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Digging in the Dark: A History of the Yorkshire Resurrectionists
Progress can be unstoppable at times, and not even death can prevent the desire for knowledge. A dark trade has long existed to provide fuel for the fires of research, a trade which is viewed by many as the most despicable occupation of all.The resurrection men of Yorkshire came from all walks of life, and employed a myriad of macabre methods to raise their defenseless prey from beneath the consecrated ground. This was a trade which offered great reward, but was definitely not for the faint of heart.Throughout this journey into the dark past of Yorkshire, we meet an infamous celebrity who made an unexpected reappearance, a traveling minstrel who was to become the talk of many towns, a child whose death was just the beginning of a tragic tale, and a holy man who helped a community but earned his own illicit rewards in return.Also to be raised from the dead are a number of explosive events, all of which lit a fire beneath the local communities and led the people of Yorkshire to the streets in violent protest. A medical school reduced to ashes, a gang of professionals moonlighting in the darkest occupation, and a scandal which would engulf a city many years after the threat of the body snatchers had been all but ended.Spanning over almost three centuries, this grim compendium of tales casts a shadow over the beauty of Yorkshire, a dark veil which reaches out in all directions, threatening the peace of the dearly departed across the length and breadth of the nations largest county.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 28, 2017
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley. Note the ARC did not have a source listing, I presume this is that the case for the print version.
Shortly after finishing this book, the now annual war between woodchucks and dogs started. To call it a war is wrong, it is more like Darwinism in action as in woodchucks that are so stupid to enter a fenced in yard that contains two dogs deserved what they get, especially when said woodchuck gets caught at the apex of three fences. This year, the new dog apparently believes that offering me a dead woodchuck as a tug toy is the way to go.
I suppose it is better than dismembered woodchuck over the yard.
It made me think of this book. True, the history detailed in Johnson’s book doesn’t involve dogs wanting to play tug with dead rodents, but it does involve the digging up of bodies, and as I have had to dispose of one.
My favorite story about grave robbers or Resurrection men is not included here, not surprising considering that the story takes place in Edinburgh and Johnson’s book details those of Yorkshire.
We are talking about grave robbers and body snatchers in case you didn’t know.
Johnson provides background before moving into full, detailed history of various resurrection men. This overview also includes those who met have cheated death, including a piper who could not be hung but who was buried anyway. That’s all I am going to say about that, and if you want to know about that story (and you should), read the book.
Johnson’s discussion includes the most famous Resurrection Burke and Hare, but the majority of the book is centered on Yorkshire and less known cases, including ones involving children’s bodies. The trials are discussed in details, including actual reporting and transcripts from the time. While at times, this can be a bit slow considering the style of whichever source he cites. Yet, what comes across quite clearly, is the fascination and interest that Johnson has for his subject matter. His interest in the subject more than compensates for various slow points in quoted material (and he gets credit for quoting the sources).
I do hope that Johnson delivers a talk about this subject in the US because I sense that he would be fun to listen too.
Shortly after finishing this book, the now annual war between woodchucks and dogs started. To call it a war is wrong, it is more like Darwinism in action as in woodchucks that are so stupid to enter a fenced in yard that contains two dogs deserved what they get, especially when said woodchuck gets caught at the apex of three fences. This year, the new dog apparently believes that offering me a dead woodchuck as a tug toy is the way to go.
I suppose it is better than dismembered woodchuck over the yard.
It made me think of this book. True, the history detailed in Johnson’s book doesn’t involve dogs wanting to play tug with dead rodents, but it does involve the digging up of bodies, and as I have had to dispose of one.
My favorite story about grave robbers or Resurrection men is not included here, not surprising considering that the story takes place in Edinburgh and Johnson’s book details those of Yorkshire.
We are talking about grave robbers and body snatchers in case you didn’t know.
Johnson provides background before moving into full, detailed history of various resurrection men. This overview also includes those who met have cheated death, including a piper who could not be hung but who was buried anyway. That’s all I am going to say about that, and if you want to know about that story (and you should), read the book.
Johnson’s discussion includes the most famous Resurrection Burke and Hare, but the majority of the book is centered on Yorkshire and less known cases, including ones involving children’s bodies. The trials are discussed in details, including actual reporting and transcripts from the time. While at times, this can be a bit slow considering the style of whichever source he cites. Yet, what comes across quite clearly, is the fascination and interest that Johnson has for his subject matter. His interest in the subject more than compensates for various slow points in quoted material (and he gets credit for quoting the sources).
I do hope that Johnson delivers a talk about this subject in the US because I sense that he would be fun to listen too.
June 4, 2017
I rated this a 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5.
Being in the medical field for most of my adult life, I have seen, handled and been around more dead bodies than I would ever care to try to count up. Mind you, I have never been “grave robbing,” or as this novel is titled “Digging In The Dark,” but being in an emergency and trauma setting in the hospital lends itself to a lot of undesirable outcomes, with the most common being death.
In the medical field, there is always a need for cadavers and cadaver labs to educate those doctors, nurses, paramedics, etc. in the most current and relevant way of caring for the patients as they need treatment. I am sure that in an everyday household, one does not think about where these cadavers might come from.
Ben Johnson does an amazing job of walking us through history and how the procurement of cadavers for medical school has evolved throughout time. He explores how times changed from taking the bodies of convicts that died to sell as cadavers to medical school to how this led to the unfortunate crime of murder for money. This is not his only focus, for his book is deeply rooted in the macabre activity of grave robbing, and he has quite a few detailed tales to tell.
While you may be thinking OH NO NOT ANOTHER HISTORY BOOK, I’ve FINISHED school!! Who could NOT love a book that includes fun facts about what kinds of crimes were punishable by hanging? I had two personal favorites.
The first being, “being in the company of gypsies for a month or more.” So… you could hang out with them for three weeks but for heaven sake, DON’T LOSE TRACK OF TIME! If you do, you will hang from your neck by a “short jump” (one not intended to break your neck, but rather to allow you to die by suffocation) until you are dead.
The second being, “strong evidence of malice in a child aged 7-14 years of age.” WHOA!! Calm down all you parents out there!!! This was back in the 1800’s, and you can’t hang your children for being pains in the ass anymore!
He does recount another tale of John Bartendale, who was hung for 45 minutes from his neck, buried, and then found still alive and banging around in his buried casket. Talk about the walking dead! I am thinking that good for this gentleman that the judge saw things his way and chose NOT to rehang him from the neck, stating that his sentence of “hung from the neck until dead” was carried out, and they pardoned him from all his crimes. (I hope that Bartendale decided that a redo meant to walk the straight and narrow path. Can you imagine being hung twice?)
Johnson also includes the famous case of Burke and Hare who made killing a profitable business by selling their recent victims to Dr. Knox, who promptly used the bodies in his cadaver lab, not asking, nor caring where the recently departed had come from. In total, Burke and Hare produced 16 bodies to Dr. Knox, and only one of these souls died from natural causes. The most interesting part of this story for me is how once convicted, Burke was sentenced to death by hanging (Europe loved their hangings), and then his body ordered to be used in the same cadaver labs he had taken his victims to. There, the surgeon dipped his pen in the blood from Burke's head and wrote with it on parchment paper as if writing with ink, and they tanned his skin and made a book from it, as well as they made a death mask of his face. (Um, and they were mad at Burke for smothering victims?)
This is a fascinating compendium containing many rich tales of grave robbers and their victims (including children) that comes with first-hand accountings by newspapers and journals dated from the time of the robbing. I did not, however, find a source page, however, I was reading an ARC, and the print copy may have had one included. If you enjoy a good macabre story and like it even better if it’s true, then this novel is for you!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I would like to thank Netgalley, Pen & Sword Publishers, and the thorough and grizzly author Ben Johnson for an opportunity to read about the dark activity of grave robbing.
Being in the medical field for most of my adult life, I have seen, handled and been around more dead bodies than I would ever care to try to count up. Mind you, I have never been “grave robbing,” or as this novel is titled “Digging In The Dark,” but being in an emergency and trauma setting in the hospital lends itself to a lot of undesirable outcomes, with the most common being death.
In the medical field, there is always a need for cadavers and cadaver labs to educate those doctors, nurses, paramedics, etc. in the most current and relevant way of caring for the patients as they need treatment. I am sure that in an everyday household, one does not think about where these cadavers might come from.
Ben Johnson does an amazing job of walking us through history and how the procurement of cadavers for medical school has evolved throughout time. He explores how times changed from taking the bodies of convicts that died to sell as cadavers to medical school to how this led to the unfortunate crime of murder for money. This is not his only focus, for his book is deeply rooted in the macabre activity of grave robbing, and he has quite a few detailed tales to tell.
While you may be thinking OH NO NOT ANOTHER HISTORY BOOK, I’ve FINISHED school!! Who could NOT love a book that includes fun facts about what kinds of crimes were punishable by hanging? I had two personal favorites.
The first being, “being in the company of gypsies for a month or more.” So… you could hang out with them for three weeks but for heaven sake, DON’T LOSE TRACK OF TIME! If you do, you will hang from your neck by a “short jump” (one not intended to break your neck, but rather to allow you to die by suffocation) until you are dead.
The second being, “strong evidence of malice in a child aged 7-14 years of age.” WHOA!! Calm down all you parents out there!!! This was back in the 1800’s, and you can’t hang your children for being pains in the ass anymore!
He does recount another tale of John Bartendale, who was hung for 45 minutes from his neck, buried, and then found still alive and banging around in his buried casket. Talk about the walking dead! I am thinking that good for this gentleman that the judge saw things his way and chose NOT to rehang him from the neck, stating that his sentence of “hung from the neck until dead” was carried out, and they pardoned him from all his crimes. (I hope that Bartendale decided that a redo meant to walk the straight and narrow path. Can you imagine being hung twice?)
Johnson also includes the famous case of Burke and Hare who made killing a profitable business by selling their recent victims to Dr. Knox, who promptly used the bodies in his cadaver lab, not asking, nor caring where the recently departed had come from. In total, Burke and Hare produced 16 bodies to Dr. Knox, and only one of these souls died from natural causes. The most interesting part of this story for me is how once convicted, Burke was sentenced to death by hanging (Europe loved their hangings), and then his body ordered to be used in the same cadaver labs he had taken his victims to. There, the surgeon dipped his pen in the blood from Burke's head and wrote with it on parchment paper as if writing with ink, and they tanned his skin and made a book from it, as well as they made a death mask of his face. (Um, and they were mad at Burke for smothering victims?)
This is a fascinating compendium containing many rich tales of grave robbers and their victims (including children) that comes with first-hand accountings by newspapers and journals dated from the time of the robbing. I did not, however, find a source page, however, I was reading an ARC, and the print copy may have had one included. If you enjoy a good macabre story and like it even better if it’s true, then this novel is for you!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I would like to thank Netgalley, Pen & Sword Publishers, and the thorough and grizzly author Ben Johnson for an opportunity to read about the dark activity of grave robbing.
November 24, 2019
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
This was a really informative book and the author has used some great examples to show the habits and crimes of the resurrectionists - there were a lot more than just Burke and Hare at it!
I read this book over a few days and loved the layout that the author had used for the book. It was really easy to read the different sections and it allowed me to easily be able to dip in and out of the book without losing track.
Most people who have some knowledge of what the resurrectionists did will be aware of Burke and Hare and it was a great way to introduce the book detailing their crimes and then using that to expand on what went on in Yorkshire too, as quite often books show this almost being more of a practice confined to Edinburgh and the surrounding area only but it was much more widespread.
It was good to read how the legislation was introduced and developed over time too to stop this heinous practice, it must have been an awfully traumatic time for any families who had recently lost loved ones, not only did they have their grief to contend with, they also had the worry and fear that their bodies would be removed.
It is 4 stars from me, I loved being able to find out more about the history of the resurrectionists - highly recommended!
This was a really informative book and the author has used some great examples to show the habits and crimes of the resurrectionists - there were a lot more than just Burke and Hare at it!
I read this book over a few days and loved the layout that the author had used for the book. It was really easy to read the different sections and it allowed me to easily be able to dip in and out of the book without losing track.
Most people who have some knowledge of what the resurrectionists did will be aware of Burke and Hare and it was a great way to introduce the book detailing their crimes and then using that to expand on what went on in Yorkshire too, as quite often books show this almost being more of a practice confined to Edinburgh and the surrounding area only but it was much more widespread.
It was good to read how the legislation was introduced and developed over time too to stop this heinous practice, it must have been an awfully traumatic time for any families who had recently lost loved ones, not only did they have their grief to contend with, they also had the worry and fear that their bodies would be removed.
It is 4 stars from me, I loved being able to find out more about the history of the resurrectionists - highly recommended!
November 4, 2017
Digging in the Dark: A History of the Yorkshire Resurrectionists by Ben W. Johnson is a fascinating set of historical facts about grave robbers and body snatchers in the Victorian era. Some stories are incredible, exceptionally well written and researched.
This book discusses some really terrifying aspects of history, but all are presented to the reader - sometimes thanks to the sense of humour - so engaging.
The book not only tells the stories of resurrection activities but places them in the wider historical context, in a constantly evolving society due to the industrial revolution, the complicity of the medical profession, also taking into account the legal and legislative side.
A really nice and interesting reading.
This book discusses some really terrifying aspects of history, but all are presented to the reader - sometimes thanks to the sense of humour - so engaging.
The book not only tells the stories of resurrection activities but places them in the wider historical context, in a constantly evolving society due to the industrial revolution, the complicity of the medical profession, also taking into account the legal and legislative side.
A really nice and interesting reading.
April 6, 2021
The author writes with a perceptible empathy for the resurrectionists' victims, but I found the prose at times to be florid to the point of distraction. It could have used some more stringent editing - one story had a lengthy description of the (apparently beautiful) location, which it turns out had nothing to do with the story itself. Some interesting subject matter overall, it just could use some tightening up on the prose.
January 6, 2018
It’s strange to think of the times when the religious leanings of the day and the laws they inspired handicapped medical science. These were true dark days, and knowledge was hard to gain. As with most things in life, there’s a gray area, but one which can turn to the dark side. The advancement of medical science wasn’t helped along by religions or governments. Instead, a select group roamed through the gray, and on occasion, drifted into the black. Medical science thanks them, but they weren’t trying to aid the cause of science. Their cause was their own, putting cold cash into their pockets. They went by many names. Grave robber. Body snatcher. Ghoul. Resurrectionist. In his 2017 book, Ben Johnson shines a light into the dark cemeteries with Digging in the Dark: A History of the Yorkshire Resurrectionists. He uncovers many shocking tales, and at least one humorous episode...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews