Gourt > Society > Crime > Murder > Serial Murder > Serial Killers > Burke and Hare
The West Port murders were perpetrated in 1827-1828 by William Burke and William Hare who sold the corpses of their 16 victims to the Edinburgh Medical College for dissection. Their principal customer was Edinburgh doctor Robert Knox.
Historical background
- Main article History of anatomy in the 19th century.
Before 1832, there was little legitimate supply of cadavers for the study and teaching of anatomy in British medical schools. As medical science began to flourish in the early 19th century, demand rose sharply and attracted criminal elements who were willing to obtain specimens by any means. The activities of body-snatchers and the Resurrectionists gave rise to particular public fear and revulsion.
More on [ West Port murders ]
This is the Year of Burke and Hare: Orkney theater to do Doctor and the Devils at St. Magnus Festival, link on feed at http://bit.ly/t1P8w
burkeandhare (Lisa Rosner) Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:13:32 -0000
This is the Year of Burke and Hare: Orkney theater to do Doctor and the Devils at St. Magnus Festival, link on feed at http://bit.ly/t1P8w
Yeah, no, it's 'Burke and Hare'... not much difference...
crowdedangels (Becs ) Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:46:43 -0000
Yeah, no, it's 'Burke and Hare'... not much difference...
Burke and Hare casting tweets at http://bit.ly/6QmJs
burkeandhare (Lisa Rosner) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:35:26 -0000
Burke and Hare casting tweets at http://bit.ly/6QmJs
read in the paper John Landis is making 'Burke and Hare' next summer in Stirling :O Hopefully i might bet some footage of them filming it
raydvd (Ray) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:07:27 -0000
read in the paper John Landis is making 'Burke and Hare' next summer in Stirling :O Hopefully i might bet some footage of them filming it
Just had my casting for extra in Burke and Hare fingers crossed and mutton chops growing.
cbairds (calum baird) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:34:14 -0000
Just had my casting for extra in Burke and Hare fingers crossed and mutton chops growing.
Auditioned for Extra in new Burke and Hare, hope i get through; even just to gaw at David Tennant
Lindzx87x (Lindsay Hathaway) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:22:50 -0000
Auditioned for Extra in new Burke and Hare, hope i get through; even just to gaw at David Tennant
Hare - A synopsis of the story of these serial killers.
William Hare - Multi-part essay on the killers and their string of victims.
Meta Description: [ Burke & Hare, with their wives, murdered several
people in the early 1800's to sell the bodies to Doctors for research, from The Crime Library ]
Broadside Regarding the Burke and Hare Trials - Transcription of a contemporary broadside which describes Burke's hanging and gives information on some of the murder victims. Also a PDF facsimile of the broadside, and commentary. From the National Library of Scotland.
Burke and Hare--Murder for Money? - Profile of these infamous criminals. [The Scotsman]
Meta Description: [ EDINBURGH flourished in the early 19th century. Basking in the afterglow of the Scottish Enlightenment, the city’s reputation as a centre of science and progress was assured. The Industrial Revolution was generating wealth and improving the city. Even... ]
Burke, William (1792-1829) - Biographical entry on the convicted murderer, from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.
Meta Description: [ WILLIAM BURKE (1792–1829) - Online Information article about WILLIAM BURKE (1792–1829) ]
Graverobbers and Dr. Robert Knox - Two-part essay on Burke and Hare follows up on the murderers' best customer and their female companions, after William Burke was hanged.
Meta Description: [ About a series of murders and graverobbings in Scotland, Dr. Robert Knox's place in the crimes and life after the trials. ]
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Graverobbers! The Trial of Burke and Hare - Introduction to the partners with a gruesome trade, and information on movies based on their deeds.
Meta Description: [ The sensational 1828 trial of Scottish graverobbers William Burke and William Hare, criminals who supplied dead bodies for Dr. Robert Knox, an Edinburgh's anatomy instructor. ]
Haunted Edinburgh: Burke and Hare - Breezy account of the serial murders.
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History Sphere: Burke and Hare - Richard Cussans of the Edinburgh City Libraries outlines this pair's murderous career. With nineteenth-century illustrations.
Meta Description: [ Advice, information and services from the City of Edinburgh Council. Covers all aspects of life in Edinburgh from Business to Leisure. ]
The Corpus and the Hare - Supply rose to meet demand in nineteenth-century Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the demand was for fresh corpses. [Modern Drug Discovery]
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The Crime Web: William Burke and William Hare - Biographies of the killers and of their customer Dr. Robert Knox. Recounts the story of the murders, the trial, and the aftermath.
The Resurrectionists - The dark side of Edinburgh's fame for its medical schools was the trade in cadavers. Photographs of city landmarks accompany the story of Burke and Hare.
Meta Description: [ Resurrectionists the story of William Burke and William Hare, Edinburgh's, if not Scotland's most infamous body snatchers (grave robbers) come serial killers. ]
The Story of Burke and Hare - Thumbnail sketch of the crimes and capture of these infamous Edinburgh murderers.
Wikipedia: William Burke and William Hare - Biographical article on the immigrant laborers who briefly had a lucrative trade in murder.
William Burke - Lurid and moralizing account of his crimes, trial, and execution. Includes excerpts from an interview with the condemned murderer. From the Newgate Calendar.
| Ian Rankin meets Burke and Hare at MUSA | |
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