Norwich

200 Years Ago in Norwich : Body Snatching in Hethersett (Thomas Able)

Another in my little series of posts from the Norwich Mercury 200 years ago this month.

“Sirs,

A great sensation has been occasioned in this neighbourhood, by a body recently being taken from the church-yard of Hethersett. This, though so distressing to the feelings of surviving relations, is an evil which will never be prevented, unless a sufficient number of human bodies can by other means be obtained, for the purpose to which this, no doubt, has been applied, and which, for the advancement of a science, the most important to the welfare of the human race, is indispensably requisite. I have long been of opinion, that the bodies of ALL malefactors who are executed should be delivered to the surgeons: this would operate as a two-fold good—for I am persuaded it would tend greatly to the prevention of crime.

Hardiment, who was executed here about two years ago for murder, felt, as I have been credibly informed, a much greater horror at that part of his sentence which subjected his body to dissection, than at death itself. Two men were condemned at the same Assizes, for having set on fire some premises in or near Diss. A short time before their execution they expressed a strong desire to see their prosecutor; told him they felt persuaded, that if buried at Norwich, their bodies would be taken up, and requested him to make them a promise that they should be taken to a church-yard they named, at the distance of about twenty miles, which being granted, they became comparatively easy. This account I received from a professional gentleman who had been employed on their trials.

I would not, however, stop here: I would also give up to the surgeons the bodies of all who execute themselves, excepting those only, who it should be clearly proved, had been under restraint from imputed insanity or lunacy. This would, I have no doubt, greatly tend to prevent self-murder, and I have, almost under my own eye, a much stronger proof in print, than that in the case above stated.

In the Spring, 1821, R. residing in a neighbouring village, cut his throat, though not so as to occasion death. In the Spring, 1822, L. residing in another neighbouring village, hanged himself: an inquest was held, and, as usual in such cases, it was adjudged that he was at the time insane. Immediately after this, R. said to some of his neighbours, “though L. hanged himself they buried him in the church-yard.” The next morning the body of R. was found hanging and dead.

Feb 8th, 1825. Your’s, &c. &c. A.B.”

The church where the body snatchers struck was St Remigius in Hethersett. I was able to find out that the burial was of a “poor old man” on Sunday 30 January 1825 and his body taken on the Wednesday.

He wasn’t named at the time in the media, but there was only one burial that day at the church which was Thomas Able, a 73 year old man from the village and this fits the description of an “old man”. His wife died on 23 December 1846 and was later buried at the same church, so she must have suffered terribly. At the time, it was thought that a body going to be dissected wouldn’t go to heaven, which is why it was an extra punishment for those condemned to death by the courts and why the letter writer suggested people who committed suicide should have their bodies taken, something which happened in Germany at the time. The theft of a body wasn’t a criminal offence in 1825, as long as any clothing or other items weren’t taken away at the same time, which is why they were left at the site. The matter was mostly resolved by the passing of the Anatomy Act in 1825, legislation which was long overdue as fear of a loved one’s body being removed became a slight national obsession.