Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

We regret to have to state, that some violators of the sanctuary of the tomb have commenced their unlawful avocation, in vicinity of this city. In the course of Saturday night, or on Sunday morning last, the body of a soldier, which had been buried about a week before, in Fulford churchyard, from the barracks, was taken away. Though this place of sepulture is in a situation remote from the village, yet a cottage on each side of the ground, when occupied, might have proved a safeguard from the unlawful spoiler. It is, however, rather remarkable, that the one situated on the side of the churchyard, whence this body has been stolen, became tenantless on Friday, thus leaving the place unprotected from these nocturnal plunderers of the dead. About four o’clock on Saturday, the grave was observed by certain marks to have been untouched, and on Sunday morning the discovery of its having been rifled was made. The dexterous manner in which the corpse had been removed, leaving the coffin nearly entire in the ground, proves that the parties are adepts in their revolting avocation; and the knowledge of the fact that people are lurking about who make body-snatching their regular profession, should awaken all due caution to preserve the various places of sepulture in our city and its neighbourhood from their depredations.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

Via John Bibby, who adds inter alia that “two weeks later, the Carlisle Patriot reports that the coach from York carried a box addressed to Edinburgh in which was found the limbs, head and shoulders of a man” (Bibby 2022) – must dig that one out!

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Original

We regret to have to state, that some violators of the sanctuary of the tomb have commenced their unlawful avocation, in vicinity of this city. In the course of Saturday night, or on Sunday morning last, the body of a soldier, which had been buried about a week before, in Fulford churchyard, from the barracks, was taken away. Though this place of sepulture is in a situation remote from the village, yet a cottage on each side of the ground, when occupied, might have proved a safeguard from the unlawful spoiler. It is, however, rather remarkable, that the one situated on the side of the churchyard, whence this body has been stolen, became tenantless on Friday, thus leaving the place unprotected from these nocturnal plunderers of the dead. About four o’clock on Saturday, the grave was observed by certain marks to have been untouched, and on Sunday morning the discovery of its having been rifled was made. The dexterous manner in which the corpse had been removed, leaving the coffin nearly entire in the ground, proves that the parties are adepts in their revolting avocation; and the knowledge of the fact that people are lurking about who make body-snatching their regular profession, should awaken all due caution to preserve the various places of sepulture in our city and its neighbourhood from their depredations.

226 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Body snatching (2) ·
• Fulford, North Yorkshire (3) ·
• Imphal Barracks (1) ·
• St Oswald’s Hall (1) ·

All tags.

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