Edinburgh's large population of students and anatomists created a market for fresh corpses, but the law stated that only the bodies of criminals who'd been recently executed could be used. Demand was much higher than supply; along came Burke and Hare.
William Burke and William Hare were Irish immigrants who'd both moved to Edinburgh to work on the Union Canal, although they didn't meet until Burke and his partner Helen moved out of Leith and up to West Port, just off the Grassmarket. Burke and Helen became Hare's and his partner Margaret's lodgers.
In 1827, one of the other lodgers, a man called Donald, passed away. Hare was fairly annoyed about it because Donald still owed him £4 in rent. Aware of the demand for fresh bodies, Hare decided this was how Donald would settle his debt.
On the day of the funeral itself, Burke and Hare replaced the body in the coffin with a sack of bark. They took the body to the anatomy offices of Robert Knox. They were asked to return after dark and when they did, they were paid £7 and 10 shillings.
It was easy money, and Burke and Hare began to consider how they might create a more long term money-making scheme out of it.
Grave robbing was common, so much so that the families of those who had been recently buried would hold 8 or 9 day long vigils beside the grave to prevent their loved ones being dug up. St Cuthberts, west of the castle, was a particularly popular hunting ground. Even some of the anatomy students themselves went grave robbing by lanternlight during the witching hour. It was so common the locals nicknamed them the 'Resurrectionists'. The grave robbers were so practised and quick that the graves not under constant watch could be dug up, the bodies removed, and the soil replaced, all between patrols of the nightwatchman, leaving grieving families none the wiser the following day.
But generally what was dug up was not that fresh.
Murder was clearly the way forward.
Another lodger, Joseph, became ill not long after Donald passed, and while not seriously ill, Burke and Hare got him drunk and suffocated him. This was to be their signature method from then on.
They picked lodgers and prostitutes, other people who no-one would miss.
In April 1828, Burke met up with two prostitutes, Mary Paterson and Janet Brown. He invited them back to his brother's for a drink. Mary passed out, and while she slept, the others argued and Janet left. She told Burke she would collect her friend later and went off to visit her old landlady, Mrs Lawrie.
Mrs Lawrie, on hearing about the morning's events, was worried for Mary and insisted Janet return to fetch her at once. A servant went with Janet for safety, but when they arrived they were told Burke and Mary had gone out. Janet insisted on waiting and sent the servant back to Mrs Lawrie's to tell her what was going on.
The servant came straight back with instructions from Mrs Lawrie for Janet to leave immediately.
Poor Mary's corpse was already on it's way to Robert Knox.
Janet escaped.
Mary's body, Mary having been a very beautiful teenage girl, was not immediately dissected, but was first drawn by the students to record it's beautiful shape, and was preserved in spirits for three months afterwards.
Janet continued to ask around and search for her friend for months and months, but never heard tell of Mary again.
After that, Burke and Hare became bolder, even taking the bodies to Knox during the day. They even murdered a grandmother and her twelve year old grandchild, and a relative of Helen's, Ann McDougal. But by then the two couples were begining to argue. Burke agreed to move to other premises.
The next three victims were well known to the community and the students recognised them. Mary Haldane, a prostitute, and her daughter Peggy were next. After them went 'Daft Jamie', a nineteen year old who was by all accounts big and strong but with the mind of a child. He was very popular with the local children. Burke later mentioned in his confession that Jamie was very anxious and asked for his mother over and over while he was being killed. He was easily recognisable by his deformed foot, and the students were in uproar but Dr Knox point blank denied the body was that of Jamie. Jamie was the only victim who was stone cold sober and must have known exactly what was happening to him.
Burke and Hare's downfall came by way of their new lodgers, James and Ann Gray.
Mary Docherty, an old woman from Ireland who'd come to Edinburgh to search for her lost son, came back with Burke for a drink at the lodgings, having been convinced Burke was somehow related to her, and was offered a room for the night. Mary was given the Grays' room, and they were shifted to a room with the Hares.
It was Hallowe'en, and a party with much drinking and dancing was in full swing.
Later that night, Burke's neighbours were convinced they heard shouting and arguements, and a voice yelling 'Murder!', and went out to search for a policeman. Finding none, they gave up and went home.
The following morning, The Grays were moved back to their original room. They were told Mary had tried it on with Burke and had been thrown out. In fact, her body was lying under the spare bed, covered in straw.
During the day, Ann approached the spare bed to retrieve her child's stockings and was warned off by Burke. Curious as to why Burke was so defensive, the Grays waited until they were alone in the building, and went to investigate for themselves, finding Mary's body.
The Grays confronted Helen, who offered them £10 to keep their mouths shut. The horrified Grays went to find a policeman.
An anonymous tip off lead the police to Dr Knox's classroom, where Mary's body had been sent, and it was identified by James Gray.
Everyone blamed and testified against each other. Burke was hanged on the 28th of January 1829, his body given to the students for dissection, and Helen was freed. Hare was later released having turned King's evidence against Burke, and Margaret returned to Ireland, although she, Hare and Helen were mobbed wherever they went.
Knox was never prosecuted.
Despite popular opinion, there is no evidence that Burke and Hare ever dug up any graves.
"Up the close and down the stair,
In the house with Burke and Hare,
Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief,
Knox, the man who buys the beef."
childrens' rhyme
