Wretch's Illustrations of Shakespeare, no.5

Category

Library Item

Item no

21664

Title

Wretch's Illustrations of Shakespeare: "Illustrious Wretch", no.5

Description

William Burke and William Hare stand over a sleeping man and discuss whether to murder him or not. Hare holds a pillow and Burke has his hand on it to stop him approaching the sleeping man. Both men are wearing blue flock coats. A tea chest lies on the floor at the head of the bed.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Engraver

R.H.Nimmo

Date

1829

Type

Lithograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This is the fifth illustration from 'Wretch's Illustrations of Shakspeare' and it depicts William Burke and William Hare. The lithographic prints consist of caricatures of the main people involved in the case of William Burke and William Hare drawn by R.H Nimmo.

The man nearest the head of the bed is William Hare, the other William Burke. The box on the floor is probably meant to be the tea chest in which the body would be transported to the medical school for Dr Knox.

William Burke and William Hare provided corpses for dissection by murdering people, but for almost one hundred years corpses had been provided from recent graves by people known as 'resurrectionists'. People had taken various self-help measures such as placing cages known as mortsafes over graves, or paying subscriptions to gravewatching societies, which meant the graveyards would be patrolled by armed guards. None of these methods was foolproof. But the crimes of Burke and Hare created so much anxiety amongst the public that in 1832 the Anatomy Act was passed which ensured a legal supply of bodies for anatomists.

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Related subjects

Crime and punishment > Criminals and prisoners > Criminals

Furnishings > Furniture > Beds

People > Adults > Men

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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