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 314 MEDICAL. Body-Snatching. Bailey (James Blake, Librarian of the Royal 
 College of Surgeons). 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. With illustrations. Cr. 8vo, orig. cloth gilt, 
 fine copy, scarce. Swan Sonnenschein, 1896 10s 6d 
 
 A genuine record of the doings of one gang of the resurrection-men in Lon- 
 don. The Diary was presented to the Royal College of Surgeons by 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. 
 
 
THE DIARY 
 
 A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 Open Knowledge Commons 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/diaryofresurrectOObail 
 
£h -^ 
 
THE DIARY 
 
 OF 
 
 A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 181 1-1812 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED AN ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE RESURRECTION MEN IN I ONE ON 
 
 AND A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PASSING OF 
 THE ANATOMY ACT 
 
 JAMES BLAKE BAILEY, B.A. 
 
 LIBRARIAN OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OF ENGLAND 
 
 LONDON 
 
 SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., Lim. 
 
 PATERNOSTER SQUARE 
 1896 
 
J?9t> 
 
 0< 
 
 
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 
 
vi INTRODUCTION 
 
 Edinburgh, and consequently there have been 
 published ample accounts of the resurrection- 
 men in Scotland. # 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 resur- 
 rection-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 
 
 * 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). 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 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 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 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 re- 
 membered 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, 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 there is no doubt that this case would have 
 been referred to in books on Medical Juris- 
 prudence. 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 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 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 con- 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 veyed 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 abomin- 
 able 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 1 ; 
 
 By these means you '11 live, avoiding all strife, 
 Shunning snuff takers all the days of your life. 
 
 "Printed for the Publishers by T. KAY." 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 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 examina- 
 tion 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 wXere 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 illus- 
 trations 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 teach- 
 ing ; 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 
 
14 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 ex- 
 perience 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 15 
 
 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 
 
1 6 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 re- 
 cognised 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 17 
 
 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. # 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 Lucre tia, Mrs. Crowe in 
 Light and Darkness, and Miss Sergeant in 
 Dr. EndicoWs 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 2 1 st May, 1573, the following entry occurs 
 
 * It may be interesting to mention that Albert Smith's 
 remuneration for these papers was five shillings per page of 
 three columns. 
 
1 8 THE DIARY OF 
 
 in the records, " Here was John Deane and 
 appoynted to brynge in his fyne x 11 for havinge 
 an Anathomye in his howse contrary to an 
 order in that behalf between this and mydsomer 
 next." # As late as 17 14 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, 1 714. Our 
 Master acquainting the Court that Mr. William 
 Cheselden, a member of this Company, did 
 frequently procure the Dead bodies of Male- 
 factors 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 con- 
 trary 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. 
 
 * Annals of the Barber Surgeons, by Sidney Young, 
 P- 317- 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 19 
 
 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." # 
 
 By the Act Henry VIII., xxii., cap. 12, pro- 
 vision 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 cotradic- 
 tion 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 
 
 * South and D'Arcy Power, Memorials of the Craft of 
 Surgery, p. 233, note. 
 
20 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 pre- 
 cautions 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, 171 1. # 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, 17.11. 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 
 
 * Young, loc. cit. p. 349. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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, 
 1 742 : " Notice is hereby given that there being 
 a publick Body at Barbers and Surgeons Hall, 
 the Demonstrations of Anatomy and the Opera- 
 tions 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 mur- 
 derers executed in London and Middlesex 
 should be conveyed to the Hall of the Surgeons 
 Company to be dissected and anatomized, and 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 1 796 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 Corpora- 
 tion, 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 23 
 
 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 per- 
 mission 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. 
 
24 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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. " # 
 
 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 
 
 * Academy, vol. vi. p. 208, 1874. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 25 
 
 look for a temporary dissecting-room at a 
 place in or near the Old Bailey until a per- 
 manent 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 Smith- 
 field, 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 ,£10 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 
 
26 THE DIARY OF 
 
 murderers who were condemned to be hano-ed 
 
 o 
 
 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 
 "Anthx Carlisle. 
 
 " Royal College of Surgeons 
 
 " ijtk 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. io7), # and Bellingham, who was executed 
 
 * For the portraits of Bishop and Williams see p. 112. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 27 
 
 in 181 2 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, 183 1. 
 
 " 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 establish- 
 ment these offenders were detected and ultimately 
 brought to justice, we shall therefore feel obliged by 
 
28 THE DIARY OF 
 
 your handing over these bodies to the King's 
 College. 
 
 " We are, with great respect, 
 " Your mo. ob. Servts., 
 
 "J. COWAN \ Sherm » 
 
 "John Pirie j JJ 
 
 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. " # 
 
 "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. 
 
 * Hospital Gazette, from Sep. 13, 1890, to March 7, 1891. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 29 
 
 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 extra- 
 ordinary 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 func- 
 tionary above referred to, and he would soon 
 beat a hasty retreat, on his gaily-decked 
 
30 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 dissec- 
 tion ; it is therefore obvious that the number 
 was quite insufficient for the wants of the Metro- 
 politan 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.* In their Report 
 
 * This Committee was appointed by the House of Commons 
 in 1828, to take evidence and report on the necessity of obtain- 
 ing bodies for anatomical purposes. The work of the 
 Committee is referred to at greater length on p. 102. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 31 
 
 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 1 108 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 pros- 
 titutes 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 drunken- 
 ness, should be handed over to the surgeons 
 for a similar purpose. 
 
 Mr. Dermott, the proprietor of the Gerrard 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 33 
 
 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. Gentle- 
 men, 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 
 
34 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 under- 
 taking 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 disposi- 
 tion 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 func- 
 tions of the human body. He also perceived 
 that there was but one method of obtaining 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 35 
 
 such knowledge, viz., dissection. In pro- 
 ceeding 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 encourage- 
 ment, 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, de- 
 termined to devote his own body to the public 
 good. He knew that this determination would 
 
36 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 wit- 
 nessed, he took effectual means to carry his 
 resolution into effect. And thus, gentlemen, 
 did the last act of this illustrious man's ex- 
 istence 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 37 
 
 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, 1 788 ; 
 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 
 
38 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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, accord- 
 ing 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 super- 
 intend 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 18 10, shows that untoward 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 39 
 
 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 
 
MORTSAFE /IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 AS has been stated in the previous chapter, 
 J~\ 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 
 1 739, 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 nth of Nov., at St. 
 Bartholomew's Hospital. 
 
 " Edw. Nourse, Assistant Surgeon 
 
 and Lithotomist to the said Hospital." 
 41 
 
42 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 18 14, 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 43 
 
 morning. By Mr. Brookes. — Anatomical Converza- 
 tiones 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, v °l- 2 > P- I 4 I - 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 
 
44 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 church- 
 yards, often made really more scandal than the 
 actual stealing of the bodies. It was stated 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 45 
 
 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 1 6 
 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 
 
46 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 47 
 
 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, 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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, £6 6s. od. 
 1829, June 1 8th, Paid Murphy, Wildes, & 
 Naples, finishing money £6 6s. od." 
 
 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 ,£50 
 in this way for one man, and several guineas 
 in keeping the family of another Resurrectionist 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 49 
 
 whilst the latter was in gaol. Sir Astley 
 Cooper is known to have spent large sums 
 of money for a similar purpose. The follow- 
 ing may be cited as examples : "January 29th, 
 1828, Paid Mr. Cock to pay Mr. South half 
 the expenses of bailing Vaughan from Yar- 
 mouth and going down £14. 7s. od. 1829, 
 May 6th, Paid Vaughan's wife 6s. Paid 
 Vaughan for twenty-six weeks' confinement 
 at 1 os. per week, £13 os. od." 
 
 If any independence were shown by the 
 teachers, and the demands of the men resisted, 
 victory generally fell to the lot of the Resurrec- 
 tionists. 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 
 
5 o THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 51 
 
 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 
 
52 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 Bridge- 
 water 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 r 
 she stated that the mother had not been to see 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 53 
 
 the deceased for four or five days before the 
 death. The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty, 
 but some of them audibly spoke of recommend- 
 ing the prisoner to mercy, but made no appen- 
 dage 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 resurrec- 
 tion-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 
 
54 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 infor- 
 mation of the circumstance to the Magistrates, 
 who gave orders that immediate inquiry should 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 55 
 
 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. 
 
56 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 com- 
 municate 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, # has been preserved by Mr. 
 
 "* See also p. 107. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 57 
 
 Clarke. # The examination of the body was 
 carried out by Mr. Wetherfield, of Southamp- 
 ton 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 up- 
 right 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. 
 
 * Autobiographical Recollections of the Medical Profession, 
 p. 101. 
 
58 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 sup- 
 plying 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 dis- 
 missed 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 intoxica- 
 tion, the body which the resurrection-men 
 wished to obtain could be easily removed. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 59 
 
 After this first step there was generally very 
 little difficulty in the future. 
 
 Sometimes, too, the grave-diggers not only 
 eave information to the Resurrectionists, but 
 
 o 
 
 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 
 
60 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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, 181 2, the 
 Diary tells us that 15 large bodies and one 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 61 
 
 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* 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 
 
 * Lancet, 1896, vol. i. p. 187. 
 E 
 
62 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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, prefer- 
 ably, 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 o-iven in 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 63 
 
 the Memorials of John Flint South* This 
 method is also referred to by Bransby 
 Cooper,f 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 
 
 * Memorials of John Flint South, by C. T. Feltoe, 1884,, 
 p. 100. f Life of Sir Astley Cooper, vol. i. p. 354. 
 
64 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 65 
 
 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 btiried alive, in Edinburgh, 
 on the 15th day of April, 1824, while in a 
 
66 THE DIARY OF 
 
 trance, and who was taken tip by the resur- 
 rection-men, and sold to the doctors to be 
 dissected, with a fill 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, innumer- 
 able 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 67 
 
 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 
 
68 THE DIARY OF 
 
 coffin by the head, and carried me swiftly 
 away. When borne to some distance, I was 
 thrown down like a clod, and by the inter- 
 change of one or two brief sentences, I dis- 
 covered 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 Demon- 
 strator 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 ; 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 69 
 
 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. Some- 
 times 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 gentle- 
 men, who were looking at the Abbey of Lin- 
 lithgow 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 
 
70 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 "CD.," but who was, without doubt, 
 the writer of the Diary, stated that, "according 
 to my book," in 1809 and 18 10 the number of 
 bodies disposed of in England was 305 adults 
 and 44 small ; but the same year 3J were sent 
 to Edinburgh, and the gang had 18 in hand, 
 which were never used at all. In 18 10- 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. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 71 
 
 The average price of an adult body was 
 stated to be £\ 4s. od. 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 " fcetus." 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 ^60. 
 
 From the statements of the teachers it is 
 
72 THE DIARY OF 
 
 most likely that £\ 4s. od. is under the aver- 
 age price paid for bodies. It must be remem- 
 bered, 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 ; refer- 
 ence 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- 
 
 o 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 73 
 
 whole night ; these friends were frequently 
 armed, and were not afraid to use their arms 
 if the resurrection-men gave them an oppor- 
 tunity. 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 Glas- 
 nevin 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. 
 
74 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 — hie was seen to fall ; his body was carried 
 off by his companions. Some of them are sup- 
 posed 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 quar- 
 ter 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 
 
MORTSAFE IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 75 
 
 time defeated, and effected their retreat. 
 Several of the head-stones bear evident 
 marks of the conflict, being struck with the 
 balls, &c." 
 
 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 in- 
 formation against their opponents. 
 
 Besides watching, many other devices were 
 tried to prevent the depredations of the resur- 
 rection-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 
 
76 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 pro- 
 tection ; some of these can be seen at the 
 present day in the Greyfriars Churchyard, 
 Edinburgh (see illustrations). 
 
 Iron coffins were also used by some persons 
 to protect their friends from the Resurrectionist. 
 The following interesting advertisement ap- 
 peared in Woolers 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 
 
MORTSAFE IN GREYFRIARS CHURCHYARD, EDINBURGH. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 77 
 
 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 con- 
 viction 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 
 
7 8 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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* 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 Surgeons 
 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." 
 * See illustration. 
 
?OD!gS »>!( Jit- dr,i,'-?e<!. 
 5 us fins winter, for tU« sfca- 
 ; rmmnvacM), lh.-j srticBlay 
 « Hte <k-&JfW {fee *a|){.ly of 
 d the Senlcli .»<.%><,;■,. The 
 Iron, is now cU-si-ieA I«or<S 
 ii he winjie* f'»f ( n gl t !»• 
 » lle«ta«Si, thai if' the £«ie- 
 
. A RESURRECTIONIST 79 
 
 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 to- 
 gether 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 resurrec- 
 tion-men, had caused a small box, inclosing 
 some deathful apparatus, communicating by 
 
So THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 resurrec- 
 tion-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.* 
 
 As a rule, the resurrection-men were able 
 
 * See two following illustrations. 
 
I-) 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 < 
 
 u 
 
 q/ 
 
 H 
 
 J 
 
 
S. Q 
 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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 Church- 
 yard. 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 
 
S2 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 recep- 
 tacles. 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 Liver- 
 pool, 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 Edin- 
 burgh, 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 83 
 
 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 
 how tax into the veins and arteries of the 
 dead bodies used for anatomization ; he also 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 appear- 
 ance, 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 immedi- 
 ately, 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 after- 
 noon, between three and four o'clock, a tall, 
 stout man asked him the charge of carting" 
 three casks from Hope Street to George's 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 85 
 
 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 con- 
 taining ' Bitter Salts,' and told him to be 
 careful in laying them down upon the quay, 
 and that they were to be forwarded to Edin- 
 burgh 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 
 
86 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 87 
 
 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 ^50, and was sent to Kirkdale 
 Gaol for twelve months. 
 
 From Ireland very many bodies were ex- 
 ported, 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.* The body- 
 snatchers in Dublin seem to have done more 
 damage than the men engaged in a like 
 
 * Cameron, History of Roy. Coll. Surgeons in Ireland, 
 p. 113. 
 
88 THE DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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 educa- 
 tion 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 
 
9o THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 men- 
 tioned, 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 monu- 
 ment, and the sepulture or burial of the dead : 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 91 
 
 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* 
 states that there had been fourteen convictions 
 in England during the year 1823. In examina- 
 tion before the Committee on Anatomy, in 
 
 * Use of the Dead to the Living. 
 
92 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 18 14, 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 93 
 
 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 Bridee. Some of the officers were sent 
 to make enquiry at the different burying- 
 orounds. 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 dis- 
 charged." 
 
 In 1822 the case of Rex v. Cundick was 
 tried at Kingston Assizes, coram Graham.* 
 This was an indictment for misdemeanour. A 
 man named Edward Lee was executed in the 
 parish of St. Mary, Newington ; George Cun- 
 dick 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 indict- 
 ment, he " for the sake of wicked lucre and 
 gain did take and carry away the said body, 
 
 * D. and R. Nisi Pr ins Repts. i. 13. 
 
94 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 clandes- 
 tinely 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 
 econd 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- 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 95 
 
 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 objec- 
 tions, and the jury found the prisoner guilty. 
 
 These trials and verdicts made it still more 
 difficult than before to get subjects for dissec- 
 tion, as even men of the Resurrectionist class 
 hesitated to run the risk of getting the punish- 
 ment, 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 belong- 
 ing 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 
 
96 THE DIARY OF 
 
 (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 Dis- 
 pensary, 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. Informa- 
 tion of the exhumation seems to have quickly 
 got about. The funeral was on a Friday ; on 
 the Monday following the grave was undis- 
 turbed, but on Tuesday the soil was spread 
 about, and an examination of the grave showed 
 that the corpse had been removed. The body 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 97 
 
 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 pos- 
 session 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. How- 
 ever 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 dis- 
 interment. The defendants were brought up 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 ^20, and Blundell to a fine of ^5. 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 99 
 
 that if a supply of bodies could be regularly 
 obtained in a legal way, the trade of the Resur- 
 rectionist would at once cease. There were 
 many who doubted this, but subsequent 
 events proved the statement to be strictly 
 accurate. 
 
 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 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 related to dissection would rob the punishment 
 of its prohibitive effect. It is somewhat diffi- 
 cult 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 mur- 
 derers 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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 church- 
 wardens of St. Clement Danes, and gave a 
 demonstration on a body, explaining its con- 
 struction, 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 dis- 
 section, some persons left specific instructions 
 
102 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 grave 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 com- 
 pelled to obtain bodies for dissection. After 
 showing how badly off English students were 
 for opportunities of learning anatomy, as com- 
 pared 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 dis- 
 advantages 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 103 
 
 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 disinter- 
 ment of human bodies, and for regulating- 
 Schools of Anatomy." In this Bill it was 
 enacted that persons found guilty of disin- 
 terring 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 work- 
 houses or hospitals, were, seventy-two hours 
 
104 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 neglect- 
 ing to repeal the clause which ordered the 
 bodies of murderers to be given up for dissec- 
 tion. 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 105 
 
 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 out- 
 side 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 opposi- 
 tion 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 
 
106 THE DIARY OF 
 
 with the privileges of the College. It was 
 pointed out to the House of Commons that 
 the establishment of a Board, such as that pro- 
 posed 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." 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 107 
 
 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 
 
108 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 appear- 
 ance 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.* 
 To delay the men, so that the police might be 
 communicated with, Mr. Partridge produced a 
 £^0 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 
 
 * See also page 56. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 109 
 
 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 Lincoln- 
 shire. They seem to have had great difficulty 
 in disposing of the body, as Bishop, in his con- 
 fession, 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 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 annoy- 
 ance he received from the other convicts on 
 board the hulks. He died on board the 
 Gramptis 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. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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-gangf. 
 
 In the Weekly Dispatch for December nth, 
 1 83 1, the following curious information respect- 
 ing 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 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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. 
 
 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 there- 
 fore 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 
 
U4 THE DIARY OF 
 
 became law on August ist, 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 RESURRECTIONIST 115 
 
 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 E no-land relative to Offences 
 against the Person, by which latter Act it is 
 enacted, that the Body of every Person con- 
 victed of Murder shall, after Execution, either 
 
1 16 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 117 
 
 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 
 
u8 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 alter- 
 ations 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 Com- 
 mittee by Mr. [afterwards Sir] William Law- 
 rence : "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 publica- 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 119 
 
 tions 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 oppor- 
 tunities 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 hos- 
 pitals 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 Assem- 
 bly, 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. 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 un- 
 known. 
 
 In Austria, if the medical attendant thought 
 necessary, a post mortem was made on all 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 121 
 
 patients who died in hospital, but only un- 
 claimed 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 DIARY OF 
 
 the town. Body-snatching was quite un- 
 known. 
 
 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 diffi- 
 culty. 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, exhuma- 
 tion 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 123 
 
 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 1 6 leaves, but is, unfortunately, 
 imperfect. The first entry is November 28th, 
 1 8 1 1 , and the last December 5th, 1 8 1 2. 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 # was quite unable to 
 
 * See page vi. 
 124 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 125 
 
 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* 
 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 
 
 * Life of Sir Astley Cooper, vol. i. p. 422. 
 
126 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 con- 
 sideration. 
 
 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 eiven as initials ; the three resurrection- 
 men who gave evidence were distinguished 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 127 
 
 as "A.B.," "CD.," 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 docu- 
 ment, nearly always spoken of by their Christian 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 names. Their names are Ben [Crouch], Bill 
 [Harnett], Jack [Harnett], Daniel,* 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 oppor- 
 tunity 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.t 
 
 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 
 
 * Cannot find out his surname. t Loc. cit. vol. i. passim. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 129 
 
 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 domineer- 
 ing ; 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 181 7 he gave up the resurrec- 
 tion 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, 
 
130 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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' imprison- 
 ment. 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 Dis- 
 secting-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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 131 
 
 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 ,£6,000 to his family. 
 
132 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Butler was originally a porter in the dissect- 
 ing-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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 133 
 
 cannot be definitely determined. In all prob- 
 ability 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, 181 2, 
 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,* one of his bail, he had 
 been found in the act of stealing three dead 
 bodies from the parish burial-ground of -St. 
 
 * B. Cooper gives an account of a Resurrectionist under the 
 name of " Patrick " ; this is probably the man referred to. 
 The name isHarnell 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. 
 
134 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Pancras, or St. Giles, which were separated 
 only by a wall. The men were apprehended by 
 the horse patrol of the Hampstead and High- 
 gate 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 neigh- 
 bourhood, 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 135 
 
 to France, and had brought away with him a 
 large number of teeth, which he valued at 
 £yoo ; 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 £5 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 ^83. Holliss was afterwards mixed 
 up in a horse -stealing case, and ultimately 
 died in great poverty and wretchedness. 
 
136 THE DIARY OF 
 
 " 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. # 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 
 * See also p. 126. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 137 
 
 a skylight in the roof, and afterwards scaling 
 the outer walls of the prison by means of a 
 rope. 
 
 He was retaken through information mven 
 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 # ' Resuraam 
 
 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 
 
 * The name is suppressed in the printed copy. 
 
138 THE DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST. 
 
 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.""" 
 
 * 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 care- 
 fully 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. 
 

 
 
 
 ' . i^£ 
 
 '■ZaJ^^C. 
 
 ^/^WmA^/A^. 
 
 
 ^JC: 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 uh$L «&$& 
 
 
 . 
 
 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. 
 Thtirsday 28///. At night went out and got 
 3, Jack & me Hospital Crib,* Benj n , Danl & 
 Bill to Harpers,f Jack & me 1 big Gates,! sold 
 1 Taunton D° S l Thomas's. 
 
 [ * Slang for a burial-ground.] 
 
 [t Harper is probably the name of the keeper of a burial-ground.] 
 [ J 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.] 
 
 Friday 29th. At night went out and got 3, 
 Jack, Ben & me got 2, Bethnall Green, Bill & 
 Dan 1 . 1 Bartholo w . Crib opened ; * whole at 
 Barth w . 
 
 [* 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.] 
 
 Saturday 30^/i At night went and got 3 
 
 Bunhill Row, sold to Mr. Cline, S l . Thomas's 
 
 Hospital. 
 
 139 
 
Ho THE DIARY OF 
 
 Remarks, &c, December, i8ii. 
 
 Sunday \st. We all look d . out,* at Home 
 all night. 
 
 [ * Watched to see what funerals were taking place during the day.] 
 
 Monday 2nd. Met at S'. Thomas's, Got 
 paid for the 3 adults & settled ; met and settled 
 with Mordecei,* made Him up £2 5s. 6d. and 
 Receipt of all demands. At Home all night. 
 
 [ * Probably Michael Mordecai, who kept an old curiosity-shop in 
 New Alley, and was a noted receiver. ] 
 
 Tuesday ^rd. Went to look out and 
 brought the Shovils from BarthoK, Met 
 early in the evening at Mr. Vickers,* did not 
 go out that night, Butler and me came home 
 intoxsicated. 
 
 [ * Probably the landlord of a public-house.] 
 
 Wednesday /\.th. At night went out and got 
 10, whole* went to Greent and got 4, Black 
 Crib 1, Bunner^ fields 5. 
 
 [ * i.e. all the gang.] 
 
 [ f 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. Bartho- 
 lomew the Great, approached through the present south transept. 
 Holmes, loc. cit. It is impossible to say which of these is here meant.] 
 
 [JBunhill.] 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 141 
 
 Thursday $th. The whole at home all 
 night. 
 
 Friday 6 th. Removed 1 from Barthol. to 
 Carpue. # At night went out and got 8, Dan 1 , 
 at home all night. 6 Back S l . Lukes & 2 Big 
 Gates : went 5 Barthol. 1 Frampton f 3 S l . 
 Thomas's, 3 Wilson. \ 
 
 [ * J. C. Carpue, the founder of the Dean Street Anatomical School.] 
 
 [ f Dr. Frampton, of the London Hospital.] 
 
 [ J James Wilson, of the Great Windmill Street School.] 
 
 Saturday 7th. At night went out & got 
 3 at Bunhill Row. 1 S l . Thomas's, 2 
 Brookes.* 
 
 [ * Joshua Brookes, founder of the Blenheim Street, or Great Marl- 
 borough Street, Anatomical School: for references to Brookes, see Index. ] 
 
 Sunday 8th. At home all night. 
 
 Monday gth. 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 nth. Tom & Bill and me 
 
 L 
 
142 THE DIARY OF 
 
 removed * 5 from S'. Barthol w ., 2 Wilson, 2 
 Brookes, 1 Bell f ; in the evening got 1 Harps, J 
 went to S c . Thomas', at home all night. 
 
 [ * See page 65.] 
 
 [ t Sir Charles Bell, of Great Windmill Street School.] 
 
 [ + Abbreviation for Harpers. Seep. 139.] 
 
 Thursday \2tk. 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 1 . Luke's, # came 
 home, afterwards met again & went to 
 
 Bunhill row got 6, 1 of them with f 
 
 named Mary Rolph, aged 46, Died 5 th Dec. 
 1811. 
 
 [ * Either St. Luke's Church or St. Luke's Hospital in Old Street] 
 [ t Words so crossed out that they cannot be deciphered ; in all 
 probability it originally read " with their throat cut."] 
 
 Friday i$tk. At Home all day & night. 
 
 Saturday \\th. Went to Bartholomew 
 took d . two Brookes : Pack d 4 and sent them to 
 Edinborough, came Home to Ben 11 ., settled 
 £\/\. 6s. 2^-d. each man, came home, got up at 
 2 me Jack & Bill went to Bunhill Row and got 
 3. Ben & Daniel staid at home. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 143 
 
 Sunday 15th. At home all day, Got up at 
 3 a.m. The whole party went to Harps, got 3, 
 Went to S\ Thomas's. 
 
 Monday i6tk. At home all day & night 
 
 111. 
 
 Tuesday ijtk. At home all day & do. 
 night. 
 
 Wednesday \Zth. 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 i^th. Went to Bartholomew, 
 At home all night. 
 
 Friday 10th. Went to S l . 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 lar ge- 
 
 Sattirday 21st. Went to S*. Thomas's sent 
 1 to Mr. Taunton, # 2 to Edinburgh, S*. 
 Thomas's took 6 of the above this week, came 
 home and stopt at home all night. 
 
 [*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.] 
 
144 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 2^rd. Went for orders to Wilson 
 and Brookes, Met Bill, Brought one to Carpue, 
 Sent him back to brino- 2 from BarthoK 1 for 
 Brookes, 1 for Bell, Ben 11 and Jack got 5 small 
 at Harpers. 
 
 Tuesday 24M. 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 
 £% 1 6s. 8d., at home all night. 
 
 Wednesday 2$th. At Home all day and 
 nio-ht. 
 
 *& 
 
 Thtirsday 26th. At Home all day and 
 nisfht. 
 
 *& j 
 
 Friday 2jtk. Went to look out, Came 
 home met Ben and Dan 1 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. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 145 
 
 Saturday 2%th. At 4 o'clock in the morning 
 got up, with the whole party to Guy's and 
 S*. Thomas's Crib, got 6 took them to S fc . 
 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 ysth. Butler and Dan 1 , took 1 
 large to Framton, large small to Hornigf. 
 
 Tuesday 31st. Met at the Harty Choak, # 
 had dispute about the horse. 
 
 [* Artichoke Public-house.] 
 
 Remarks, &c, January, 1812. 
 
 Wednesday 1st. Got up at 3 in the morn- 
 ing, the whole party went to Guys and S l . 
 Thomas', got 3 adults, 1 from Guy's and 2 
 from S'. Thomas', took them to S l . Thomas', 
 came home and met again, took one of the 
 above to Guy's, settled for the Horse £24. 
 At home all night. Miss Naples. # 
 
 [* See page 127.] 
 
 Thursday 2nd. Went down to S'. 
 Thomas's, got paid £y 17 6 for one adult 
 
146 THE DIARY OF 
 
 open D° not. Came home, met by agree- 
 ment at S l . Thomas's, did not go out, Bill not 
 there, Came home again, at home all night. 
 
 Friday $rd. Went to S c . Thomas's, took 
 the Foetus to the London, Rec d . ios. 6d. 
 Came back to S c . Thomas's Rec d . £/\ 4s. od., 
 Went home, Met by agreement, Went to the 
 Green got 5, Jack, Ben" and me ; Dan 1 , and 
 Bill at home, took the above 5 to Barthol w . 
 at home all night. 
 
 Saturday \th. Met at Bartholo w ., they 
 took 4 of the above, 1 sent to Edinburgh, I 
 went to Brookes, Carpue and Wilson for orders, 
 Came back, at home all night. 
 
 Sunday §th, At home all day. Met at 5, 
 whole went to Newin. # 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 1 , at home, 
 took the whole to Bartho m . 
 
 [ * Newington.] 
 
 Monday 6th Went to Barth w ., took 1 to 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 147 
 
 the London, Jack & Tom 1 to Harnige, D° 1 
 to S\ Thomas's. Came home, in all night. 
 
 Tuesday 7th. At home all day, Tom 
 removed 1 from the borough to BartholonT. 
 fetched £2., from there took 2 to Mr. Wilson, 
 D° to Brookes. 
 
 Wednesday 8 th. At 2 a.m. got up, the 
 Party went to Harps, got 4 adults and 1 small, 
 took 4 to S l . Thomas's, Came home went to Mr. 
 Wilson & Brookes, Dan 1 , got paid ^880 
 from Mr. Wilson I reed. 990 from Mr. 
 Brookes, Came over to the borough, sold 
 small for £1 10 o, Rec d . ^440 for adult, At 
 home all night. 
 
 Thursday gth. Went down to S l . Thomas's, 
 got paid £8 8 o, 2 adults : at home all night. 
 
 Friday loth. Met at S l . Thomas's, settled 
 each man's share £12 12 o, 3 things* on 
 hand. 
 
 [ * Slang term for bodies.] 
 
 Saturday nth, At 4 a.m. got up & went 
 to the Hospital Crib, got 2 adults, met at 
 
148 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Barthol w ., packed up 2 for the Country, sold 
 1 at S l . Thomas's : at home all night. 
 
 Sunday \2tJ1. 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,* Took them to 
 Barthol w . 
 
 [ * See page 71.] 
 
 Monday 13th. Took 2 of the above to Mr. 
 Brookes & 1 large & 1 small to Mr. Bell, 
 Fcetus 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 £ . 
 Thomas's. 
 
 Tuesday 14//2. At 1 a.m. got up, Ben 11 ., 
 Bill & me went to S l . Luke's, 2 adults ; Jack, 
 Dan 1 . Big Gates, 1 large & 1 small, took them 
 to Barthol w ., Came home & went to S l . 
 Thomas's, afterwards went to the other end ol 
 the town for orders. At home all night. 
 
 Wednesday i$tk. Went to S*. Thomas's, 
 Came back, pack'd up 2 large & 1 small for 
 Edinburgh. At home all night. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 149 
 
 Thursday i6tk. The party met at the 
 Hartichoak. Settled the above, Each man's 
 share £% 4s. 7^d. At home all night. 
 
 Friday 1 Jth. Went & look out : came home 
 met at 11, party except Dan 1 ., Went to the 
 Hospital Crib & got 4, was stopt by the 
 patrols, Butler, Horse & Cart were taken. 
 
 Saturday i%tk, Went to the White horse, 
 Butler bailed : at home all night. 
 
 Sunday igtk. 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 morn- 
 ing got up, Bill & me went to the Hospital 
 Crib and 1 for Mr. Cooper's* Lectures, had a 
 dispute with the party, at home all night. Ben 
 got drunk. 
 
 [ * Afterwards Sir Astley Cooper.] 
 
150 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Thursday 23rd. Met at 10 at night, went 
 to Wygate, got 4 large and 1 small, went to the 
 Green got 3 large. Dan 1 , not with us. 
 
 Friday 2/^th. Met at 1 1 at night. Met the 
 patrols. Got one Hospital Crib and 6 at Ber- 
 mondsey, took them to Barthol w ., sent 3 to the 
 Country. 
 
 Saturday 25///. Met at Bartholomew. 
 Took 1 to Mr. Carpue ; S l . Barthol w . took 2 : 
 at home all nisrht. 
 
 c-> 
 
 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 1 ., Went to 
 the Big gates, got 4 Took them to Barthol w ., 
 Afterwards met, took 1 to Mr. Ciine, 2 to 
 Mr. Wilson, came home. Tom & Bill got drunk, 
 did not go out. 
 
 Tuesday 28/A Went to Barthol w . 3 could 
 not sell, came back to the Borough & came 
 home, at home all night. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 151 
 
 Wednesday 2c>tk. Went to Bartho w . brought 
 remaining 2 to S\ Thomas's, at home all 
 night. 
 
 Thursday 30//2. Went to S'. Thomas's, at 
 home all night. 
 
 Friday 31^. 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 BarthoK, 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 \th. Met at Bartholomew, settled 
 
152 THE DIARY OF 
 
 each man's share £21 9s. 4c!., Met at night, 
 went to Guy's got 3 adults. Took them to 
 Bartholomew : at home all night. 
 
 Wednesday $th. 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. # Jack & Bill 
 went to Goswell St.t got 1. Came home 
 met again. Danl. Bill & me went to St. 
 Johns got 2 adults. Ben 11 and Jack went to 
 Flemish^ got nothing, took 2 St. Thomas's. 
 
 [ * Body putrid, and therefore of no use for anatomical purposes.] 
 [ t Probably Church of St. Thomas, Charterhouse.] 
 [ i The burial-ground for the parishes of St. Olave and St. John, 
 South wark ; it was taken by the " Greenwich Railway Company " : part 
 of the approach to the " Flemish " now forms the approach to London 
 Bridge Station.] 
 
 Saturday 8th. Went to St. Thomas's, at 
 home all nio-ht. 
 
 Sunday gth. 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 . 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 153 
 
 Tuesday nth. Went to BarthoK 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 i^th. Met at St. Thomas's. At 
 home all night. 
 
 Friday \/^th. 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 i$tk. Met at BarthoK At home 
 all night. 
 
 Sunday 16th. Went to Look out, at home 
 all night. 
 
 Monday \>]tk. Met & went to Wiegate. 
 Got 8 large & 1 small. Took them to St. 
 Thomas's. 
 
 Tuesday \Zth. Met at St. Thomas's. Took 
 2 over to Guy's. Came home & settled each 
 
154 THE DIARY OF 
 
 man's share £2$ 6s. 9c!. On hand 2 open'd 
 Large, 3 small & 3 foetus not paid, at home all 
 night. 
 
 Wednesday igf/i. At Home all day sick. 
 John Harnet and Butler got drunk, at home 
 all night. 
 
 Thursday 20th. Met and went to Pancress # 
 got 15 large & 1 small took them to Barthol w . 
 
 [ * 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.] 
 
 Friday 2\st. 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 nisfht. 
 
 & 
 
 Sunday 2yd. At Home all day and night. 
 
 Monday 24^/2. Bill Jack Tom and Ben n 
 with Nat Ure Getting drunk oblige to Come 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 155 
 
 Home in a Coach which prevented us going 
 out to Harps. 
 
 Tuesday 2$tk. At home all day, at Night 
 met at Jack to go to Harps, the moon at the 
 full, could not go. # 
 
 [ * See page 124. ] 
 
 Wednesday 26th. Went to look out. Could 
 not go out Jack and Tom got drunk. Ben n . 
 taken very ill. 
 
 Thursday 2jtk. Went to St. Thomas's, 
 sold the extremities. At night Tom & Bill 
 got drunk at the. Rockingham Arms, at Home 
 all night. 
 
 Friday 2%tk. Met at Jacks Got 4 large 1 
 Small and 1 Foetus, Harps. Took them to 
 the London. 
 
 Saturday 29/^. 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. 
 
156 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 \th. Met at Jack's & settled, at 
 home all night. 
 
 Thursday $th. Went to St. Thomas's ; at 
 night early, went out & got 1 St. Thomas's 
 Crib : at home all night. 
 
 Friday 6tk. Went to look out Big gates 
 Green, at night got 1 Big gates. 
 
 Saturday jtk. At Home all day and night. 
 
 Sunday 8t/i. Met at Night, Jack, Tom & 
 Dan 1 , went to Harps got 5 Large, Bill and 
 me went to the Big gates, miss d . # 
 
 [ * Failed to get a body. ] 
 
 Monday gtk. At Home all day and night. 
 
 Tuesday loth. Went to St. Thomas's & 
 settled. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 157 
 
 Wednesday nth. 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 i^tk. 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 \\th. Met at Barthol. sent 5 to 
 Edinburgh, Mr. Wilson 3, Brookes 2, Barthol. 
 1. Settled each man's share £$ 6 8. 2 on 
 hand. # 
 
 [ * Bodies unsold.] 
 
 Sunday i^th. 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 £\\ no 
 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. 
 
158 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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. 
 
 Tttesday 1 jtk. Went to the Borough : at 
 Night met at 6 in the evening, went to the 
 Flemish, Jack, Ben". & myself. Got 2 adults, 
 Bill not with us, took the above 2 to St. 
 Thomas's. Big gate for time is very well. 
 
 Wednesday \Zth. 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 iqtk. Met at Jack and settled 
 each man's share £6 184: at 6 in the evening 
 went to the Meeting Crib*, 1 Large and 1 
 small, afterwards went to the Big gates got 
 2 Large took them to BarttT. 
 
 [ * Probably a burial-ground attached to a meeting-house.] 
 
 Friday 20th. Went to St. Thomas's, at 
 home all night. 
 
 Saturday 21st. Jack and Tom got 2 Large 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 159 
 
 small, 1 Frampton 1 Taunton. Rec d . for the 
 above £$ 13 6 D°. £4 4 o: at home all night. 
 
 Sunday 22nd. Went to the Green, at 
 Home all night. 
 
 Monday 23rd. At home all night. 
 
 Tuesday 24th. D°. 
 
 Wednesday 2^th. Went to Pancress got 5 
 adult, Took them to Bartholomew. 
 
 Thursday 26th. Went to Look out, Jack 
 got 2 Large small. 1 D°. Frampton £$ 136 
 1 D°. Mr. Taunton £4. 4 o. 
 
 Friday 2jlh. Went to Look out, at Home 
 all night. 
 
 Saturday 2%th. Jack got 1 large small for 
 Mr. Cline £4. 4 o, at Home all night. 
 
 Sunday 2^th. Went to the Green ; at 
 home all night. 
 
 Monday ^oth. At Home all day & night. 
 
160 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Ttiesday 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. # 
 
 [ * The diary is torn at the margin in this place : the word ' ' left " is 
 probably correct, but who "the man" was cannot be determined.] 
 
 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 ^tk. Met and settled £ 108 1 3s. yd, 
 each man's share £ 18 2s. 3d., at Home all night. 
 
 Sunday $tk. 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,* 
 did not succeed. 
 
 [*St. Olave's.] 
 
 [ 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.] 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 161 
 
 [1812, August] 
 Friday jtk. 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, # with the ladder, 
 came home. 
 
 [ * Probably from information given to the police by the other party 
 who "had got the adult."] 
 
 Saturday Wi. canines 1 1 shillings : went 
 to union hall # Bill got clear the party went 
 to Bartholomew. At Night went to W e . 
 Chappel got 4 adults, one small, took 2 to 
 Barthol" 1 . 2 & 1 Small to St. Thomas's. Horse 
 & Cart. 
 
 [ * The police court in Union Street, Southwark : it was removed in 
 1845-] 
 
 Sunday gtk. at home all day & night, 
 Wortley came concerning horse & cart. 
 
 Monday lotk. went to St. Tho s . got paid 
 for 1 adult £4. 4s. od. went to Barthol" 1 . got 
 paid £\ 4s. od. row'd with Ben did not settle 
 each man had £2 2s. od, left with Hollis 
 £2 2s. od. for Expences, at home all night. 
 
i62 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Tuesday wth. had information Crouch 
 had cut the subjects # went to St. Thorn 5 , 
 had not cut them, Barthol m . they had, went 
 to differ 1 , parts of the Town for orders, settled 
 our Expence & what we had Rec d . each man's 
 share £$ is. 2-|d. one adult St Thorn 5 , i 
 London D° unpaid \ D° Barthol". unpaid ; at 
 night went to Hoxton, i Large Yellow Jaun- 
 dice sold at Brooks. 
 
 [ * i.e. had spoiled them for anatomical purposes ; very likely to be 
 done out of spite, as on the previous day they had i: row'd with Ben," 
 i. e. Crouch ; see page 49 ] 
 
 Wednesday \2tJ1. Went to look out, at 
 night went to Barthol m . Crib, cut off the 
 extremitys took to Barthol m . — Rec d . £1 os. od. 
 
 Thursday i$tk. Went to St Thomas's 
 Crib could not succeed came back to the 
 White horse, Bill got arrested,* Millard t 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 . £2 os. od. 
 
 [ * Evidently for debt.] 
 
 [ t 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 resurrec- 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 163 
 
 tion-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 circum- 
 stances 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.] 
 
 Friday \\th. Went to Barthol swagg d . the 
 Extra s# to St. Thos. at night went to Weigate 
 
 got 1 male took them to Brooks Dan f 
 
 Rec d . £\ 1 o 
 
 [ * Extremities. ] 
 
 [ t These words are illegible.] 
 
1 64 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Saturday i^tk. Went to different places, at 
 Night went to panc s . # Miss d . Rec d . £i o o 
 
 [ * St. Pancras.] 
 
 Sunday i6tk. Went to look out, at Night 
 went to Harp's got i adult male took to Wilson 
 i Small D°, took to Bartho w : a Porter 
 carried the large. Hollis did not go in. 
 
 Monday ijtk. went & got paid for the 
 above, small fetched three guineas, at night 
 went to Connelh got i adult M. # Dan 1 , carried 
 to St Tho s . Hollis did not go in, Rec d . 
 
 ^ IO °- [*Male.] 
 
 Ttiesday iSt/i. Went to different places, at 
 night went to the play. Rec d . £1 10 o. 
 
 Wednesday igt/i. Went as above at night 
 Flemish i ad c . male, took to St Thomas's got 
 paid; likewise head, Millard gave £i i o for it. 
 
 Thursday 20th. As above, at night went to 
 Flemish 1 adult male, took to St Tho s . Rec d 
 £1 12 o. 
 
 Friday 21st. Went to different places, 
 settled our quarrell by agreeing with Mr. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 165 
 
 Stanley* to bring in a subject for Lecture, 
 removed the above from St. Thorn 5 at night, 
 went to Harp's got 1 adult M. underneath 
 took to St. Thos s . 
 
 [*Mr. Edward Stanley, Surgeon to St. Bartholomew's Hospital.] 
 
 Saturday 22nd. Went to look out me & 
 Hollis, Bill staid in the Boro, got paid £\ 4 o 
 for the above a very queer one, received but 
 two Guineas for the one at Barth 1 . would not 
 do for Lecture, Sett d . each man's share 
 £1 1 6s. 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 trans- 
 pired concerning the Business, our party went 
 to Harp's could not get in the private* door 
 being shut, came home. 
 
 [ * Private door into the burial-ground, probably generally left un- 
 locked for them by the custodian ; for some special reason it was closed 
 on this particular night.] 
 
 Monday 2/\.tk. Our party went to Barthol" 1 . 
 met with Ben and Daniel partly agreed me & 
 
166 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Ben went in the Cart to different places to 
 look out coming back by Charing Cross met 
 the Jews # Drag touted till Dark and lost scent 
 came home did not go out that night. 
 
 [*In all probability Israel Chapman, a Jew, who was in the resurrec- 
 tion 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.] 
 
 Tuesday 2$tk. Understood the Jew had 
 brought a Male to Barthol m . Met by appoint- 
 ment 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 £6 from Mr. F. I 
 took from the above £1. the party met at 
 night, Ben Bill & Tom Light went to St 
 Geo 5 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 5 found a watch # 
 planted, came home. 
 
 [* Placed there by friends of the deceased, in all probability.] 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 167 
 
 Thursday 27 th. Went to look out, Hollis 
 got paid the remainder at Frampton ^"280. 
 Met at night at St. Thos. — very light could 
 not go out (came home). 
 
 Friday 2%tk. Seperated to look out, 
 brought the F. from Barthol". to St. Thomas, 
 having not settled took from Hollis ^100, 
 afterwards met at St. Thos. & went to St. Jns, 
 Ben not with us work'd two holes one bad, 
 drew the C. ns# & took the above to St. Thos. 
 
 [* Opened two graves ; one body too decomposed to bring away, so 
 they drew the canine teeth and sold them.] 
 
 Saturday 29/^. Met at St Thos. could not 
 get P d for either. Borrowed £2 of Jack, at 
 home all night. 
 
 Sunday ^oth. 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 3 is/. Went to look out 
 
 * old small ^"i 100 got p d one do Wilson's 
 
 at Night met except Bill went to Conn 11 got 2 
 adults M. & F. took to Barthol 1 ". one small do. 
 
 [ * Words crossed out and illegible in the MS.] 
 
THE DIARY OF 
 
 1812 September. 
 
 Tuesday ist. Went to Barthol m Got Paid 
 for 2 adults £8 8 o, 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°. F. 1 
 large & 2 small to St Thos. 1 small to 
 Wilson. 
 
 Wednesday 2nd. Went to the London 
 Hollis got Canines £8 8 o, Bill got paid for 1 
 large M. £4 40. I rec d . £4 4 o for 1 large 
 size small, Bill Rec d . £1 o o for the F. that 
 come from St George 1 Small came Wiegate 
 went to Wilson. Rec d . £2 o o 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 & Torn 5 . 
 Light went to Westminster 
 
 181 2 October. 
 Monday $th. 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 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 169 
 
 Borough. Mr. Cline took the about [above], 2 
 adults £2> 8 o from Lamb h . & 1 small from 
 D°^3 136. 
 
 Tuesday 6 th. At Night did not go out. 
 
 Wednesday jth. Went to look out Jack & 
 Ben had a Row at the White Horse : did not 
 go out. 
 
 Thursday 2>tk. Party went to see the fight 
 did not oro out. 
 
 o 
 
 Friday gth. 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. £S 8 o 
 
170 THE DIARY OF 
 
 one adult M. being opened £$ I 3 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 wth. 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 1 . 
 M., then to Connolly two ad 1 . M. & F. took 
 the whole to St. Thos. came home. 
 
 Monday 12th. Went to St. Thos. Cline 
 had taken the above, went to Lamb\ 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 \$th. 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 £\. Came home afterwards 
 went to Tomlight # understood he had rec d . 
 
 [* Tom Light.] 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 171 
 
 the money got ^5 from him, came home, at 
 home all night 
 
 Wednesday i^th. 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. 
 
 Thtirsday i$tk. 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 6 . 4 
 adts. on account of the Boy deceiving us at 
 Lamb\ lost the above 4 at St. Geo e . Ben # 
 went to*France. 
 
 [ * See also p. 129.] 
 
 Friday \6tk. Met and went Wiegate got 
 three adults 2 F. 1 M. took to Barthol" 1 . 
 Jack & Tom brought the cart, came home. 
 
 Saturday ijtk. Met at BarthoR rec d . 
 ^"200 went to Lamb h . P d . the man £\ 1 o 
 came home, at home all night. 
 
172 THE DIARY OF 
 
 Sunday iZth. Went to look out, nothing 
 done, at home all night. 
 
 Monday lgt/i. Went to Lamb h . got i 
 Adult M. [opened another whole but bad with 
 the small pox]* took the above M. to Barth m . 
 came home, Butler not with us. 
 
 [*The words in brackets are crossed out in the MS.] 
 
 Tuesday 20th. Went to Barthol w . Bill had 
 got P d . for the above Male I borrowed of him 
 £1 10 o, 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"' : went to Lamb h . two adults M. 
 took to Barthol w . Butler again not with us 
 came home. 
 
 [ * 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.] 
 
 Wednesday 21st. Went to Barthol m got P d . 
 the above 2 adt. gave Light & Hollis 4s. 2d. 
 gave Jack ^200 kept ^220 myself, came 
 home, but Hollis & Light went to the Hos- 
 pital Crib got 1 adult male took to St Thos. 
 shared the money betwixt them : likewise 
 1 Pound for a small, at home all night. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 173 
 
 Thursday 22nd went to look out, followed 
 a black # 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. 
 
 [ * Probably slang for a funeral.] 
 
 November 1812. 
 
 Monday \6tk the party went to Tottenham 
 got 4 adults, Wilson 2. Abernethy 1. 1 on 
 hand 
 
 Tuesday 1 jt/t. At home. 
 
 Wednesday \Zth. At home. 
 
 Thursday igth. Met with Hutton at Smith- 
 field, 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" 1 . Me Jack & Ben went to St T s . got 
 4 adt. sent Bill again after Tom to bring the 
 Cart, took them to Barthol" 1 . Me Jack & Ben 
 went to Blue Lion got 1 adt. sent Bill to bring 
 Tom with the Cart, took that to Barthol™. 
 
174 THE DIARY OF 
 
 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 * — and Tott n at home all night. 
 
 [*Blue Lion.] 
 
 Monday 2yd. Met at Barth m . went to St 
 T s . got 3 took them to Wilson, Bill took 1 ad. 
 to Frampton. 
 
 Tuesday 2/\th. 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 25/i. Met at Jack at 2 p.m. 
 Butler & myself went to the B. L n . got 1 adt. 
 Jack, Ben & Bill went Pane 5 , got 5 adt. & 1 
 small, took them to Barthol w . Removed 3 to 
 Cline, got 2 sets of can 5 .* 
 
 [* Canine teeth.] 
 
 Thursday 26th. Met at Barthol m , me & Jack 
 went to Tottenh m . got 1 adt. Ben & Bill went 
 to St Ths. D° 3 large came home me & Jack 
 got 1 Tottenh™ Bill & Ben 1 large 2 small. 
 
A RESURRECTIONIST 17s 
 
 Friday 17th. Met at Plough, went to St 
 T s . 6 adt. 1 small. Met the man with the 
 lanthorn* : took them Barthol m . went to Golden 
 Lane 1 adt. 1 small gave Jack Hutton ^ias a 
 share, took to the above place. 
 
 [ * The watchman. ] 
 
 Saturday 2$>th, 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 2<^th. 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 ysth. Settled our Account up to 
 Sat y . on hand 1 adt. Op d . & Small three ; met 
 at Barthol". 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 
 
176 THE DIARY OF A RESURRECTIONIST 
 
 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 
 
 ad s f 
 
 adts Ben & Bill got 6 1 1. at Pancrass took 
 Totten m to Wilson, Pan 5 , to Barthol.* 
 
 [ * i.e. got 6 adults, i small, and I foetus from St. Pancras : these were 
 taken to S. Bartholomew's : the four from Tottenham went to Mr. 
 
 Wilson.] 
 
 Thursday yd. Met at Wind 11 . St. disposed 
 of 2 of the above to Wilson, went to BarthoK 
 came home for the night. 
 
 Friday A^th. 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 BarthoI m . 
 
 Saturday $tk. Remain'd at Barth m . pack- 
 ing up for Edinboro, sent 12 to the wharf for 
 the above place, at home all night. 
 
7 he 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 tlie 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., 
 hi., 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. 
 
 177 
 
178 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 A?i 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 in- 
 struction. [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." 
 
 T/ie Trial of Bishop, Williams, and May, at t/ie 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 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 179 
 
 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 AnatojJiical Schools on a different footing. 8vo. 
 London, 1831. 
 
 Guthrie, G. J. Remarks on the Anatomy Bill now 
 before Parliame?it, in a letter addressed to the Right Hon. 
 the Lord Althorp. 8vo. London, 1832. 
 
 A?i Act for regulating Schools of Anatomy (2 and 3 
 Guil. IV. cap. 75). Fol. London, 1832. 
 
 Dermott, G. D. A Lecture i7itroductory 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." Chamber? 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. 
 
i8o BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 "Body-snatchers." Every Saturday, ix., 1870, p. 166. 
 
 Feltoe, C. L. Memorials of John Flint South. i2mo. 
 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 
 Surgeojis 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, establishmentof, 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 sur- 
 geons, 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 Bar- 
 bers 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 dis- 
 section, 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, 1 10. 
 
 " Black," a, T73. 
 
 Black Crib, 140. 
 
 " Blue Lion" public-house. See Diary, 
 passim. 
 
 Blundell (William), trial of, at Warring- 
 ton, 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, 7T. 
 
 raised by competition of different 
 
 schools, 47. 
 
 — scarcity of, 13. [50. 
 
 — stolen by Resurrectionists from houses, 
 from dead-house at Guy's Hos- 
 pital, 53. 
 
 whilst awaiting coroner's in- 
 quest, 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 Ty- 
 burn, 20. 
 
 — of murderers to be given up to Sur- 
 
 geons' Company, 21. 
 
 dissected at College of Surgeons, 
 
 22. 
 
 account of proceedings at dissec- 
 tion, by T. M. Stone, 28. 
 
 conveyed through streets, 23. 
 
 dissection of, an obstacle to pass- 
 ing 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 Lec- 
 tures, 42. 
 
182 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Brookes (Joshua), 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, re- 
 ferred to, 87. 
 
 Carpue (J. C), caricature of, 98. 
 
 — mentioned in Diary, 141. J l4Vk 
 
 — 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 teach- 
 ing 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 know- 
 ledge 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. 
 
 — Grey friars Churchyard, mortsafes in, 
 
 7 6 - 
 
 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 Mes- 
 senger 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 resur- 
 rection-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, atWarrington,9S. 
 
INDEX 
 
 183 
 
 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 Lec- 
 tures, 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, 11 6. 
 
 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 teach- 
 ing 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 mur- 
 derers 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 res- 
 cued by resurrection-men, 65. 
 
 May (James), arrest and trial of, 107. 
 
 respite and death of, no. 
 
 verse by, no. 
 
 biographical notice of, 1 1 2. 
 
 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),/^ mortem on, 36. 
 
 Moon, full, interfered with Resurrec- 
 tionists, 124. 
 
 Mordecai, the Jew, 72, 140. 
 
 Mortsafes in Greyfriars Churchyard, 
 Edinburgh, 76. 
 
 illustrations of, 41, 74, 76. 
 
 Moss (Dr.) of Warrington, g6. 
 
 "Muddle (Jasper), Confessions of" (by 
 Albert Smith), 17. 
 
 Murderers, dissection of, agitation 
 against, 99. 
 
 repealed, 115. 
 
 — drawings of heads of, 26. 
 Murphy, stealing teeth, 7r. 
 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, 35. 
 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, go. 
 Provincial schools, supply of, 8r. 
 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. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Resurrectionists, 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 pre- 
 mises 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 ob- 
 tained 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 Experi- 
 ment, refers to body-snatching, 17. 
 
 Sheriffs of London, letter from, as to 
 bodies of Bishop and Williams, 28. 
 
 Shields, porter to Bishop and Williams, 
 
 "3- 
 
 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 DArcy Power, 
 Memorials of the Craft of Surgery, 
 quoted, 19. 
 
 Southey (R.), The Surgeons Warning, 
 78, 88. 
 
 Spelling ( — ), at Hatton Garden for body- 
 snatching, 92. 
 
 Stanley (K.), bodies sold to. See Diary, 
 passim. 
 
 Stone (T. Madden), account of dissec- 
 tion at College of Surgeons, 28. 
 
 — letter on body-snatchers, 125. 
 Students, knowledge of anatomy neces- 
 sary 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, passun. 
 Trance, man buried during, and rescued 
 
 by resurrection-men, 65. 
 Trials for body-snatching. See Prose- 
 cutions. 
 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 Bis/top 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. 
 
 Plyn:outh : W. Brendan an I Son, Printers. 
 
t r 
 
52 - Macgregor (G.)- The History of Burke and Hare, and of the 
 
 Resurrectionist Times. Illustrations. 8vo. cloth. 1884 9s. 
 
 
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