The first [-fourth] of a series of lectures delivered at the Mechanics' Institution, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, Nov. 27, 1846 [-August 13, 1847], on the actual condition of the metropolitan grave-yards.

  • Walker, George Alfred, 1807-1884.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The first [-fourth] of a series of lectures delivered at the Mechanics' Institution, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, Nov. 27, 1846 [-August 13, 1847], on the actual condition of the metropolitan grave-yards. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Some loads were removed, and others already deposited in the street would have followed, but they were noticed by the passers-by. An outcry was raised ; one person, more determined than the rest, sought out the authorities of the parish, and insisted that a stop should be put to such practices. The material deposited in the street was again “ wheeled back in barrows,” and, with the succeeding masses of earth excavated, spread over the surface of this grave-yard, which was raised considerably in its entire surface by this means. The stench arising from the disturbance of the great number of bodies, and the throwing up of the suc¬ cessive portions of soil, was so abominable, that the men employed refused to continue the work ; they were allowed, however, a large quantity of gin and porter, as an encouragement to proceed; £1 9s. was paid for drink during one week by the employer of the men who executed this work ; they were on several occasions seen intoxicated. A new “ bone hole” was made about the same period. Four men were em¬ ployed during eight or ten days in removing the bones from the old receptacle into the new. One of the gravediggers amused himself by noting with chalk the number of skulls which were displaced (upwards of 500) in one day. I find in the churchwardens’ account with the parishioners of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, in the year 1840-41, the following items, under the head of “ Repairs to Drury- lane Burial-ground— By cash paid, new vaults for depositing bones .... £24 14 6 Labourers, diggiugnew vaults, and levelling the ground . 34 3 1 Incidental expenses connected with the above alterations 18 10 3 Total.£77 7 10 Thus, an expense was incurred which would have purchased elsewhere a piece of ground much better adapted for the purposes of burial, of nearly four times the extent of the above grave-yard. So much for the pecuniary policy of parish management! Now, this grave-yard* contains about 11,000 superficial feet, and would give decent burial to 560 adults, and no more. Hence the following detail of a most disgraceful outrage which was perpetrated on the bodies of the dead in St. Martin’s Green-ground in Drury-lane, although it will certainly disgust, will scarcely astonish you :— The surviving relatives and friends of Mr. Foster, of No. 1, Chapel-court, Long-acre, proposed to bury him in this receptacle. In consequence of the disgusting proceedings which took place a few days previously in the Green- ground in Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn-fields, when the body of Mr. Jacob Burns was forced into a hole better fitted for the reception of the carcase of a dog than for the last resting-place of a human being, Mr. Francis Sloman and Mr, John Curtis, at the desire of the family of the deceased, undertook to super¬ intend the arrangements for making the grave. Finding that the gravediggers had made the grave only 2| feet deep, they at once told them that the friends of