Burke and Hare Meet at Tanner's Close, Edinburgh
The criminal careers of Irishmen William Burke and William Hare began in Tanner's Close (a residential street with one end blocked off) in Scotland's capital Edinburgh.
During the first 10 months of 1828, the duo committed at least 16 murders, probably more, before they were arrested on 3rd November 1828. The Burke and Hare Murders (also known as the Westport Murders) will never be forgotten in Scottish history.
The two Williams moved to Scotland during the late 1810s to work as construction labourers on the Union Canal between Edinburgh and Falkirk. Middle-class William Burke left his wife and two children to fend for themselves in County Mayo, Ireland.
He settled near Falkirk after the Union Canal project and took up several occupations to support himself and his common-law wife Nelly (or Helen) McDougall. They moved into Tanner's Close in 1827.
William Hare hailed from Northern Ireland and was said to be uncouth. Hare lodged in a boardinghouse in Tanner's Close and starting in 1826, he ran the establishment with the previous owner's widow Margaret Laird. She called herself Margaret Hare and she was regarded as his common-law wife.
Hatching the Scheme
"Old Donald" was a retired army veteran. He lodged in William and Margaret Hare's boardinghouse. In December 1827, he passed away owing £4 rent.
An out-of-pocket Hare devised a plan. He and his new friend Burke delivered "Old Donald"—without a coffin, clothing or due respect—to Dr. Robert Knox, a leading anatomy lecturer at Surgeons' Square on Edinburgh University's campus.
Knox paid them £7 and 10 shillings for the cadaver. When it was time for Old Donald's funeral, the men weighed down the empty coffin so that it felt as though Donald was inside it.
Another ailing tenant at Hare's boardinghouse was named Joseph. Burke and Hare assisted him towards his eternal rest, although his malady may not have been fatal. He was incapacitated with whisky, restrained and suffocated. This method of murder would later become known as "Burking." The pair delivered Joseph to Dr. Knox and collected their fee.
Mary Patterson and Janet Brown were "ladies of the night" who were lured to Hare's boardinghouse. At one point Janet left Mary with their hosts for a short time. When she returned to the house, Burke and Hare told her that Mary had gone out.
Janet waited for over an hour before she excused herself to search the streets for Mary. She didn't find her. Mary was dead and destined for Dr. Knox's dissection classes. Janet was lucky to escape.
Why Would Dr. Knox Accept the Cadavers?
In 1823, a change in the law resulted in a significant reduction in death sentences handed down by judges, and fewer convicts' cadavers were available for medical and scientific establishments. "Resurrectionists" provided bodies from cemeteries—the fresher the corpse, the higher the fee. Dr. Knox would have regarded Burke and Hare as robbers, not murderers.
Victims Recognised by Medical Students
Burke and Hare's depravity and greed escalated. They killed old and young and selected poorer members of the community who they believed wouldn't be missed.
Staggeringly, Margaret Hare's blind grandson and a woman who believed that she was related to Nelly (Helen) McDougall were slain and dispatched to Dr. Knox.
Each cadaver they produced earned Burke and Hare between £7 and £10. They killed at least 16 people between New Year and Halloween 1828, but the actual body count remains unclear.
Two prostitutes were recognised by the university's medical students during Knox's lectures, but the alarm wasn't raised. Street entertainer James Wilson, better known to the locals as "Daft Jamie," lay cold on the dissection table and he too would have been identified if Dr. Knox hadn't swiftly removed James' head and his deformed foot.
Burke and Hare's Final Victim
Burke and Hare's final murder occurred at Halloween 1828. The men had argued about the division of rewards and Burke had opened his own boardinghouse by October 1828.
Margery "Madgy" Campbell Docherty was tempted to Burke's boardinghouse. His other boarders James and Anne Gray accepted Hare's invitation to stay overnight at his boardinghouse. This left Burke's premises empty except for poor Madgy. She was duly murdered.
When the Grays returned to Burke's boardinghouse the following morning, they were told that Madgy had been asked to leave because she had flirted with Burke. He blocked access to certain rooms, which made the Grays suspicious and they searched the property. They discovered Madgy's body beneath the bed in Burke's room.
James and Anne Gray Contact the Police
As they hurried to the police station, they encountered Nelly McDougall and told her what they knew. Nelly wasn't horrified. She tried to bribe them into silence. The appalled couple continued to the police station.
By the time the police arrived at the boardinghouse, Madgy had been spirited away. Dr. Knox had taken delivery of her body.
William Burke, William Hare, Margaret Hare and Nelly/Helen McDougall were arrested on 3rd November 1828. Burke and Hare blamed one another and the women contradicted each other as they gave their statements about Madgy's fate.
James Gray identified Madgy's corpse at the university.
Local prostitute Janet Brown read about Madgy's murder in the newspaper and she contacted the police about Mary Patterson. She subsequently identified Mary's clothing, which was discovered at Hare's boardinghouse.
That was the only viable evidence that the police had.
A Deal With the Lord Advocate of Scotland
And now for the twist in the tale. The police's lack of evidence to bring a case against Burke and Hare led to a deal being brokered. William Hare was approached by the highest legal authority in Scotland with a proposal.
The Lord Advocate of Scotland Sir William Rae offered William and Margaret Hare immunity if they testified against Burke and McDougall in a practice known as turning king's witness. The Hares accepted the offer immediately.
William Burke and Helen McDougall's trial began on Christmas Eve 1828. On Christmas Day, they were charged with the murder of Margery "Madgy" Chapman Docherty. Burke was also charged in relation to James Wilson and Mary Patterson.
Helen's involvement in Madgy's death could not be proven under Scottish law, so she was freed. She feared for her life and emigrated to Australia. Margaret Hare, immune from prosecution, also left Scotland and settled in Ireland.
What of William Burke and William Hare?
Burke Hanged, Hare Blinded?
Burke was found guilty and hanged at Lawnmarket on 28th January 1829 in front of a crowd of 25,000 exhilarated people. His corpse was put on public display and then donated for medical research. Some medical students used his skin to make wallets and card cases. His skeleton is still on display at the university.
William Hare hopped over the border into England when he was released in February 1829. Legend has it that Hare was attacked by a mob and thrown into a lime quarry. Blinded as a result, he lived out his days as a beggar on the streets of London. (We don't know if that's the truth because he disappeared from records.)
Knox was absolved of any crime. Burke had testified that Knox had not known where or how the cadavers had been acquired, but Knox's reputation was ruined. He relocated to London to rescue his medical career.
In 1831, copycat killings were carried out by the "London Burkers." Their activities led to another change in the law that made cadavers for medical research more easily attainable. The graverobbing trade floundered.
Burke and Hare's serial murders have been the subject of dramas and books, and their murderous exploits echo through the centuries.
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