October Series Day Five: The Gruesome Tale of Burke & Hare ⚰️ - When the Judgement of Death Act 1823 saw the number of crimes punishable by death in Britain significantly drop, this was theoretically a good move. However, the reality was that the advancing medical schools became short of bodies to dissect, as they could legally only use the remains of someone condemned to death. Enter, the macabre act of grave robbing. Financial incentives can drive people to do anything, and lots of money for a fresh body was a true money maker of the 19th century. William Burke and William Hare moved to Scotland to work on the Union Canal, but soon found themselves entangled in a far more lucrative and gruesome trade. They preyed on Edinburgh’s poorest community who were far less likely to be missed in the event of their disappearance. They became more and more ruthless, murdering as many as they could to maximise profit. Burke and Hare’s last murder took place on Halloween 1828, with the death of Ma...