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#OTD in 1829, William Burke was hanged. Along with William Hare, he had murdered at least 16 people to sell to the anatomists. The Murder Act of 1751 meant that, as further punishment, the judge could also have his body anatomised - which is exactly what happened.
During the dissection, some skin was taken which was tanned and made into a pocket book, which you can now see in @surgeonshall https://twitter.com/surgeonshall/status/1354715901019488256
His skeleton was also kept and can still be seen in the anatomical museum of Edinburgh University https://twitter.com/teviotplace/status/1354717716943351808
You can read more about the Murder Act on my blog:
https://thesewanderingbones.wordpress.com/2020/02/01/the-rewards-of-cruelty/
https://thesewanderingbones.wordpress.com/2020/02/01/the-rewards-of-cruelty/
Who had bought the bodies that William Burke and William Hare killed? Here Ken Donaldson gives us more information about the anatomist Robert Knox
But what about William Hare? He turned King’s Evidence, and walked free. No one really knows what happened to him after that. @DiggingUp1800 examines the facts and rumours here: https://diggingup1800.com/what-ever-happened-to-william-hare/
