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THE IDEA OF bodysnatching might seem like the stuff of fictional horror, but it was a worry back in early 1800s Ireland.
Corpses were robbed and sold to medical experts to satisfy their need to perform autopsies to learn more about human anatomy, and to educate their students.
It wasn’t – but it didn’t carry the penalty of execution, only a fine and imprisonment, so people risked it.
Under the Murder Act of 1752, it was legal for surgeons to dissect the bodies of convicted murderers who were hung for their crimes. However, as these numbered only about 30 – 45 actual bodies a year, it just wasn’t enough.
And that’s where the bodysnatchers came in.
On a visit to Bully’s Acre, Dublin’s oldest graveyard, historian Paul O’Brien explained that the robbers used wooden shovels (they make less noise than metal) and sacks. They were able to access the bodies fairly easily as they weren’t buried as deeply underground as they are now.
The corpses of the unfortunate snatched people were pulled out of their coffins using hooks or ropes.
Ireland wasn’t the only place where bodies were snatched from graves, of course – given that medical science was developing, and there was money to be made in the sale of bodies, there were reports of grave robbing in the UK, US, Canada, and across Europe.
The anti-bodysnatching grille, also known as a mortsafe, above wasn’t a one off – there were more found in graveyards around the country.
While richer people could afford such grilles, or even vaults or tombstones, the poorer families could not always gather the funds for such elaborate protection.
What put an end to the bodysnatching? The Anatomy Act of 1832, which stated that only unclaimed bodies from workhouses could be used for dissection.
This Act was repealed in the United Kingdom in 1984, but is still in place in Ireland.
Some graverobbers went a step further to ensure they made money from fresh bodies. One Edinburgh-based pair, Burke and Hare (born in Ireland, no less), turned to murder to supply one Doctor Robert Knox with corpses for dissection.
In all, they killed 16 people before they were discovered and subsequently hanged.
See more photos like this on the Cork Past and Present website, run by Cork City Libraries.
So what?
@David Fitzgerald: Never heard of the chap¡
@Alonzo Margate: rte correspondent who tried his hand at politics but never elected but good old RTE kept his place open. Hence the 13 million deficit..
@Dave Barrett: I’m pretty sure he won a bye election, lasted a yr to 18 mths and then said the dail wasnt for him
@Dave Barrett: Story is the missus was not happy surviving on a TDs salary, so back top the RTE gravy train!
@Dave Barrett: he was elected with some fanfare as an economics expert,. Wasn’t happy to languish on the back bench while Mickey Noonan, (former secondary school teacher) dictated economic policy. In Ireland slapping the right backs and kissing the right holes counts for a lot more than actual knowledge. The poor naive eejit.
@Dave Barrett: wow at 13 million he is easily the highest paid in rte
@Dave Barrett: More like he’d be out of the limelight so he walked out
@Dave Barrett: He was elected, Kenny over the moon with him, but like a new toy Kenny discarded him….no great loss and Kenny still went on to make a bad suitution worse. Lee resumed his employment with R.T.E. he had to be punished so he was packed off to agriculture. Now that he has served his time in the gulag he is now back in the fold. And Kenny rode off into the sunset with his pensions.
@Alonzo Margate: your head must be in the sand
Left the rough and tumble of politics for a handy number in RTE. Couldn’t serve public and be a legislator. Disappointed with him. Ran away.
@Tim Oleary: You could aldo say he was brave enough to admit he made a mistake and decided to try and get his career up and running again. I can never understand the begrudgry of the Irish.
@Tim Oleary: quite right. ..On RTE he was the famous economic expert but then he arrived in the Dail to discover he was just a nobody. Probably got fed up too with the late night phonecalls from the constituents looking to get potholes filled in. Very nice of RTE to keep the job open for him, but that’s RTE for you. they don’t believe in recruiting new talent
@Manbackonboard: clearly not a driven political community person like many politicians down the years. A careerist in an undemaning job. Left his electorate down. Selfish.
@Manbackonboard: No begrudgery at all. Just a reasonable opinion.
He loves Irish water
@Dan: Correct. Now the unfortunate RTE viewer will have to listen to him whinging on about the brilliance of Irish Water and how wonderful it would be if we all paid 1000euros per year for starters. A yes man right to the core.
Good man George ! He’s a better correspondent than politician ! At least he had the bottle to stand in an election, good luck to him fxxk the begrudges
@Martin Sinnott: should have stuck in there. Couldn’t stick it out as a community champion in our parliament.
Wasnt he the chap who ran 4 government some years ago got in and within a year he ran back to rte leaving those who voted 4 him down never trusted that man after that
@Liam Ward: agree totally.
That really means Climate Change correspondent…Don’t be too alarmist…with the reports…
@iComment: Sick of him whinging on about climate change
Has he ever heard of HAARP in Alaska where they manipulate the weather plus the geo engineering that takes place in the skies where planes spray thick white lines of chemicals that knit together which causes the gray blanket of low cloud we experience on most days!
@Mairead Hilliard: you make very good points there, He is a pure disgust with his sad face, you would think that the Sky was about to fall when he starts whinging. All that Climate Change stuff,- a load of codswallop really . Fake news!!.
@Mairead Hilliard: Huh? Why is this always done by “they”? Who are these people who have access to unlikely science, and use it for completely unfathomable motives- motives that always seem to be totally opposed to the lunatic who believes this shįť?
@Mairead Hilliard: The grey Blanket is caused by 2 million air planes causing Contrails (exhaust from planes reacting to certain climatic scenarios). This also means that the average temperature in the NW Europe is lower than it should be and the chance of increased flooding incidents hitting the western European coastlines (Ireland, Norway, NE France etc). The IPCC has not taken this cooling effect into account by the way (same as they ignored increasing Methane emissions).
“…Aircraft contribute to climate change through emissions of carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, water vapour and formation of persistent contrails. Both the aircraft routing and subsequent climate impact are dependent on the large-scale weather pattern. It may therefore be possible to reduce aircraft climate impact by defining climate-optimal aircraft routes; this is being investigated by the European REACT4C project for trans-Atlantic flights…..” (Watch the video link on the Abstract linked for pictures showing satellite imagery explaining the situation) https://ams.confex.com/ams/93Annual/webprogram/Paper215939.html
How can he be expected to ask the difficult questions of government when he was in Fine Gael.The cabal of RTE/FFG employs its own.
“New Role” another Salary for Cash Strapped RTE, increase that Licence Fee quickly!
This is one of the reasons everyone hates RTÉ. Jobs for the boys. Straight back in the door after becoming a failed TD instead of applying for a job like everyone else. Became agriculture correspondent and wouldn’t know a cow from a horse. Here is now probably getting another promotion and jump in salary I’m sure.
@James Fox:
he applied for the environmment job which was open to everyone else including you! If you read the article you would have seen that.
Same RTE fake news.
George Lee is IW spokesman
As well as PROPGANDA for the government
Does a bit of reporting for the state broadcaster on the side…
He lost journalistic credibility with his political adventure.
I think he developed delusions of grandeur during his spell as a recession soothsayer.
Clear any space with his voice
Good man George ! He’s a better correspondent than politician ! At least he had the bottle to stand in an election
@Martin Sinnott: then ran away leaving the voters down. The dail is the most important place in the governance of our country, legislating. No bottle.
@Tim Oleary: 4 comments on this article? You must be a very bitter person. Go outside and get some sun. You’ll feel better.
@Manbackonboard: you deny honest and fair comment.
This is more RTÉ big salary musical chairs.
Surely they might consider hiring an extremely knowledgeable graduate in the area being reported on. We need to make sure our media is composed of educated experts in their fields to ensure they can scrutinise politicians (who also ought to have some relevant background to their briefs). Real journalists are important too but they are old school true investigative ones those who try to uncover any corruption etc.
We certainly don’t need or want just some well styled prompt reading empty vessel “journalist” with no knowledge of the area being discussed just some notes cobbled together by or for them or we could end up like the jokeshop across the sea.
@Supes Kz: he won journalist of the year for a huge investigative journalism piece that uncovered overcharging and tax evasion at National Irish Bank a few years back.
Bloke gets around…
More state funded propaganda
This wannabe Finance Minister thought Bruton was going to hand over his portfolio to him.
Naive!
Painful He’s such a goody two shoes
More state funded propaganda
More state funded propaganda
@Robert Clarke:
need to buy more tinfoil…
Credibility is gone. Nationally perceived as a token employee. Needs to change scene. He crossed the bridge and any post he performs after walking back is simply untenable.
I wish i could be an rte reporter leave my job become a failed politician and then get my job as an rte reporter back again no problem.come on george welcome back.
Heres hoping he actually has some science qualifications/experience though he doesnt seem to have the skills to be a good Science Media Journalist, unfortunately.
Likely, he will be using the go to corporate science news service (Sense About Science aka Science media Centre (SMC) aka Science Media Center) run by an ex blogger from Spiked Magazine ( A pro corporate climate denial blog ) who deleted her blog posts after she got a ton of money for her single parent charity to monitor and distribute “experts” for Science news stories.
From Wiki ; “his specialist area was labour economics and unemployment.”
Oh dear, looks like RTE did not want a real, qualified, independent Science media Journalist (Who are now being trained at Uni to go to the SMC instead of verifying the science independently). :( Here is a rabbit hole that might explain what i am getting at ; https://nuclear-news.net/?s=Science+Media+Centre
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