to be given +over for purposes of dissection; but if within this specified time a +relative appeared and requested that the body might not be used for +anatomical purposes, such request was to be granted. Another proposed +change in the law was that a person might legally bequeath his body for +dissection; in such cases the executors, administrators, or next-of-kin +had the option of carrying out the wishes of the testator, or declining to +do so, as they thought fit. A heavy penalty was laid on persons who were +found carrying on human anatomy in an unlicensed building, and it was made +an offence to move a body from one place to another, without a licence for +so doing. All bodies used for dissection were to be buried; the penalty +for failing to do this was fifty pounds. + +One great blot on this Bill was the neglecting to repeal the clause which +ordered the bodies of murderers to be given up for dissection. As pointed +out on page 87, this was one of the great reasons which made dissection so +hateful to the poor. During the debate, a motion was made by Sir R. Inglis +"to repeal so much of the Act 9 Geo. IV. cap. 31, as empowers judges to +order the bodies of murderers to be given over for dissection." This, +however, was lost, eight members only voting for the amendment, and forty +against. + +There was strong opposition to the Bill outside the House. Some of the +private teachers were very uneasy as regarded the effect of the Bill on +themselves. The measure spoke of "recognized teachers" and "hospital +schools," and all those who were to be entitled to the benefits of the Act +were to have licences from one of the Medical Corporations. The +proprietors of the smaller schools felt that this would result in their +extinction, and that the teaching would all pass to the large schools. In +the country, too, there was strong opposition to the Bill, as +practitioners there felt that they were excluded from any benefit. The +_Lancet_, always ready in those days with a nickname, dubbed the measure +"A Bill for Preventing Country Surgeons from Studying Anatomy." The +College of Surgeons also petitioned against the Bill. The Council felt +that the appointment of Commissioners, who were to have complete control +over all schools and places of dissection, would greatly interfere with +the privileges of the College. It was pointed out to the House of Commons +that the establishment of a Board, such as that proposed by the Bill, was +virtually placing the whole profession of surgery under the control of +Commissioners, not one of whom need be a member of the profession, and the +majority of whom must not be so. + +Another fault of the Bill was that it did not apply to Ireland. A large +supply of bodies was regularly sent from that country to England and +Scotland, and it was felt that to exclude Ireland from the provisions of +the Bill, was simply increasing the temptation for bodies to be still more +largely exported therefrom. + +It was also argued that the Bill would tell hardly against the poor, as +they would refuse to go into workhouses or hospitals if they thought that +their bodies would be dissected after death. For this objection there was +no foundation, and Mr. Peel pointed out, in the debate on the third +reading, that "it was the poor who would really be benefited by the +measure. The rich could always command good advice, whilst the poor had a +strong interest in the general extension of anatomical science." + +The Bill passed the Commons, but was lost in the Lords. + +In 1830, Lord Calthorpe was to have again introduced the Bill into the +Upper House, but the intention was abandoned on account of the threatened +dissolution of Parliament. As the _Lancet_ expressed it, "Dissolution has +so many horrors, that a discussion on the _subject_ at the present time +would be by no means agreeable." + +Public feeling was now very strong in favour of some law to prevent the +wholesale spoliation of graves, which was going on practically unchecked. +But, as has happened frequently in legislation, the absolute necessity for +a change in the law was brought within the range of practical politics by +a crime of a most diabolical character, one which, in this country, +created a sensation equal to that raised in Scotland by the atrocities of +Burke and Hare in Edinburgh. + +On November 5th, 1831, two men, named Bishop and May, called at the +dissecting-room at King's College, and asked Hill, the porter, if he +"wanted anything." On being interrogated as to what they had to dispose +of, May replied, "A boy of fourteen." For this body they asked 12 +guineas, but ultimately agreed to bring it in for 9 guineas. They went +off, and returned in the afternoon with another man named Williams, +_alias_ Head, and a porter named Shields, the latter of whom carried the +body in a hamper. The appearance of the subject excited Hill's suspicion +of foul play, and he at once communicated with Mr. Partridge, the +Demonstrator of Anatomy. A further examination of the body by Mr. +Partridge confirmed the porter's suspicions.[21] To delay the men, so that +the police might be communicated with, Mr. Partridge produced a L50 note, +and said that he could not pay until he had changed it. Soon after, the +police officers appeared upon the scene, and the men were given into +custody. At the coroner's inquest a verdict of "Wilful murder against some +person or persons unknown" was brought in, the jury adding that there was +strong suspicion against Bishop and Williams. The prisoners were not +allowed to go free, but were kept in custody. Bishop, Williams, and May +were tried at the Old Bailey, December, 1831. The evidence given against +them showed that they had tried to sell the body at Guy's Hospital; being +refused there, they tried Mr. Grainger, at his Anatomical Theatre, but +with no success. Then they tried King's, where their crime was detected. +The body was proved to be that of an Italian boy, named Carlo Ferrari, who +obtained his living by showing white mice. The boy's teeth had been +extracted, and it was proved that they had been sold by one of the +prisoners to Mr. Mills, a dentist, for twelve shillings. The jury found +all three prisoners guilty, and they were sentenced to death. + +From the subsequent confessions of Bishop and Williams, it was shown that +they had enticed the boy to their dwelling in Nova Scotia Gardens; there +they drugged him with opium, and then let his body into a well, where they +kept it until he was suffocated. To the last the prisoners declared that +the deceased was not the Italian boy, but a lad from Lincolnshire. They +seem to have had great difficulty in disposing of the body, as Bishop, in +his confession, said that, before taking it to Guy's, they had tried Mr. +Tuson and Mr. Carpue, both in vain. Bishop and Williams confessed, also, +to the murder of a woman named Fanny Pigburn, and a boy, whose name was +supposed to be Cunningham. Both of these bodies they sold for dissection. +May was respited, and was sentenced to transportation for life. On hearing +of his respite, May went into a fit, and for some time his life was +despaired of; he, however, partially recovered, but his feeble state of +health was aggravated by the annoyance he received from the other convicts +on board the hulks. He died on board the _Grampus_ in 1832. + +May can hardly be described as even a minor poet, if the following verse, +written whilst in prison, may be taken as a fair sample of his +compositions: + + "James May is doomed to die, + And is condemned most innocently; + The God above, He knows the same, + And will send a mitigation for his pain." + +At the execution of Bishop and Williams, there was a scene of the most +tremendous excitement. By some mistake, three chains hung from the +gallows; one was taken away as soon as the error was noticed, and this was +recognized by the crowd as a sign that May had been reprieved. + +The _Weekly Dispatch_ sold upwards of 50,000 copies of the number which +contained the confessions of the murderers. Many persons were injured in +the crowd, and the _Dispatch_ states that those who were hurt were +attended to "by Mr. Birkett, the dresser to Mr. Vincent, who had been in +attendance [at St. Bartholomew's Hospital] to receive any accident that +might be brought in." + +Bishop was the son of a carrier between London and Highgate, and on the +death of his father he succeeded to the business. This he soon sold, and +became an informer. He got mixed up with some of the resurrection-men, and +then regularly took to the occupation. Williams, _alias_ Head, was +Bishop's brother-in-law, and was a well-known member of the +resurrection-gang. + +In the _Weekly Dispatch_ for December 11th, 1831, the following curious +information respecting Williams appeared: + +"EXCISE COURT.--YESTERDAY. + +"THE KING _v._ THOMAS HEAD, _alias_ WILLIAMS, THE MURDERER.--The Court was +occupied during a great part of the morning in hearing the evidence in +the case of Head, _alias_ Williams (who was hung with Bishop) for carrying +on an illicit trade in the manufacture of glass. It appeared that the +deceased was a _Cribb Man_, or regular porter, to private glass blowers. +There were found on the premises at No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens (the scene +of the late murders), a regular furnace, and all the necessary apparatus +for the manufacture of glass, which trade it appears was carried on to a +very considerable extent on the premises. Alexander M'Knight, an officer +of Excise, deposed that on the 6th of August last, he went to No. 2, Nova +Scotia Gardens, and made a seizure of 68 cwt. of manufactured glass, 24 +cwt. of cullet, and 16 cwt. of iron, articles used in the manufacture of +glass. In about half-an-hour afterwards he saw Williams come out of +Bishop's yard; Williams spoke to witness, and called him by an opprobrious +name for having made the seizure. Judgment 'abated,' the goods to be +returned to the Excise Office to be condemned." + +May had been brought up as a butcher, but this trade he gave up, and +became possessed of a horse and cart with which he was supposed to ply +for hire. The real business of the vehicle, however, seems to have been to +convey bodies from place to place for the Resurrectionists. Shields, the +porter to the gang, had been watchman and grave-digger at the Roman +Catholic Chapel in Moorfields, so that he was most useful to the other +Resurrectionists in giving information, and in granting facilities for the +removal of bodies. No evidence was offered against him in connection with +the murder of the Italian boy. Soon after the trial he attempted to get +work as a porter in Covent Garden Market, but on his being recognized by +those working there, a shout of "Burker!" was raised, and Shields narrowly +escaped with his life, and took refuge in the Police Office. + + +[Illustration: JOHN HEAD, _alias_ THOMAS WILLIAMS. JOHN BISHOP. Executed +December 5, 1831. From Drawings by W. H. CLIFT, made directly after the +execution.] + + +This one incident as regards Shields gives an idea of the public feeling +towards the resurrection-men, and that feeling was quite as bitter towards +the anatomists. It was therefore absolutely necessary that some determined +steps should be taken as regards legislation. + +In December, 1831, Mr. Warburton again introduced a Bill into the House of +Commons; it passed safely through both Houses, and became law on August +1st, 1832. By this new Act the Secretary of State for the Home Department +in Great Britain, and the Chief Secretary in Ireland, were empowered to +grant licences for anatomical purposes to any person lawfully qualified to +practise medicine, to any professor or teacher of anatomy, and to students +attending any school of medicine, on an application signed by two justices +of the peace, who could certify that the applicant intended to carry on +the practice of anatomy. It was enacted that executors, or other persons +having lawful possession of a body (provided they were not undertakers, or +persons to whom the body had been handed over for purposes of interment), +might give it up for dissection unless the deceased had expressed a wish +during his life that his body should not be so used, or unless a known +relative objected to the body being given up. If a person had expressed a +wish to be dissected, this wish was to be carried out unless the relatives +raised any objection. No body might be moved for anatomical purposes until +forty-eight hours after death, nor until the expiration of a twenty-four +hours' notice to the Inspector of Anatomy; a proper death certificate had +also to be signed by the medical attendant before the body could be moved. +Provision was made for the decent removal of all bodies, and for their +burial in consecrated ground, or in some public burial-ground in use for +persons of that religious persuasion to which the person, whose body was +so removed, belonged. A certificate of the interment was to be sent to the +Inspector within six weeks after the day on which the body was received. +No licensed person was to be liable to any prosecution, penalty, +forfeiture, or punishment for having a body in his possession for +anatomical purposes according to the provisions of the Act. + +Perhaps the most important clause was that which did away with the +dissection of the bodies of murderers. This was done by Section XVI., +which ran as follows: + +"And whereas an Act was passed in the Ninth Year of the Reign of His late +Majesty, for consolidating and amending the Statutes in England relative +to Offences against the Person, by which latter Act it is enacted, that +the Body of every Person convicted of Murder shall, after Execution, +either be dissected or hung in Chains, as to the Court which tried the +Offender shall deem meet; and that the Sentence to be pronounced by the +Court shall express that the Body of the Offender shall be dissected or +hung in Chains, whichever of the Two the Court shall order. Be it enacted, +That so much of the said last-recited Act as authorizes the Court, if it +shall see fit, to direct that the Body of a Person convicted of Murder +shall after Execution, be dissected, be and the same is hereby repealed: +and that in every case of Conviction of any Prisoner for Murder, the Court +before which such Prisoner shall have been tried shall direct such +Prisoner either to be hung in Chains or buried within the Precincts of the +Prison in which such Prisoner shall have been confined after conviction, +as to such Court shall deem meet; and that the sentence to be pronounced +by the Court shall express that the body of such Prisoner shall be hung in +Chains, or buried within the Precincts of the Prison, whichever of the two +the Court shall order." + +Three Inspectors were appointed to carry out the provisions of the Act. +The first Inspectors were Dr. J. C. Somerville, for England; Dr. Craigie, +of Edinburgh, for Scotland; and Sir James Murray, of Dublin, for Ireland. +There was no provision for punishing persons found violating graves; it +had been already decided that this was an offence at common law; and +presumably the framers of the Act had, at last, sufficient faith in their +measure to believe that it would put an end to the proceedings of the +resurrection-men. If that were so, they were not disappointed. After the +passing of the Act the resurrection-man, as such, drops out of history; +his occupation was gone, and one of the most nefarious trades that the +world has ever seen came completely to an end. Public feeling against +these men did not all at once subside; this strongly militated against +their getting employment, and some of them moved to other quarters, where +they lived under assumed names. + +In looking back it is impossible not to regret that Parliament was so slow +to believe that legislation in the direction of the Anatomy Act would do +away with the evils of the resurrection-men. This fact was urged upon them +by the teachers; but popular feeling was so dead against the anatomists, +who were thought to be responsible for even the worst crimes of the +resurrection-men, that Parliament seemed to fear to do anything which +favoured the teachers, although the great disadvantages under which they +suffered were thoroughly well known. Perhaps the best tribute to the +success of the Act, is the very small alterations which have been made in +it between 1832 and the present day. + +A glance at the regulations in force in foreign countries for the supply +of bodies, at the time of the passing of the Anatomy Act, shows that when +a fair provision was made by law for the supply of bodies, the +resurrection-men were unknown. The great advantages of the student on the +Continent, as compared with his brethren in England, were thus pointed out +to the Committee by Mr. [afterwards Sir] William Lawrence: "I see many +medical persons from France, Germany, and Italy, and have found, from my +intercourse with them, that anatomy is much more successfully cultivated +in those countries than in England; at the same time I know, from their +numerous valuable publications on anatomy, that they are far before us in +this science; we have no original standard works at all worthy of the +present state of knowledge." It was also shown that this fact was chiefly +the result of the greater opportunities for getting subjects abroad, and +that teachers found that those English students who had been to foreign +schools were the best informed. + + * * * * * + +Before the Revolution in France the hospitals of Paris were supported by +voluntary contributions, and each had separate funds and Boards of +Management, similar to the hospitals in London at the present day. At the +Revolution these Boards were consolidated, and one administrative body was +formed. This "Administration des Hopitaux, Hospices et Secours a Domicile +de Paris," carried into effect the law passed by the Legislative Assembly, +that the bodies of all those persons who died in hospitals, which were +unclaimed within twenty-four hours after death, should be given up for +anatomical purposes. The distribution from the hospitals to the medical +schools was systematically carried out, generally at night. By Art. 360 +of the Penal Code, the punishment for violation of a place of sepulture +was imprisonment for a term varying from three months to a year, and a +fine of from 60 to 200 francs. The result of these regulations was that +exhumation for anatomical purposes was quite unknown. + + * * * * * + +In Germany the bodies of persons who died in prisons, or penitentiaries, +and those of suicides, were given up for dissection, unless the friends of +the deceased cared to pay a certain sum to the funds of the school; in +this case the body was handed over to the friends. Other sources of supply +were the bodies of those persons who died without leaving sufficient to +pay the cost of burial, poor people who had been supported at the public +cost, all persons executed, and public women. Although these regulations +were not rigorously carried out, there was an ample supply of bodies for +anatomical purposes, and the resurrection-men were unknown. + + * * * * * + +In Austria, if the medical attendant thought necessary, a _post mortem_ +was made on all patients who died in hospital, but only unclaimed bodies +were used for dissection; these were given up to the teachers forty-eight +hours after death. In Vienna the supply came from the General Hospital; +this was sufficient for all purposes, and there was no recourse to +exhumation. + + * * * * * + +The supply in Italy came from a source similar to that of the other +countries named. The rule was that all bodies of persons who died in +hospital were given up for dissection if required; but, by paying the cost +of the funeral, friends could, if they wished, take away the body. This, +however, was seldom done. There was generally a sufficient supply of +bodies; but, if this ran short, the subjects were obtained from "the +deposit" of poor people who died and were buried at the public cost. In +every parish church in Italy there was a chamber in which all the dead +bodies of the poor were deposited during the day-time, after the religious +ceremonies had been performed over them in the church; at night these +bodies were removed either to the dissecting-room or to the burial-fields, +outside the town. Body-snatching was quite unknown. + + * * * * * + +There was an ample supply of bodies in Portugal from similar sources. +Mortality was very high amongst infants, who were put into _roda_, or +foundling cradles; the bodies of these children could be obtained without +any difficulty. In Portugal the resurrection-man did not exist. + + * * * * * + +In Holland there was no lack of material for teaching anatomy, and for +students to learn operative surgery on the dead body. The Dissecting +School at Leyden was supplied from the civil hospitals at Amsterdam. There +was no prejudice against dissection in Holland; in all the principal towns +lectures on anatomy were publicly given, and dissected subjects were +exhibited. Here, again, exhumation was not necessary, and was unknown. + + * * * * * + +In the United States the laws relating to anatomy varied very considerably +in the different States; there was no regular supply for the schools, and, +consequently, subjects had to be obtained by the aid of resurrection-men. +In Philadelphia and Baltimore, the two great Medical Schools of the United +States in those days, the supply of bodies was obtained almost entirely +from the "Potter's Field," the burial-place of the poorest classes. This +exhumation was carried on by an understanding with the authorities that +the men employed by the schools in this work should not be interfered +with. Dissection in the United States was, as in this country, looked upon +with great aversion; this was, no doubt, mainly owing to the fact that the +bodies used for this purpose were obtained from the graves. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +The Diary of a Resurrectionist is written on 16 leaves, but is, +unfortunately, imperfect. The first entry is November 28th, 1811, and the +last December 5th, 1812. There are no entries in May, June, and July; +during these months there would be little demand for subjects, as the +sessions of the Anatomical Schools ran from October to May. Besides this, +the light nights would interfere with the work of the men. The entry under +the date February 25th refers to this: "the moon at the full, could not +go." The state of the moon was of great importance to these men in their +work; the writer of the Diary has on one of the pages copied out the +"Rules for finding the moon on any given day," and has set out the epact +for 1812 and 1813. + +There is no clue in the Diary itself as to the name of the writer, and, +unfortunately, Sir Thomas Longmore[22] was quite unable to remember the +name of the individual from whom he received it. Feeling was very strong +against the men who had been engaged in the resurrection business, and +therefore, when information was required from them, every effort was made +to keep their names secret. As late as 1843, when the _Life of Sir Astley +Cooper_ was published, the name of this man was carefully concealed, +though most of the other members of the gang were freely spoken of under +their full names. Bransby Cooper[23] quotes a written statement made by +this man to the effect that he was in Maidstone Gaol in October, 1813. +Enquiry at the gaol has, however, failed to find any mention of him; the +original document is not forthcoming, and it is very probable that there +is a mistake as regards the date. In this statement he is called Josh. +N----, and Bransby Cooper speaks of him as N. There is a letter on +"Body-snatchers" in the _Medical Times_, 1883, vol. i. p. 343, signed, +"Your Old Correspondent"; the writer of the letter was, in all +probability, Mr. T. Madden Stone, who had been a correspondent of the +journal in question from the time of its foundation. Mr. Stone had a +valuable collection of papers and autographs, and his letter is really a +reprint of a paper in his possession relating to payments made to the +resurrection-men. In it occurs the following passage: "N.B., Sir Astley +Cooper great friend to Naples." Mr. Stone presented a large number of +papers and letters to the Royal College of Surgeons, but this particular +one is not in the collection. It is curious that Bransby Cooper makes no +special mention of Naples in his book, although he gives an account of all +the other men with whom Sir Astley had any dealings. He gives a long +notice of "N.," and mentions that he wrote the Diary from which quotations +are made; this is the document now under consideration. + +The witness "C. D.," who was examined before the Committee on Anatomy in +1828, was, in all probability, Naples; he gave statistics to show the +number of bodies obtained, and stated that the figures were taken "from my +book." The letters "C. D." are not given as initials; the three +resurrection-men who gave evidence were distinguished as "A. B.," "C. D.," +and "F. G." The testimony was probably given on the condition that no +names were revealed, and, therefore, definite information cannot be +obtained as to "C. D.'s" real name from the House of Commons. + +On one page of the Diary is written "Miss Naples." This does not prove +much, as the names of several other females are mentioned; not, however, +in any connection with the business. The entries look as though the writer +had amused himself by scribbling them down, and then crossing them out +again. "Miss Naples" is the only one not crossed through. + +It is known that the man described as N---- by Bransby Cooper was on board +the _Excellent_ in the action off Cape St. Vincent. In the muster-book of +the _Excellent_ for 1797 Josh. Naples is down as an A.B.: he is there +stated to have been born at Deptford, and to have been 21 years of age in +1795. This seems conclusively to prove that Naples was the man who wrote +the Diary. + +The men who composed the gang at the time the Diary was written are, in +that document, nearly always spoken of by their Christian names. Their +names are Ben [Crouch], Bill [Harnett], Jack [Harnett], Daniel,[24] +Butler, Tom [Light], and Holliss. This gang, whose doings are recorded in +the Diary, was the chief one in the Metropolis in the early part of the +present century. The account, therefore, of the proceedings of these men +gives a good idea of the work of the body-snatchers in general. Honour +amongst thieves was not the motto of the resurrection-men; they seem to +have been ever ready to sell or cheat their comrades, if a favourable +opportunity presented itself. + +For the accompanying biographical notes of the men mentioned in the Diary +the writer is indebted chiefly to the account given of them by Bransby +Cooper.[25] + +Ben Crouch, the leader of the gang, was the son of a carpenter, who worked +at Guy's Hospital. He was a tall, powerful, athletic man, with coarse +features, marked with the small-pox, and was well known as a +prize-fighter. He used to dress in very good clothes, and wore a profusion +of gold rings, and had a large bunch of seals dangling at his fob. He was +tried for stealing cloth from Watling Street, but was able to successfully +prove an _alibi_. Bransby Cooper states that Crouch was seldom drunk, but +when he was in that state he was most abusive and domineering; the Diary +shows him in more than one of these attacks. He was sharp enough to be +always sober on settling-up nights, and so had a distinct advantage over +his comrades; by this means he generally managed to get more than his +proper share of the proceeds of their horrible work. About 1817 he gave up +the resurrection business, and occupied himself chiefly in dealing in +teeth; in this he was joined by Jack Harnett. They obtained licences as +sutlers, so that they might be allowed as camp-followers, both in France +and Spain. A large supply of teeth was thus obtained by them, their plan +being to draw the sound teeth of as many dead men as possible on the night +after a battle. They did not limit their attention to teeth, but made +large sums of money by stealing valuables from the persons of those who +had fallen in battle--proceedings which were even more brutal than their +former resurrectionist practices. With the money he had thus made, Crouch +built a large hotel at Margate, which at first looked like being a paying +concern. The nature of his former occupation, however, leaked out, and +ruined his business; he then parted with the property at a great +sacrifice. Subsequently he became very poor, and, whilst Harnett was away +in France, Crouch appropriated some of his property; for this he was +sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. After this he lived in London, +in great poverty, and was ultimately found dead in the top room of a +public-house near Tower Hill. It is very probable that at one time he made +money by lending to the medical students. In his "Confessions of a +Dissecting-room Porter," before alluded to, Albert Smith says, "I beg you +will look at your watches, if you have not already lent them to Uncle +Crouch." + + * * * * * + +Bill Harnett was a favourite with Astley Cooper and Henry Cline. With the +exception of a fondness for gin, he seems to have been a more respectable +man than one would have expected to find in such company. He was very +obliging, and could generally be trusted to carry out his promises. +Bransby Cooper states that Bill Harnett and "N." objected to Crouch, and +often worked against him; in the Diary they will be all found working +together, though there is recorded at least one "row" with Crouch. Bill +Harnett was a good boxer, and fought Ben Crouch at Wimbledon; he had +previously received an injury to his jaw, and Crouch hit him a severe blow +on this part, which decided the fight in Crouch's favour. Harnett died in +St. Thomas' Hospital of consumption. Like Southey's "Surgeon," he had a +great horror of being dissected, and on his death-bed he obtained a +promise from Mr. Joseph Henry Green that his body should not be opened. + + * * * * * + +Jack Harnett was a nephew of Bill; he is described as a stout, red-haired, +ill-looking fellow, uncouth in his address and manner of speech. Like his +partner, Crouch, he seems to have been fond of display in the matter of +jewellery. But, unlike Crouch, he did not lose the money he had made, and +at his death left nearly L6,000 to his family. + + * * * * * + +Butler was originally a porter in the dissecting-room at St. Thomas'. +Bransby Cooper describes him as "a short, stout, good-tempered man, with a +laughing eye and Sancho-Panza sort of expression." He was a clever +articulator, and dealt largely in bones and teeth. Afterwards he set up as +a dentist in Liverpool; but his dissolute habits were his ruin, and he was +obliged to fly from his creditors. Butler was sentenced to death for +robbing the Edinburgh mail, but his execution was postponed. During this +delay he obtained the skeleton of a horse, and articulated it in the +prison. The Austrian Archdukes John and Lewis were at that time in this +kingdom, and, on visiting the prison in Edinburgh, were shown this +skeleton; they were so pleased with the man's handiwork that they obtained +his pardon from the Prince Regent. After his release, Butler was never +heard of again by any of his old comrades or employers. + + * * * * * + +Tom Light is not mentioned by Bransby Cooper by name; he gives an account +of a resurrection-man whom he calls "L----," but whether this notice +refers to Light or not cannot be definitely determined. In all +probability L---- and Light are identical; Cooper speaks of the former as +being so unreliable that his comrades could never trust him. Tom Light +seems to have had a happy knack of escaping justice; on p. 92 will be +found an account of his being acquitted, even when taken with the bodies +in his possession. He does not seem to have worked regularly with Crouch's +gang; at Hatton Garden Police Court he appeared as T. Light, _alias_ John +Jones, _alias_ Thomas Knight, in October, 1812, and it was stated against +him that he had lately been convicted at the Middlesex Sessions of +stealing dead bodies for dissection, but he had evaded standing his trial, +in consequence of which the Bench issued a warrant against him. The +particular charge on which he was now brought before the magistrates was +that, with Patrick Harnell,[26] one of his bail, he had been found in the +act of stealing three dead bodies from the parish burial-ground of St. +Pancras, or St. Giles, which were separated only by a wall. The men were +apprehended by the horse patrol of the Hampstead and Highgate district. +There was some difficulty in carrying on the case, as, until it was +determined from which burial-ground the bodies had been taken, it could +not be said which parish was the real prosecutor. Light attempted to +escape, but was secured. The newspaper adds, "and, from the frequency of +such offences, strong indignation was excited in the neighbourhood, from +whence a crowd attended at the office." + + * * * * * + +Holliss was originally a sexton, and, like so many of his class, came into +the pay of the Resurrectionists; at last his demands became so exorbitant +that the resurrection-men refused to pay him, and informed his employers +of what had been taking place. He was at once dismissed, and, having no +other means of livelihood, he joined the resurrection-men. He saved money, +and afterwards purchased a hackney coach, which he himself drove. Like +most of his companions, Holliss came to a bad end. Harnett, the younger, +had been to France, and had brought away with him a large number of +teeth, which he valued at L700; these he entrusted to his daughter, who +left them in a hackney carriage. The driver found the teeth, and, not +knowing how to dispose of them, consulted his friend, Holliss. Holliss +offered L5 for the teeth, and promised an extra sum if they sold well. +Harnett had made known his loss to Holliss, so that he knew perfectly well +to whom the teeth belonged. Thinking that he could make more money by +selling them privately than by trusting to a reward from Harnett, he began +to dispose of the teeth to dentists. Harnett made enquiries of some of his +customers as to whether they had lately been offered teeth for sale, and +was shown some lately purchased from Holliss; these he was able to +identify. Holliss was at once given into custody, and was tried at +Croydon; he escaped transportation through a flaw in the indictment. +Whilst he was in gaol awaiting his trial, Harnett seized Holliss' house +and all his household furniture for a debt of L83. Holliss was afterwards +mixed up in a horse-stealing case, and ultimately died in great poverty +and wretchedness. + + * * * * * + +"N." or Joseph Naples, the writer of the Diary, is described by Bransby +Cooper as "a civil and well conducted man, slight in person, with a +pleasing expression of countenance, and of respectful manners." He was the +son of a respectable stationer and bookbinder, and in early life went as a +sailor into the King's service. He was for some time on board the +_Excellent_, and served in that vessel in the engagement off Cape St. +Vincent.[27] Then he returned to England, and, having spent all his +prize-money, went on a vessel cruising about the Channel. From this he ran +away and came back to London; here he obtained a situation as grave-digger +to the Spa Fields burial-ground. A man named White enticed Naples into the +resurrectionist business; this soon caused him to lose his situation. +White was stopped by the patrols, and a body was found in his possession. +He managed to escape, but it was proved that the body had been taken from +Spa Fields, and Naples was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. He +escaped, with another prisoner, from the House of Correction by making an +opening through a skylight in the roof, and afterwards scaling the outer +walls of the prison by means of a rope. + +He was retaken through information given against him by Crouch, and it was +only by the mediation of Sir Astley Cooper with the Secretary of State +that Naples escaped additional punishment. In the list of prisoners +written out by himself, and printed by Bransby Cooper (_Life_, vol. 1. p. +423), Naples thus describes himself: "Jos{h}. N----[28] 'Resurgam Hommo,' +for trial." + +The writing and spelling in the Diary show him to have been a man of +superior education to most of his class. He continued in the +resurrectionist business up to the time of the passing of the Anatomy Act, +when he was taken on as a servant in the dissecting-room of St. Thomas' +Hospital. + + * * * * * + +There is considerable difficulty in identifying many of the burial-grounds +from which bodies are said in the Diary to have been stolen. Many of these +were private, and the name mentioned is probably either that of the +proprietor or of the care-taker. No doubt, too, some of the names are +slang terms which are quite forgotten at the present day.[29] + + + + + +[Illustration: FACSIMILE OF PAGE OF DIARY.] + + + + +THE DIARY + + [The spelling of the Diary has been preserved in the reprint, but as + there is no attempt at punctuation in the original, stops have here + been added to make some of the entries more intelligible. The + writer's capital letters, too, have not been strictly followed in the + reprint.] + + +1811 NOVEMBER. + +_Thursday 28th._ At night went out and got 3, Jack & me Hospital Crib,[30] +Benj{n}, Danl & Bill to Harpers,[31] Jack & me 1 big Gates,[32] sold 1 +Taunton D{o} S{t} Thomas's. + +_Friday 29th._ At night went out and got 3, Jack, Ben & me got 2, Bethnall +Green, Bill & Dan{l}. 1 Bartholo{w}. Crib opened;[33] whole at Barth{w}. + +_Saturday 30th._ At night went and got 3 Bunhill Row, sold to Mr. Cline, +S{t}. Thomas's Hospital. + + +REMARKS, &C., DECEMBER, 1811. + +_Sunday 1st._ We all look{d}. out,[34] at Home all night. + +_Monday 2nd._ Met at S{t}. Thomas's, Got paid for the 3 adults & settled; +met and settled with Mordecei,[35] made Him up L2 5s. 6d. and Receipt of +all demands. At Home all night. + +_Tuesday 3rd._ Went to look out and brought the Shovils from Barthol{w}., +Met early in the evening at Mr. Vickers,[36] did not go out that night, +Butler and me came home intoxsicated. + +_Wednesday 4th._ At night went out and got 10, whole[37] went to Green[38] +and got 4, Black Crib 1, Bunner[39] fields 5. + +_Thursday 5th._ The whole at home all night. + +_Friday 6th._ Removed 1 from Barthol. to Carpue.[40] At night went out and +got 8, Dan{l}. at home all night. 6 Back S{t}. Lukes & 2 Big Gates: went 5 +Barthol. 1 Frampton[41] 3 S{t}. Thomas's, 3 Wilson.[42] + +_Saturday 7th._ At night went out & got 3 at Bunhill Row. 1 S{t}. +Thomas's, 2 Brookes.[43] + +_Sunday 8th._ At home all night. + +_Monday 9th._ At night went out and got 4 at Bethnall Green. + +_Tuesday 10th._ Intoxsicated all day: at night went out & got 5 Bunhill +Row. Jack all most buried. + +_Wednesday 11th._ Tom & Bill and me removed[44] 5 from S{t}. Barthol{w}., +2 Wilson, 2 Brookes, 1 Bell[45]; in the evening got 1 Harps,[46] went to +S{t}. Thomas', at home all night. + +_Thursday 12th._ I went up to Brookes and Wilson, afterwards me Bill and +Daniel went to Bethnall Green, got 2; Jack, Ben went got 2 large & 1 large +small back S{t}. Luke's,[47] came home, afterwards met again & went to +Bunhill row got 6, 1 of them with ----[48] named Mary Rolph, aged 46, Died +5{th} Dec. 1811. + +_Friday 13th._ At Home all day & night. + +_Saturday 14th._ Went to Bartholomew took{d}. two Brookes: Pack{d} 4 and +sent them to Edinborough, came Home to Ben{n}., settled L14 6s. 2-1/2d. +each man, came home, got up at 2 me Jack & Bill went to Bunhill Row and +got 3. Ben & Daniel staid at home. + +_Sunday 15th._ At home all day, Got up at 3 a.m. The whole party went to +Harps, got 3, Went to S{t}. Thomas's. + +_Monday 16th._ At home all day & night Ill. + +_Tuesday 17th._ At home all day & do. night. + +_Wednesday 18th._ At Home all day & do. night. + + Remember me when far away + + [This line is written in the same way as the names mentioned on p. + 127.] + +_Thursday 19th._ Went to Bartholomew, At home all night. + +_Friday 20th_. Went to S{t}. Thomas's, came home and went to the play, +came home: at 3 A.M. got up and went to the Hospital Crib got 5 large. + +_Saturday 21st._ Went to S{t}. Thomas's sent 1 to Mr. Taunton,[49] 2 to +Edinburgh, S{t}. Thomas's took 6 of the above this week, came home and +stopt at home all night. + +_Sunday 22nd._ Went and look'd out, at 4 o'clock, got up, party went to +Harps got 3 large and 2 small, the whole went to Barth{m}. + +_Monday 23rd._ Went for orders to Wilson and Brookes, Met Bill, Brought +one to Carpue, Sent him back to bring 2 from Barthol{w}. 1 for Brookes, 1 +for Bell, Ben{n} and Jack got 5 small at Harpers. + +_Tuesday 24th._ At twelve at midnight a party went to Wygate got 3 small, +came back and got 2 large at Newington, Came home then settled at Ben{n}, +Each man's share L8 16s. 8d., at home all night. + +_Wednesday 25th._ At Home all day and night. + +_Thursday 26th._ At Home all day and night. + +_Friday 27th._ Went to look out, Came home met Ben and Dan{l} at 5 +o'clock, went to Harps, got 1 large and took it to Jack's house, Jack, +Bill and Tom not with us, Geting drunk. + +_Saturday 28th._ At 4 o'clock in the morning got up, with the whole party +to Guy's and S{t}. Thomas's Crib, got 6 took them to S{t}. Thomas's. Came +home and met at Thomas's again, pack{d}. up 3 for Edinbro, took one over +to Guys. + +_Sunday 29th._ At home all day and night. + +_Monday 30th._ Butler and Dan{l}, took 1 large to Framton, large small to +Hornig. + +_Tuesday 31st._ Met at the Harty Choak,[50] had dispute about the horse. + + +REMARKS, &C., JANUARY, 1812. + +_Wednesday 1st._ Got up at 3 in the morning, the whole party went to Guys +and S{t}. Thomas', got 3 adults, 1 from Guy's and 2 from S{t}. Thomas', +took them to S{t}. Thomas', came home and met again, took one of the above +to Guy's, settled for the Horse L24. At home all night. Miss Naples.[51] + +_Thursday 2nd._ Went down to S{t}. Thomas's, got paid L7 17 6 for one +adult open D{o} not. Came home, met by agreement at S{t}. Thomas's, did +not go out, Bill not there, Came home again, at home all night. + +_Friday 3rd._ Went to S{t}. Thomas's, took the Foetus to the London, +Rec{d}. 10s. 6d. Came back to S{t}. Thomas's Rec{d}. L4 4s. 0d., Went +home, Met by agreement, Went to the Green got 5, Jack, Ben{n} and me; +Dan{l}. and Bill at home, took the above 5 to Barthol{w}. at home all +night. + +_Saturday 4th._ Met at Bartholo{w}., they took 4 of the above, 1 sent to +Edinburgh, 1 went to Brookes, Carpue and Wilson for orders, Came back, at +home all night. + +_Sunday 5th._ At home all day. Met at 5, whole went to Newin.[52] got 3. +Jack and me took them to Wilson, Came home, met at 12, got 5 & 2 small at +Harps, afterwards went to the Big Gates, got 3 adults, left Dan{l}. at +home, took the whole to Bartho{m}. + +_Monday 6th._ Went to Barth{w}., took 1 to the London, Jack & Tom 1 to +Harnige, D{o} 1 to S{t}. Thomas's. Came home, in all night. + +_Tuesday 7th._ At home all day, Tom removed 1 from the borough to +Bartholom{w}. fetched L2., from there took 2 to Mr. Wilson, D{o} to +Brookes. + +_Wednesday 8th._ At 2 A.M. got up, the Party went to Harps, got 4 adults +and 1 small, took 4 to S{t}. Thomas's, Came home went to Mr. Wilson & +Brookes, Dan{l}. got paid L8 8 0 from Mr. Wilson I rec{d}. 9 9 0 from Mr. +Brookes, Came over to the borough, sold small for L1 10 0, Rec{d}. L4 4 0 +for adult, At home all night. + +_Thursday 9th._ Went down to S{t}. Thomas's, got paid L8 8 0, 2 adults: at +home all night. + +_Friday 10th._ Met at S{t}. Thomas's, settled each man's share L12 12 0, 3 +things[53] on hand. + +_Saturday 11th._ At 4 A.M. got up & went to the Hospital Crib, got 2 +adults, met at Barthol{w}., packed up 2 for the Country, sold 1 at S{t}. +Thomas's: at home all night. + +_Sunday 12th._ At Home all day, at 11 p.m. met & the whole went to Wygate, +got 2 adults & 2 small, afterwards went to the Green, got 2 large & 1 +large small,[54] Took them to Barthol{w}. + +_Monday 13th._ Took 2 of the above to Mr. Brookes & 1 large & 1 small to +Mr. Bell, Foetus to Mr. Carpue, small to Mr. Framton, Large small to Mr. +Cline. Met at 5, the party went to Newington, 2 adults. Took them to S{t}. +Thomas's. + +_Tuesday 14th._ At 1 A.M. got up, Ben{n}., Bill & me went to S{t}. Luke's, +2 adults; Jack, Dan{l}. Big Gates, 1 large & 1 small, took them to +Barthol{w}., Came home & went to S{t}. Thomas's, afterwards went to the +other end of the town for orders. At home all night. + +_Wednesday 15th._ Went to S{t}. Thomas's, Came back, pack'd up 2 large & 1 +small for Edinburgh. At home all night. + +_Thursday 16th._ The party met at the Hartichoak. Settled the above, Each +man's share L8 4s. 7-1/2d. At home all night. + +_Friday 17th._ Went & look out: came home met at 11, party except Dan{l}., +Went to the Hospital Crib & got 4, was stopt by the patrols, Butler, Horse +& Cart were taken. + +_Saturday 18th._ Went to the White horse, Butler bailed: at home all +night. + +_Sunday 19th._ Went & look'd out, at home all night, Could not get the +horse out of the Stable. + +_Monday 20th._ At home all day & night, Butler & Jack got drunk. + +_Tuesday 21st._ Look'd out, Jack & Butler drunk as before, hindred us of +going out. At Home. + +_Wednesday 22nd._ At 4 o'clock in the morning got up, Bill & me went to +the Hospital Crib and 1 for Mr. Cooper's[55] Lectures, had a dispute with +the party, at home all night. Ben got drunk. + +_Thursday 23rd._ Met at 10 at night, went to Wygate, got 4 large and 1 +small, went to the Green got 3 large. Dan{l}, not with us. + +_Friday 24th._ Met at 11 at night. Met the patrols. Got one Hospital Crib +and 6 at Bermondsey, took them to Barthol{w}., sent 3 to the Country. + +_Saturday 25th._ Met at Bartholomew. Took 1 to Mr. Carpue; S{t}. +Barthol{w}. took 2: at home all night. + +_Sunday 26th._ Went to Big Gates to Look out, came home, at home all +night. + +_Monday 27th._ At 2 o'clock in the morning got up, met the party except +Dan{l}., Went to the Big gates, got 4 Took them to Barthol{w}., Afterwards +met, took 1 to Mr. Cline, 2 to Mr. Wilson, came home. Tom & Bill got +drunk, did not go out. + +_Tuesday 28th._ Went to Barthol{w}., could not sell, came back to the +Borough & came home, at home all night. + +_Wednesday 29th._ Went to Bartho{w}. brought remaining 2 to S{t}. +Thomas's, at home all night. + +_Thursday 30th._ Went to S{t}. Thomas's, at home all night. + +_Friday 31st._ Went to look out, at night went out, got 2 Guys & Thomas's, +same night 3 Harps 2 small: same night the Cart broke down, took 2 to +Guys. + + +REMARKS, &C., FEB., 1812. + +_Saturday 1st._ Went to Barthol{w}., did not settle, at home all night. + +_Sunday 2nd._ Went to look out, met at 5 in the evening, went to the +Green, got 7 large & 3 small and 3 foetus. Same night went to Wygate 4 +large & 2 small. Took them to Bartholomew. + +_Monday 3rd._ Went to Bartholomew, at home all night. + +_Tuesday 4th._ Met at Bartholomew, settled each man's share L21 9s. 4d., +Met at night, went to Guy's got 3 adults. Took them to Bartholomew: at +home all night. + +_Wednesday 5th._ Went to Barthol{w}. Met at night. Got 5 at Newington. + +_Thursday 6th._ Went to St. Thomas's: at home all night. + +_Friday 7th._ Met together me & Butler went to Newington, thing bad.[56] +Jack & Bill went to Goswell St.[57] got 1. Came home met again. Danl. Bill +& me went to St. Johns got 2 adults. Ben{n} and Jack went to Flemish[58] +got nothing, took 2 St. Thomas's. + +_Saturday 8th._ Went to St. Thomas's, at home all night. + +_Sunday 9th._ Went to Look out, at home all night. + +_Monday 10th._ Met. Went to St. James's. Got 9 large & 4 small, took them +to Barthol{w}. + +_Tuesday 11th._ Went to Barthol{w}. Moved the things. At home all night. + +_Wednesday 12th._ Went to Look out, Met at night, went to St. Olives. Got +2 adults and 1 Do Bermondsey, Took them to St. Thomas's. + +_Thursday 13th._ Met at St. Thomas's. At home all night. + +_Friday 14th._ Met by appointment, me & Jack went to Big gate got 4, the +rest went to St. Luke's got 2, took them to Barthol{w}. + +_Saturday 15th._ Met at Barthol{w}. At home all night. + +_Sunday 16th._ Went to Look out, at home all night. + +_Monday 17th._ Met & went to Wiegate. Got 8 large & 1 small. Took them to +St. Thomas's. + +_Tuesday 18th._ Met at St. Thomas's. Took 2 over to Guy's. Came home & +settled each man's share L23 6s. 9d. On hand 2 open'd Large, 3 small & 3 +foetus not paid, at home all night. + +_Wednesday 19th._ At Home all day sick. John Harnet and Butler got drunk, +at home all night. + +_Thursday 20th._ Met and went to Pancress[59] got 15 large & 1 small took +them to Barthol{w}. + +_Friday 21st._ Met at Barthol{w}. Sold part, came home. Met at 2 a.m. went +to St. Thomas's Crib. Got 3 large, met the Patrols, took 1 to St. Thomas's +and 2 to Barthol{w}. + +_Saturday 22nd._ Met at Barthol{w}. Sent 7 into the Country, distributed +the rest about town. At home all night. + +_Sunday 23rd._ At Home all day and night. + +_Monday 24th._ Bill Jack Tom and Ben{n} with Nat Ure Getting drunk oblige +to Come Home in a Coach which prevented us going out to Harps. + +_Tuesday 25th._ At home all day, at Night met at Jack to go to Harps. the +moon at the full, could not go.[60] + +_Wednesday 26th._ Went to look out. Could not go out Jack and Tom got +drunk. Ben{n}. taken very ill. + +_Thursday 27th._ Went to St. Thomas's, sold the extremities. At night Tom +& Bill got drunk at the Rockingham Arms, at Home all night. + +_Friday 28th._ Met at Jacks Got 4 large 1 Small and 1 Foetus, Harps. +Took them to the London. + +_Saturday 29th._ Met at St. Thomas's at home all night. + + +MARCH 1812. + +_Sunday 1st._ Met & went to the Big gates got 3. Took them to St. +Thomas's, not settled. + +_Monday 2nd._ Met at Mr. Vickers, Jack & Tom went to the fight, at home +all night. + +_Tuesday 3rd._ Went to St. Thomas's, at night went to Pencress got 8 +adults, 2 small and 2 foetus. + +_Wednesday 4th._ Met at Jack's & settled, at home all night. + +_Thursday 5th._ Went to St. Thomas's; at night early, went out & got 1 St. +Thomas's Crib: at home all night. + +_Friday 6th._ Went to look out Big gates Green, at night got 1 Big gates. + +_Saturday 7th._ At Home all day and night. + +_Sunday 8th._ Met at Night, Jack, Tom & Dan{l}. went to Harps got 5 Large, +Bill and me went to the Big gates, miss{d}.[61] + +_Monday 9th._ At Home all day and night. + +_Tuesday 10th._ Went to St. Thomas's & settled. + +_Wednesday 11th._ Went to the Big Gates to Look out, at night the party +went to the above Place and again miss{d}., all got drunk. + +_Thursday 12th._ At Home all day & night. + +_Friday 13th._ Went to look out, met at night and went to Wiegate got 5 +large, also went to the Green got 8 large took them Bartholomew. + +_Saturday 14th._ Met at Barthol. sent 5 to Edinburgh, Mr. Wilson 3, +Brookes 2, Barthol. 1. Settled each man's share L3 6 8. 2 on hand.[62] + +_Sunday 15th._ Went to Look out, at night went to St. John's, Got 1 Large +and 1 Large Small, Burnt. Took the Large to Wilson, small to St. Thomas's. +Paid Hollis L11 11 0 at the order of Miss Kay. + +_Monday 16th._ At Home all day went to Harps got 3 Large and 1 Large +Small, 1 Small, and 1 Foetus, took 2 Large to St. Thomas's, 1 Large to +Guy's, Large Small to Mr. Frampton and 1 small to Mr. Taunton. Mr. +Frampton called at 7 in the evening. + +_Tuesday 17th._ Went to the Borough: at Night met at 6 in the evening, +went to the Flemish, Jack, Ben{n}. & myself. Got 2 adults, Bill not with +us, took the above 2 to St. Thomas's. Big gate for time is very well. + +_Wednesday 18th._ Went to the Big gates to Look out. came home, at home +all night which was a very bad thing for us as we wanted some money to pay +our debts to several persons who were importunate. + +_Thursday 19th._ Met at Jack and settled each man's share L6 18 4: at 6 in +the evening went to the Meeting Crib[63], 1 Large and 1 small, afterwards +went to the Big gates got 2 Large took them to Barth{w}. + +_Friday 20th._ Went to St. Thomas's, at home all night. + +_Saturday 21st._ Jack and Tom got 2 Large small, 1 Frampton 1 Taunton. +Rec{d}. for the above L3 13 6 D{o}. L4 4 0: at home all night. + +_Sunday 22nd._ Went to the Green, at Home all night. + +_Monday 23rd._ At home all night. + +_Tuesday 24th._ D{o}. + +_Wednesday 25th._ Went to Pancress got 5 adult, Took them to Bartholomew. + +_Thursday 26th._ Went to Look out, Jack got 2 Large small. 1 D{o}. +Frampton L3 13 6 1 D{o}. Mr. Taunton L4 4 0. + +_Friday 27th._ Went to Look out, at Home all night. + +_Saturday 28th._ Jack got 1 large small for Mr. Cline L4 4 0, at Home all +night. + +_Sunday 29th._ Went to the Green; at home all night. + +_Monday 30th._ At Home all day & night. + +_Tuesday 31st._ Went to Pancress got 5 adults Ben Bill & me. Dan'l Jack +and Tom went to Harps, missed. + +_Wednesday_ APRIL _1st._ Party went to the Green got 4 adults; being the +1st of April the man left us a new Hat.[64] + +_Thursday 2nd._ Went Bill & me to the Big Gates 2 adults and 1 small, +Jack, Ben and Dan'l got 4 adults, Harps. + +_Friday 3rd._ Went to look out and distribute the above, met at Jack's at +night, Ben being Drunk disappoint'd the party. + +_Saturday 4th._ Met and settled L108 13s. 7d. each man's share L18 2s. +3d., at Home all night. + +_Sunday 5th._ Went to look out met at Jack's at 10, not coming home in +time did not go out. + +[_No date put._] Tom & me went to Olives,[65] did not succeed. + + [At this point the diary leaves off abruptly: the entries from Friday + 7th to Saturday 29th are in a different handwriting from the rest of + the MS.] + + +[1812, AUGUST] + +_Friday 7th._ Went to look out Hollis & myself could not find Bill, went +to St Johns, then to White Chappell returned at night, went to White +Chappel did not succeed, came back went to St. Johns, the other party had +got the adult, coming back with the ladder, Bill got taken unto the +Watchhouse,[66] with the ladder, came home. + +_Saturday 8th._ canines 11 shillings: went to union hall[67] Bill got +clear the party went to Bartholomew. At Night went to W{e}. Chappel got 4 +adults, one small, took 2 to Barthol{m}. 2 & 1 Small to St. Thomas's. +Horse & Cart. + +_Sunday 9th._ at home all day & night, Wortley came concerning horse & +cart. + +_Monday 10th._ went to St. Tho{s}. got paid for 1 adult L4 4s. 0d. went to +Barthol{m}. got paid L4. 4s. 0d. row'd with Ben did not settle each man +had L2 2s. 0d, left with Hollis L2 2s. 0d. for Expences, at home all +night. + +_Tuesday 11th._ had information Crouch had cut the subjects[68] went to +St. Thom{s}, had not cut them, Barthol{m}. they had, went to differ{t}. +parts of the Town for orders, settled our Expence & what we had Rec{d}. +each man's share L3 1s. 2-1/2d. one adult St Thom{s}. 1 London D{o} unpaid +1/2 D{o} Barthol{n}. unpaid; at night went to Hoxton, 1 Large Yellow +Jaundice sold at Brooks. + +_Wednesday 12th._ Went to look out, at night went to Barthol{m}. Crib. cut +off the extremitys took to Barthol{m}.--Rec{d}. L1 0s. 0d. + +_Thursday 13th._ Went to St Thomas's Crib could not succeed came back to +the White horse, Bill got arrested,[69] Millard[70] pd. the Debt I got +drunk would not go out, Bill & Hollis went to Weigate got 1 adult male, +took to the Boro, Rec{d}. L2 0s. 0d. + +_Friday 14th._ Went to Barthol swagg{d}. the Extra{s}[71] to St. Thos. at +night went to Weigate got 1 male took them to Brooks Dan -- --[72] Rec{d}. +L1 1 0 + +_Saturday 15th._ Went to different places, at Night went to panc{s}.[73] +Miss{d}. Rec{d}. L1 0 0 + +_Sunday 16th._ Went to look out, at Night went to Harp's got 1 adult male +took to Wilson 1 Small D{o}, took to Bartho{w}: a Porter carried the +large. Hollis did not go in. + +_Monday 17th._ went & got paid for the above, small fetched three guineas, +at night went to Connell{s}. got 1 adult M.[74] Dan{l}, carried to St +Tho{s}. Hollis did not go in, Rec{d}. L1 0 0. + +_Tuesday 18th._ Went to different places, at night went to the play. +Rec{d}. L1 10 0. + +_Wednesday 19th._ Went as above at night Flemish 1 ad{t}. male, took to St +Thomas's got paid; likewise head, Millard gave L1 1 0 for it. + +_Thursday 20th._ As above, at night went to Flemish 1 adult male, took to +St Tho{s}. Rec{d} L1 12 0. + +_Friday 21st._ Went to different places, settled our quarrell by agreeing +with Mr. Stanley[75] to bring in a subject for Lecture, removed the above +from St. Thom{s} at night, went to Harp's got 1 adult M. underneath took +to St. Thos{s}. + +_Saturday 22nd._ Went to look out me & Hollis, Bill staid in the Boro, got +paid L4 4 0 for the above a very queer one, received but two Guineas for +the one at Barth{l}. would not do for Lecture, Sett{d}. each man's share +L1 16s. 6d., at night the party went to Weigate, the thing bad. + +_Sunday 23rd._ Went to look out at different places. Holliss met with Ben +at St. George's agreed to meet at Lamberts with the seperate partys: met, +look{d} at each other nothing transpired concerning the Business, our +party went to Harp's could not get in the private[76] door being shut, +came home. + +_Monday 24th._ Our party went to Barthol{m}. met with Ben and Daniel +partly agreed me & Ben went in the Cart to different places to look out +coming back by Charing Cross met the Jews[77] Drag touted till Dark and +lost scent came home did not go out that night. + +_Tuesday 25th._ Understood the Jew had brought a Male to Barthol{m}. Met +by appointment at the above place, had a row, came home after looking out, +met by agreement at 4 p.m. (Crouch having over slept himself two hours) +went to St J{ns} work{d}. three places only got two adults M. and F. on +account of not having time, took the above to Mr Frampton. + +_Wednesday 26th._ Seperated to look out. Holliss got paid in part L6 from +Mr. F. I took from the above L1. the party met at night, Ben Bill & Tom +Light went to St Geo{s} got 2 adults M. & F. took 1 Willson M. & F. +Barthol{m} me Jack and Hollis went to Isl{n}. could not succeed the dogs +flew at us, afterwards went to Pancr{s} found a watch[78] planted, came +home. + +_Thursday 27th._ Went to look out, Hollis got paid the remainder at +Frampton L2 8 0. Met at night at St. Thos.--very light could not go out +(came home). + +_Friday 28th._ Seperated to look out, brought the F. from Barthol{n}. to +St. Thomas, having not settled took from Hollis L1 0 0, afterwards met at +St. Thos. & went to St. Jns, Ben not with us work'd two holes one bad, +drew the C.{ns}[79] & took the above to St. Thos. + +_Saturday 29th._ Met at St Thos. could not get P{d} for either. Borrowed +L2 of Jack, at home all night. + +_Sunday 30th._ Went to look out, at night went to H. got two large M{s}. +went to St Thos. removed 1 to Wilson, 1 adult came from St Jns. + +_Monday 31st._ Went to look out ---- ---- ----[80] old small L1 10 0 got +p{d} one do Wilson's at Night met except Bill went to Conn{n} got 2 adults +M. & F. took to Barthol{m}. one small do. + + +1812 SEPTEMBER. + +_Tuesday 1st._ Went to Barthol{m} Got Paid for 2 adults L8 8 0, at night +met, me and Light went to Connelly got 2 adults M. and one large size +small F., Jack Bill & Hollis went to Weigate, got 1 large & 2 small, took +2 the above to Frampton 1 M. & D{o}. F. 1 large & 2 small to St Thos. 1 +small to Wilson. + +_Wednesday 2nd._ Went to the London Hollis got Canines L8 8 0, Bill got +paid for 1 large M. L4 4 0. I rec{d}. L4 4 0 for 1 large size small, Bill +Rec{d}. L1 0 0 for the F. that come from St George 1 Small came Wiegate +went to Wilson. Rec{d}. L2 0 0 for 1 large Small came from Wiegate, went +to St Thomas' not sold being putrid: at night the party met & divided, me +& Hollis went to Harp's work{d}. the thing, proved to be bad, Jack Bill & +Tom{s}. Light went to Westminster + + +1812 OCTOBER. + +_Monday 5th._ Went to look out at different places, at night party went to +Lamb{h} got 2 adults and 9 small took the whole to the Borough. Mr. Cline +took the about [above], 2 adults L8 8 0 from Lamb{h}. & 1 small from D{o} +L3 13 6. + +_Tuesday 6th._ At Night did not go out. + +_Wednesday 7th._ Went to look out Jack & Ben had a Row at the White Horse: +did not go out. + +_Thursday 8th._ Party went to see the fight did not go out. + +_Friday 9th._ Went to look out at different places. At night went to St. +Olave, got 2 adults M. & F. M. was opened took them to St. Thomas's; again +met, I got drunk, I miss{d}. going with the party. + +They seperated, part went to Lambeth got 1 adult F. They missed, one took +that to the Boro the others (Except Ben who was getting drunk) went to +Connolly got 1 adult F., took that to Bartholomew, & removed the other +same place. + +_Saturday 10th._ Met at Barthol{m}. Mr. Stanley took three of the above 2 +F. L8 8 0 one adult M. being opened L3 13 6d, left one on hand, came +home, in all night + + [The above entry finishes a page: the back of this page is occupied + by a table for finding the moon's age on any given day: this was most + useful to the resurrection-men, as they could not work undisturbed on + moonlight nights.] + +_Sunday 11th._ Went to look out at Night the whole party went to the Black +(Jack with us for the first time going out) got three ad{t}. M., then to +Connolly two ad{t}. M. & F. took the whole to St. Thos. came home. + +_Monday 12th._ Went to St. Thos. Cline had taken the above, went to +Lamb{h}. in the evening met by appointment, at home, Drew up an Account +but did not settle Jack & Bill not being present and others having over +drawn met again at twelve, the whole excepting Butler went to Lambeth got +5 ad{ts}. 1 Small, Took 2 of the above & 1 small to Wilson 1 do Carpue, 2 +do Brooks, came home. + +_Tuesday 13th._ Went to Barthol{m}. me Ben Jack & Butler could not find +the others, myself came to the Boro sold 1 small that was on hand for L1. +Came home afterwards went to Tomlight[81] understood he had rec{d}. the +money got L5 from him, came home, at home all night + +_Wednesday 14th._ Went to Lamb{h}. look out, at home all night on account +of Ben getting out of the way, did not go out, had a dispute at Hollis's +House Child's dance. + +_Thursday 15th._ Went to look out, came home went to the play, afterward +met at the White horse, the party excepting Ben had a row with Hollis; +seperated me, Light & Butler went Lam{b}. 2 adts, Jack, Bill & Mr. Hollis +went to Connelly 5 adults, also went to St. Geo{e}. 4 adts. on account of +the Boy deceiving us at Lamb{h}. lost the above 4 at St. Geo{e}. Ben[82] +went to France. + +_Friday 16th._ Met and went Wiegate got three adults 2 F. 1 M. took to +Barthol{m}. Jack & Tom brought the cart, came home. + +_Saturday 17th._ Met at Barthol{w}. rec{d}. L2 0 0 went to Lamb{h}. P{d}. +the man L1 1 0 came home, at home all night. + +_Sunday 18th._ Went to look out, nothing done, at home all night. + +_Monday 19th._ Went to Lamb{h}. got 1 Adult M. [opened another whole but +bad with the small pox][83] took the above M. to Barth{m}. came home, +Butler not with us. + +_Tuesday 20th._ Went to Barthol{w}. Bill had got P{d}. for the above Male +I borrowed of him L1 10 0, went to Lamb{h}. came home at night met at the +White [Horse] Hollis myself Jack & Tom Light, Bill not with us could not +find his clothes[84]: went to Lamb{h}. two adults M. took to Barthol{w}. +Butler again not with us came home. + +_Wednesday 21st._ Went to Barthol{m} got P{d}. the above 2 adt. gave Light +& Hollis 4s. 2d. gave Jack L2 0 0 kept L2 2 0 myself, came home, but +Hollis & Light went to the Hospital Crib got 1 adult male took to St Thos. +shared the money betwixt them: likewise 1 Pound for a small, at home all +night. + +_Thursday 22nd._ went to look out, followed a black[85] from Tower hill, +came home and met at W{e}. horse, the party except Butler went to Lamb{h}. +got 3 adults 2 M. 1 F. (left one behind us) 1 small & 1 Foetus, took +them to the Boro. + + +NOVEMBER 1812. + +_Monday 16th._ the party went to Tottenham got 4 adults, Wilson 2. +Abernethy 1. 1 on hand + +_Tuesday 17th._ At home. + +_Wednesday 18th._ At home. + +_Thursday 19th._ Met with Hutton at Smithfield, Bill me & Ben went to St +T{s} got 2 ad. Jack remained with Hutton, the party went Barthol{m}. C{b}. +got 2 ad. the whole Abernethy. Gave one to Hutton for information. + +_Friday 20th._ Butler got drunk in the morning, the party except him met +at Barthol{m}. Me Jack & Ben went to St T{s}. got 4 adt. sent Bill again +after Tom to bring the Cart, took them to Barthol{m}. Me Jack & Ben went +to Blue Lion got 1 adt. sent Bill to bring Tom with the Cart, took that to +Barthol{m}. came over the water got 2 adt. Guys C{b}. & 1 at Tho{s}. +Crib. pack up 4 for Edinbro on the Saturday: settled our money at home all +night. + +_Sunday 22nd._ Look{d}. out at St T{s}. B.--L{n}[86]--and Tott{n} at home +all night. + +_Monday 23rd._ Met at Barth{m}. went to St T{s}. got 3 took them to +Wilson, Bill took 1 ad. to Frampton. + +_Tuesday 24th._ Went & mov{d}. one of the above to Carpue, got p{d}. came +home met at Jack at 5, Bill not at home, did not go out till morning. Jack +sold the Canines to Mr. Thomson for 5 Guineas. + +_Wednesday 25th._ Met at Jack at 2 p.m. Butler & myself went to the B. +L{n}. got 1 adt. Jack, Ben & Bill went Panc{s}. got 5 adt. & 1 small, took +them to Barthol{w}. Removed 3 to Cline, got 2 sets of can{s}.[87] + +_Thursday 26th._ Met at Barthol{m}, me & Jack went to Tottenh{m}. got 1 +adt. Ben & Bill went to St Ths. D{o} 3 large came home me & Jack got 1 +Tottenh{m} Bill & Ben 1 large 2 small. + +_Friday 27th._ Met at Plough, went to St T{s}. 6 adt. 1 small. Met the man +with the lanthorn[88]: took them Barthol{m}. went to Golden Lane 1 adt. 1 +small gave Jack Hutton L1 as a share, took to the above place. + +_Saturday 28th._ Met at Barthol. disposed of the above except 1 adt. +opened, 3 small, sent three to Edinboro. Drew up our Account, came home +Met at Jack, did not settle, at home all night. + +_Sunday 29th._ Went Look out at Blue L{n}. &c did not go out Jack Bill & +Tom Drunk the reason as Ben said for not going out. + +_Monday 30th._ Settled our Account up to Sat{y}. on hand 1 adt. Op{d}. & +Small three; met at Barthol{n}. me Bill & Jack Hutton went to B. Lyon got +1 adt. got up at four in the morning Tuesday, Butler Bill & me brought the +above to St Thos'. + + +DECEMBER, 1812. + +_Tuesday 1st._ Met at Tottenham Court Road had a dispute in St. Ts Crib. +Came home did not do anything. came to the Rockingham Arms, got Drunk + +_Wednesday 2nd._ Met at Vickers rectify{d}. our last account, the party +sent out me & Ben to St Thos. C{b}. got 1 adt., Bill & Jack Guys Crib 2 +adt but one of them opd. Butler look out for us, took them to St. Thos. +came home Met at St Thos., me & Jack went to Tott{m}. got 4 adts Ben & +Bill got ad/6 s/1 f/1. at Pancrass took Totten{m} to Wilson, Pan{s}. to +Barthol.[89] + +_Thursday 3rd._ Met at Wind{ll}. St. disposed of 2 of the above to Wilson, +went to Barthol{w}. came home for the night. + +_Friday 4th._ Met at Vickers pack{d}. up one for Shute, afterwards went to +St Thos. got 6 adt. took them to Barth{m}. left Ben & Jack Hutton to pack +up for Edinbro, afterwards Jack me & Bill went to Tott{m}. got 3 adt. took +them to Barthol{m}. + +_Saturday 5th._ Remain'd at Barth{m}. packing up for Edinboro, sent 12 to +the wharf for the above place, at home all night. + + + + +_The following list contains some of the chief sources of information on +the history of the Resurrectionists._ + + +SMITH, SOUTHWOOD. "Use of the Dead to the Living." _Westminster Review_, +ii., 1824, p. 59. + +This was afterwards reprinted as a pamphlet. One of the editions was +issued with the title of _Body-snatching_. + + +MACKENZIE, W. _An Appeal to the Public and to the Legislature, on the +necessity of affording dead bodies to the Schools of Anatomy by +legislative enactment_. 8vo. Glasgow, 1824. + + +GREEN, JOSEPH HENRY. _A letter to Sir Astley Cooper, on certain +proceedings connected with the establishment of an Anatomical Surgical +School at Guy's Hospital_. 8vo. London, 1825. + + +"On the Pleasures of Body-snatching." _Monthly Mag._, iii., 1827, p. 355. + + +_Report from the Select Committee [House of Commons] on Anatomy_. Fol., +London, 1828. + +This is, perhaps, the best source of information respecting the +Resurrectionists. Many important documents are printed in this volume, in +addition to the evidence and the report. + + +"Importance of Dissection in Anatomy." _Westminster Review_, x., 1828, p. +116. + + +_An Address to the members of both Houses of Parliament, on the +legislative measures necessary for providing an adequate supply of human +bodies for the purpose of anatomical instruction. [By a friend of science +and of man.]_ 8vo. Bath. n.d. + + +The debates in the Houses of Parliament on the Anatomy Bills will be found +in _Hansard_. + +There is also much information in the pages of the _Lancet_ for the period +during which the Bills were before Parliament. Mr. Wakley, the editor, +took a great interest in the question, and wrote many vigorous articles, +pointing out defects in the Bills whilst they were under discussion. + + +"Supply of Subjects for Anatomy." _London Mag._, xxiii., 1829, p. 121. + + +Article in _Blackwood_ for March, 1829, by "Christopher North," on "Robert +Knox." + + +_The Trial of Bishop, Williams, and May, at the Old Bailey, December 2nd, +1831, for the murder of the Italian Boy_. 8vo. London, 1831. + +There were many Reports of this trial published, both as broadsides and as +pamphlets. + + +"Regulation of Anatomy." _Westminster Review_, xvi., 1831, p. 482. + + +"Obstructions to Science of Anatomy." _Monthly Review_, cxxvii., 1831, p. +91. + + +HANSON, N. _A Letter addressed to the Government and the Royal College of +Surgeons, founded on the diabolical and horrible practice of Burking; +setting forth the necessity of placing Anatomical Schools on a different +footing_. 8vo. London, 1831. + + +GUTHRIE, G. J. _Remarks on the Anatomy Bill now before Parliament, in a +letter addressed to the Right Hon. the Lord Althorp_. 8vo. London, 1832. + + +_An Act for regulating Schools of Anatomy_ (2 and 3 Guil. IV. cap. 75). +Fol. London, 1832. + + +DERMOTT, G. D. _A Lecture introductory to a course of Lectures on Anatomy, +Physiology, and Surgery, delivered at the School of Medicine and Surgery, +Gerrard Street, Soho_. 8vo. London, 1833. + + +COOPER, BRANSBY B. _The Life of Sir Astley Cooper_. 2 vols. 8vo. London, +1843. + + +"The Resurrectionists." _Chambers' Journal_, xxxix., 1862, p. 100. + + +"Body-snatching and Burking." _Once a Week_, x., 1863, p. 261. + + +"Burke and Hare." _All the Year Round_, xvii., 1866, p. 282. + + +LONSDALE, H. _A Sketch of the Life and Writings of Robert Knox, the +Anatomist_. 8vo. London, 1870. + + +"Body-snatchers." _Every Saturday_, ix., 1870, p. 166. + + +FELTOE, C. L. _Memorials of John Flint South_. 12mo. London, 1884. + + +MACGREGOR, GEORGE. _The History of Burke and Hare, and of the +Resurrectionist Times_. 8vo. Glasgow, 1884. + +There is a large mass of literature relating to Burke and Hare and their +trial and execution: this is well summed up in Mr. MacGregor's book. + + +CAMERON, SIR C. A. _History of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, +and of the Irish Schools of Medicine_. 8vo. Dublin, 1886. + + + + +INDEX + + + Abernethy (John), body sold to, 173. + + Advertisements of Lectures on Anatomy, 41-42. + + America, supply of bodies in, 122. + + Anatomical Schools, establishment of, 41. + history of, by D'Arcy Power, referred to, 43. + + Anatomists, charges against, of receiving murdered bodies, 56. + fined for teaching, 18. + form an Anatomical Club, 50. + + Anatomy, Committee on, appointment of, 30. + evidence before, 15. + report of, 102. + referred to, vii. + inspectors of, appointed, 116. + knowledge of, necessary for surgeons, 14. + lectures on, advertisements of, 41-42. + teaching of, confined to Company of Barbers and Surgeons, 17. + + Anatomy Act, passing and provisions of, 113-117. + + Anatomy Bill, 1829, introduction of, 103. + opposition to, 105. + + Arnold (Will.), execution of, 23. + + Arnot (W.) at Hatton Garden, for body-snatching, 92. + + Arsenic, poisoning by, ix. + + "Artichoke" public-house, mentioned. See Diary, _passim_. + + Austria, supply of bodies in, 120. + + Austrian Archdukes obtain Butler's release, 132. + + + Barber-Surgeons. See Company of Barbers and Surgeons. + + Beaman, _post mortem_ of the Italian boy, 57. + + Bell, Sir Charles, body sold to, 142. + + Bellingham, drawing of head of, referred to, 26. + + Bentham, Jeremy, left his body for dissection, 33. + oration by Mr. Grainger over his body, 33. + + Bermondsey, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Bethnal Green, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Bibliography of subject, 177. + + Big Gates, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Bishop and Williams, arrest and trial of, 107. + disposal of bodies of, 27. + drawings of heads of, 112. + execution of, 110. + + "Black," a, 173. + + Black Crib, 140. + + "Blue Lion" public-house. See Diary, _passim_. + + Blundell (William), trial of, at Warrington, 95. + + Bodies, difficulties of obtaining, 44. + dissection of, in public, 100. + fatal effect of, 39. + for dissection supplied by students, 15. + left for anatomical purposes, 33-40. + offered for dissection after death, 39. + possession of stolen, decided to be felony, 98. + prices of, 71. + raised by competition of different schools, 47. + scarcity of, 13. + stolen by Resurrectionists from houses, 50. + from dead-house at Guy's Hospital, 53. + whilst awaiting coroner's inquest, 53. + supply of, in foreign countries, 118. + from provinces, 81. + from workhouses, 31. + suggestions in newspapers, 31. + See also _Country_; _Edinburgh_. + temporary shelter for, 65. + of malefactors given to Company of Barbers and Surgeons, 19. + difficulty of obtaining from Tyburn, 20. + of murderers to be given up to Surgeons' Company, 21. + dissected at College of Surgeons, 22. + account of proceedings at dissection, by T. M. Stone, 28. + conveyed through streets, 23. + dissection of, an obstacle to passing the Anatomy Act, 30. + + Boys (Mr.) wishes his body to be made into "essential salts," 38. + + Bridgman's patent coffin, 76. + illustration of, 78. + + Brookes (Joshua), advertisement of Lectures, 42. + badly treated by resurrection-men, 45. + bodies sold to. See Diary, _passim_. + + Bunhill Row, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Burial-grounds, custodians of, bribed by Resurrectionists, 58. + precautions for watching, 72. + protection of, 75. + + Burke and Hare, referred to, v., viii. + + Burking, by means of snuff, ix. + meaning of, viii. + panic from fear of, vii. + + Butler, biographical notice of, 132. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + + Cameron (Sir C.) History of Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, + referred to, 87. + + Carpue (J. C.), caricature of, 98. + mentioned in Diary, 141. + refuses to buy body of Italian boy, 109. + + Chandler (George), provides building for dissecting murderers, 24. + + Chapman (Israel), Jew Resurrectionist, 166. + + Cheselden (William) summoned before Court of Barber-Surgeons for + teaching anatomy, 18. + + Chiene (Prof.), referred to, xii. + + Clarke (--), imprisoned for stealing body of child, 51. + + Clarke (J. F.), on post mortem of the Italian boy, 56. + + Clift (W. and W. H.). Drawings of heads of murderers, 26. + + Cline (H.), mentioned in Diary, 139. + + Coffins, Bridgman's patent, 76. + illustrations of, 78. + mentioned by Southey, 78. + + Coke (Lord), on property in a dead body, 90. + + Committee on Anatomy. See _Anatomy_. + + Company of Barbers and Surgeons to have bodies of malefactors, 19. + advertisement of dissection, 21. + anatomical teaching by, 17. + + Connolly, mentioned in Diary. See Diary, _passim_. + + Cooper (Sir Astley), evidence before Anatomy Committee, 15. + payments to Resurrectionists, 48, 49. + purchase of bodies, 40, 149. + life of. See _Cooper (B. B.)_. + + Cooper (Bransby B.), life of Sir Astley Cooper, referred to, + vi., vii., 125. + notices of Resurrectionists, 128. + + Corporation of Surgeons, required knowledge of anatomy in students, 14. + to have bodies of murderers, 21. + end of, 22. + + Country, bodies sent to, 148, 150, 154. + + Craigie (Dr.), Inspector of Anatomy, 117. + + Crail, house for securing the dead, 80. + + Crouch (Ben), biographical notice of, 128. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + Crowe (Mrs.). _Light and Darkness_, resurrection-man in, 17. + + Cundick (George). See Rex _v._ Cundick. + + + Deane (John), fined for teaching anatomy, 18. + + Dermott (G. D.), proposal by, for raising fund to purchase bodies, 32. + + _Diary of a Resurrectionist_, description and authorship of, 124. + _fac-simile_ of page of, 138. + history of, v. + reprinted, 139. + + Dickens (Charles). Mr. Cruncher in _Tale of Two Cities_, 17. + + Dissection. See _Bodies_. + + Dublin, burial-grounds of, 87. + + Dundee, protection of grave at, 79. + + Dunn (Francis), execution of, 23. + + + Edinburgh, bodies sent to, 142, 143, 145, 148, 175, 176. + Greyfriars Churchyard, mortsafes in, 76. + illustrations of, 41, 74, 76. + + Edwards (D.). _Post mortem_ of the Italian boy, 57. + + + Fairclough (Jane), prosecution of Davies and others for stealing + her body, 95. + + Fat, graves rifled for, 88. + + Ferrari (Carlo), murder of, 109. + _post mortem_ of, 56. + + Ferrers (Earl), execution of, 27. + + Fiction, body-snatchers in, 17. + + Finishing money, 48. + + Flemish, the, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Forster (Mr.), _post mortem_ on Messenger Monsey, 37. + + Frampton (Dr.), bodies sold to. See Diary, _passim_. + + France, supply of bodies in, 119. + + + Germany, supply of bodies in, 120. + + Glasnevin Churchyard, riot in, 73. + + Glennon, the police officer, presented with silver staff, 46. + recovered stolen bodies, 50. + + Goswell Street, bodies obtained from, 152. + + Grainger (R. D.), payments to resurrection-men, 48. + oration over body of Jeremy Bentham, 33. + refuses to buy body of Italian boy, 109. + + Graves, protection of, 75, 79, 80. + See also _Burial-grounds_. + + Green Churchyard, 140. + + Guthrie, referred to, 14. + + Guy's Hospital, bodies stolen from dead-house, 53. + mentioned in Diary. See Diary, _passim_. + + + Hall (Edward), trial of, at Warrington, 95. + + Harnell (P.), a Resurrectionist, 133. + + Harnett (Bill), biographical notice of, 130. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + Harnett (Jack), biographical notice of, 131. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + Harnige. See Hornig. + + Harpers. See Diary, _passim_. + + Hawkins (Caesar), advertisement of Lectures, 42. + + Head. See _Bishop and Williams_. + + Henderson, of Greenock, punished for shipping bodies from Liverpool, 87. + + Hill, porter at King's College, 108. + + Holland, supply of bodies in, 122. + + Holliss, biographical notice of, 134. + + Holmes (Mrs. Basil). _Burial-grounds of London_, quoted, 138, 140. + + Holmes (John) and Peter Williams, convicted of robbery from grave, 59. + + Hornig, or Harnige, mentioned in Diary, 145, 147. + + Hullock (Baron), summing up in trial of Davies and others, 97. + + Hutton (Jack) mentioned. See Diary, _passim_. + + + Inspectors of Anatomy, appointment, 116. + + Ireland, supply of bodies from, 87. + + Iron coffin, 76. + illustration of, 78. + + Italian boy, the. See _Ferrari (Carlo)_. + + Italy, supply of bodies in, 121. + + + Lambert, mentioned in Diary, 165. + + _Lancet_, the, and the Anatomy Bill, 105. + + Large small, meaning of, 71. + + Law relating to body-snatching, 90. + + Lawrence (Sir W.), on anatomical teaching abroad, 118. + + Lee (Edward), execution, &c., of, 93. + + Light (Tom), biographical notice of, 132. + at Hatton Garden, for body-snatching, 92. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + Lincoln's Inn Fields, bodies of murderers conveyed to, 23. + + Liverpool, bodies shipped as "bitter salts," 82. + + London Hospital, mentioned in Diary. See Diary, _passim_. + + Longmore (Sir Thomas), obtained Diary, and presented it to Royal + College of Surgeons, vi., 124. + + Lynn. See Rex _v._ Lynn. + + Lytton (Lord). _Lucretia_, resurrection-man in, 17. + + + Macaulay, Alderman, extract from diary of, 23. + + Macintire (John) buried alive, and rescued by resurrection-men, 65. + + May (James), arrest and trial of, 107. + respite and death of, 110. + verse by, 110. + biographical notice of, 112. + + Mayo (H.), _post mortem_ of the Italian boy, 57. + + Millard (W.), account of, 162, 163. + + Mills (Mr.), buys teeth of Italian boy, 109. + + Moir (D. M.). _Mansie Wauch_, refers to body-snatching, 17. + + Monsey (Messenger), _post mortem_ on, 36. + + Moon, full, interfered with Resurrectionists, 124. + + Mordecai, the Jew, 72, 140. + + Mortsafes in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh, 76. + illustrations of, 41, 74, 76. + + Moss (Dr.) of Warrington, 96. + + "Muddle (Jasper), Confessions of" (by Albert Smith), 17. + + Murderers, dissection of, agitation against, 99. + repealed, 115. + drawings of heads of, 26. + + Murphy, stealing teeth, 71. + + Murray (Sir James), Inspector of Anatomy, 117. + + + Naples (Joseph), biographical notice of, 136. + method of working, 64. + writer of Diary, 127. + + Newington, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Nicholls (Fr.), advertisement of Lectures, 42. + + Nourse (Edward), advertisement of Lectures, 41. + + + Paris, supply of bodies in, 119. + + Partridge (Richard), arrest of Bishop and Williams, 108. + body of Bishop given to, 28. + _post mortem_ of the Italian boy, 57. + + Patrick, a Resurrectionist, 133. + + Patterson (G. S.) referred to, 15. + + Pigburn (Fanny), murder of, by Bishop and Williams, 109. + + "Plough" public-house, 175. + + Portugal, supply of bodies in, 122. + + Pott (Percivall), Lectures on Surgery, 42. + + Power (D'Arcy), History of Anatomical Schools, referred to, 43. + See _South (J. F.)_. + + Prosecutions for Body-snatching, 90. + + Provincial schools, supply of, 81. + + + Redmond, Luke, murder of, 87. + + Resurrectionists, biographical notices of, 128. + cost of keeping families of, whilst the men were in gaol, 48. + damage done to subjects purchased from rivals, 45, 49. + demand finishing money, 48. + earnings of, 71, 72. + end of, 117. + first appearance of, 13. + in fiction, 16. + _modus operandi_ of, 61. + as described in _Memoir_ of Thomas Wakley, 61. + improbability of this method, 63. + _modus operandi_ of Naples, 64. + number of bodies obtained by, 60, 69. + origin of, 44. + popular feeling against, 69, 113. + sources of information respecting, vii. + See also _Diary, Prosecutions_. + + Rex _v._ Cundick, 93. + + Rex _v._ Lynn, 90. + + "Rockingham Arms" public-house. See Diary, _passim_. + + Rolph (Mary), body of, exhumed, 142. + + Ross, Elizabeth, the "Burker," viii. + + Rowlandson's "Dissecting-room." _Frontispiece_. + + Royal College of Surgeons, examinations of, 15. + foundation of, 22. + obliged to dissect bodies of murderers, 22, 26. + opposition to Bill of, on account of distance of new building + from Newgate, 23. + proceedings for obtaining premises near Newgate, 24. + + + St. Bartholomew's Hospital, mentioned. See Diary, _passim_. + + St. George's, Bloomsbury, robbery from graveyard of, 59. + See also Diary, _passim_. + + St. James', bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + St. John's, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + St. Luke's burial-ground, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + St. Olave and St. John, Southwark, burial-ground, 152. + + St. Pancras, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + St. Thomas', Charterhouse, 152. + + St. Thomas' Hospital, mentioned. See Diary, _passim_. + + Sergeant, Miss, _Dr. Endicott's Experiment_, refers to + body-snatching, 17. + + Sheriffs of London, letter from, as to bodies of Bishop and + Williams, 28. + + Shields, porter to Bishop and Williams, 113. + + Smalls, meaning of, 71. + + Smith (Albert), "Confessions of Jasper Muddle, Dissecting-room + Porter," 17, 130. + + Society of Apothecaries, did not require attendance at dissection, 14. + + Somerville (James C.), effects on students of want of subjects, 48. + Inspector of Anatomy, 117. + + South (J. F.) and D'Arcy Power, Memorials of the Craft of Surgery, + quoted, 19. + + Southey (R.), _The Surgeon's Warning_, 78, 88. + + Spelling (--), at Hatton Garden for body-snatching, 92. + + Stanley (E.), bodies sold to. See Diary, _passim_. + + Stone (T. Madden), account of dissection at College of Surgeons, 28. + letter on body-snatchers, 125. + + Students, knowledge of anatomy necessary for. See _Anatomy_. + + Subjects for dissection. See _Bodies_. + + + Taunton (Mr.), bodies sold to. See Diary, _passim_. + + Teeth, trade in, by Resurrectionists, 71, 167. + + Tottenham, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Trance, man buried during, and rescued by resurrection-men, 65. + + Trials for body-snatching. See _Prosecutions_. + + Tuson, refuses to buy body of Italian boy, 109. + + Twyford (Mr.), statement as to number of prosecutions at Worship + St., 92. + + Tyburn, bodies taken from, 20. + + + Ure (Nat.), mentioned, 154. + + + Veitch (A. D.), on Wilson's supposed Burking, viii. + + Vickers (Mr.), mentioned in Diary, _passim_. + + + Walsh, Catherine, murder of, viii. + + Warburton's Act. See _Anatomy Bill_ and _Anatomy Act_. + + Warren (Samuel), _Diary of a late Physician_, quoted, 15. + + Warrington, prosecution of John Davies and others at, 95. + + Wetherfield (Mr.), _post mortem_ of the Italian boy, 57. + + "White Horse" public-house. See Diary, _passim_. + + Whitechapel, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + Williams, and illicit trade in glass, 112. + See also _Bishop and Williams_. + + Williams (Peter). See Holmes (John). + + Wilson (James), bodies sold to. See Diary, _passim_. + + Wilson (John), "Burking by means of snuff," ix. + + Wood (Mr.), death of, from seeing a body dissected, 39. + + Workhouses, number of deaths in, 31. + + Wortley, mentioned in Diary, 161. + + Wygate or Wiegate, bodies obtained from. See Diary, _passim_. + + + Yarmouth, body-snatching at, 81. + + Young (Sidney), _Annals of the Barber-Surgeons_, quoted, 18, 20. + + +_Plymouth: W. Brendon and Son, Printers._ + + + + +Footnotes: + +[1] See _Sketch of the Life of Robert Knox_, by HENRY LONSDALE (London, +1870); and _The History of Burke and Hare and of the Resurrectionist +Times_, by GEORGE MACGREGOR (Glasgow, 1884). + +[2] It may be interesting to mention that Albert Smith's remuneration for +these papers was five shillings per page of three columns. + +[3] _Annals of the Barber Surgeons_, by SIDNEY YOUNG, p. 317. + +[4] SOUTH and D'ARCY POWER, _Memorials of the Craft of Surgery_, p. 233, +_note_. + +[5] YOUNG, _loc. cit._ p. 349. + +[6] _Academy_, vol. vi. p. 208, 1874. + +[7] For the portraits of Bishop and Williams see p. 112. + +[8] _Hospital Gazette_, from Sep. 13, 1890, to March 7, 1891. + +[9] This Committee was appointed by the House of Commons in 1828, to take +evidence and report on the necessity of obtaining bodies for anatomical +purposes. The work of the Committee is referred to at greater length on p. +102. + +[10] The letter has no signature. + +[11] See also p. 107. + +[12] _Autobiographical Recollections of the Medical Profession_, p. 101. + +[13] _Lancet_, 1896, vol. i. p. 187. + +[14] _Memorials of John Flint South_, by C. T. FELTOE, 1884, p. 100. + +[15] _Life of Sir Astley Cooper_, vol. i. p. 354. + +[16] See illustration. + +[17] See two following illustrations. + +[18] CAMERON, _History of Roy. Coll. Surgeons in Ireland_, p. 113. + +[19] _Use of the Dead to the Living._ + +[20] _D. and R. Nisi Prius Repts._ i. 13. + +[21] See also page 56. + +[22] See page vi. + +[23] _Life of Sir Astley Cooper_, vol. i. p. 422. + +[24] Cannot find out his surname. + +[25] _Loc. cit._ vol. i. _passim_. + +[26] B. Cooper gives an account of a Resurrectionist under the name of +"Patrick"; this is probably the man referred to. The name is Harnell in +the _Sun_ for October 14th, 1812; it may, perhaps, be a misprint for +Harnett; two men of this name have already been spoken of. + +[27] See also p. 126. + +[28] The name is suppressed in the printed copy. + +[29] Since the above was written, Mrs. Basil Holmes' interesting volume on +_The Burial Grounds of London_ has been published. Reference to this book +confirms the statement above made. Mrs. Holmes' account is very carefully +done, and the list of the old burial-grounds is probably as complete as it +can be, but no light is thrown upon any of the difficult names used in the +Diary. + +[30] Slang for a burial-ground. + +[31] Harper is probably the name of the keeper of a burial-ground. + +[32] This occurs often in the Diary, and was evidently a favourite place +for meeting. It was, doubtless, the entrance to some burial-ground, but +there is no evidence by which the place can be definitely determined. + +[33] _i.e._ a body which had had a post mortem performed on it was +obtained from the burial-ground attached to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. + +[34] Watched to see what funerals were taking place during the day. + +[35] Probably Michael Mordecai, who kept an old curiosity-shop in New +Alley, and was a noted receiver. + +[36] Probably the landlord of a public-house. + +[37] _i.e._ all the gang. + +[38] The "Green Churchyard" was an addition to the Churchyard of St. +Giles, Cripplegate. "Green Churchyard" is a name which we find repeated in +other parishes; for instance, it was given to the higher portion of St. +James', Piccadilly, and to the little piece by St. Bartholomew the Great, +approached through the present south transept. Holmes, _loc. cit._ It is +impossible to say which of these is here meant. + +[39] Bunhill. + +[40] J. C. Carpue, the founder of the Dean Street Anatomical School. + +[41] Dr. Frampton, of the London Hospital. + +[42] James Wilson, of the Great Windmill Street School. + +[43] Joshua Brookes, founder of the Blenheim Street, or Great Marlborough +Street, Anatomical School: for references to Brookes, see Index. + +[44] See page 65. + +[45] Sir Charles Bell, of Great Windmill Street School. + +[46] Abbreviation for Harpers. See p. 139. + +[47] Either St. Luke's Church or St. Luke's Hospital in Old Street. + +[48] Words so crossed out that they cannot be deciphered; in all +probability it originally read "with their ---- throat cut." + +[49] John Taunton, founder of the City of London Truss Society, a +demonstrator at Guy's Hospital under Cline, and at this time principal +lecturer to the London Anatomical Society. + +[50] Artichoke Public-house. + +[51] See page 127. + +[52] Newington. + +[53] Slang term for bodies. + +[54] See page 71. + +[55] Afterwards Sir Astley Cooper. + +[56] Body putrid, and therefore of no use for anatomical purposes. + +[57] Probably Church of St. Thomas, Charterhouse. + +[58] The burial-ground for the parishes of St. Olave and St. John, +Southwark; it was taken by the "Greenwich Railway Company": part of the +approach to the "Flemish" now forms the approach to London Bridge Station. + +[59] This is, of course, not the St. Pancras Church in the Euston Road, +but the old parish church situated on the north side of the road leading +from King's Cross to Kentish Town. + +[60] See page 124. + +[61] Failed to get a body. + +[62] Bodies unsold. + +[63] Probably a burial-ground attached to a meeting-house. + +[64] The diary is torn at the margin in this place: the word "left" is +probably correct, but who "the man" was cannot be determined. + +[65] St. Olave's. + +[66] Probably from information given to the police by the other party who +"had got the adult." + +[67] The police court in Union Street, Southwark; it was removed in 1845. + +[68] _i.e._ had spoiled them for anatomical purposes; very likely to be +done out of spite, as on the previous day they had "row'd with Ben," +_i.e._ Crouch; see page 49. + +[69] Evidently for debt. + +[70] Millard was superintendent of the dissecting-room at St. Thomas'; he +was an avaricious man, and lost this situation through dealing in bodies. +His plan was to take them in at the hospital from the resurrection-men, +and then to sell them at an advanced price in Edinburgh unknown to the men +who supplied him, and to the teachers at the hospital. Millard was popular +with the pupils, and, after his dismissal, they persuaded him to take an +eating-house in the neighbourhood of St. Thomas'. As there was money to be +made in the "resurrection" traffic, he did not abandon his connection with +the body-snatchers. This came to be known, and created a strong prejudice +against him; so much so that his legitimate business fell off to such an +extent as to make it necessary for him to relinquish it altogether. Then +he took entirely to the resurrection business, and was sentenced to three +months' imprisonment for taking a body from the burial-ground attached to +the London Hospital. He appealed against the sentence, and found bail. +Then he brought an action against the magistrate at Lambeth for false +imprisonment; this was set aside, and Millard was sent back to Cold Bath +Fields to complete his sentence. He tried hard to get Sir Astley Cooper to +solicit a pardon for him, but without avail. This so preyed on his mind +that he threatened Sir Astley with bodily injury. Ultimately Millard quite +lost his reason, and died in gaol. In 1825 his widow published a pamphlet +entitled, "An Account of the circumstances attending the imprisonment and +death of the late William Millard, formerly superintendent of the Theatre +of Anatomy of St. Thomas' Hospital, Southwark." The pamphlet states that +Millard had notice to leave St. Thomas' because it was found that he was +supplying Mr. Grainger with bodies, and that Sir Astley Cooper was +determined to put an end to the school which Grainger had established. The +publication is of a very abusive character; the surgeon of the gaol, Mr. +Wakley, of the _Lancet_, and the authorities at the hospital, all come in +for severe censure. The whole tone of the pamphlet is so exaggerated that +it is impossible to tell whether there is any truth in Mrs. Millard's +grievances. + +[71] Extremities. + +[72] These words are illegible. + +[73] St. Pancras. + +[74] Male. + +[75] Mr. Edward Stanley, Surgeon to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. + +[76] Private door into the burial-ground, probably generally left unlocked +for them by the custodian; for some special reason it was closed on this +particular night. + +[77] In all probability Israel Chapman, a Jew, who was in the resurrection +trade; the object of following was to try and prevent his doing any +business. (See page 49.) The next entry shows that the Jew had sold a body +at St. Bartholomew's; there was "a row" at this, and, no doubt, "the +regular men" had to be pacified. + +[78] Placed there by friends of the deceased, in all probability. + +[79] Opened two graves; one body too decomposed to bring away, so they +drew the canine teeth and sold them. + +[80] Words crossed out and illegible in the MS. + +[81] Tom Light. + +[82] See also p. 129. + +[83] The words in brackets are crossed out in the MS. + +[84] _i.e._ The clothes specially used for resurrection work; they would +naturally be clay-stained, and if worn during the day would betray their +owner's occupation. + +[85] Probably slang for a funeral. + +[86] Blue Lion. + +[87] Canine teeth. + +[88] The watchman. + +[89] _i.e._ got 6 adults, 1 small, and 1 foetus from St. Pancras: these +were taken to S. Bartholomew's: the four from Tottenham went to Mr. +Wilson. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_. + +Superscripted letters are shown in {brackets}. + +The following misprints have been corrected: + "where" corrected to "were" (page xii) + "how tax" corrected to "hot wax" (page 83) + +Other than the corrections listed above, printer's inconsistencies in +spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation usage have been retained. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Diary of a Resurrectionist, +1811-1812, by James Blake Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST *** + +***** This file should be named 32614.txt or 32614.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/6/1/32614/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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