The Irish Serial Killers Who Sold Their Victims’ Bodies

Burke and Hare are two of the most infamous serial killers in history, but they weren’t typical murderers. In 1828, Edinburgh, they killed at least 16 people and sold their bodies to medical schools in a booming underground body trade. This episode explores the real story behind the murders, the anatomy trade, and how they were finally caught.

This episode was written & hosted by me, Jenny Claffey. Researched by Karl O’Reilly.

Links

Fever & Famine 1817-18 – In The News | Co. Tyrone People From The Past.

21 May 1947 - GRIM MURDER PARTNERSHIP HELPED MAKE EDINBURGH'S MEDICAL FAME - Trove

The Burke and Hare murders

Life in Ulster in the 1800s

The Perpetrators, Burke and Hare

The Story of Burke and Hare - Edinburgh.

The William Burke Museum | The Cadies & Witchery Tours

Bodies and bureaucracy: The demise of the body snatchers in 19th century Britain - Philp - 2022 - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online Library

Burke and Hare: The body snatchers - BBC Bitesize

Procuring Corpses: The English Anatomy Inspectorate, 1842 to 1858 - PMC

The gruesome true story of the bodysnatchers who robbed graves and resorted to murder in 18th-century Britain

The untold story of serial killer William Burke's wife and her mysterious disappearance from Glasgow

Pull factors affecting immigrants - Immigration to Scotland 1830s-1939 - National 5 History Revision - BBC Bitesize

Irish immigration to Scotland

An immigrant Irish contingent in the crowd at the execution of William Burke in Edinburgh in 1829 - Ken Donaldson, Christopher Henry, 2025

Who were Burke & Hare? Edinburgh’s Infamous “Body Snatchers"

Burke and Hare: Two Edinburgh Murderers - geriwalton.com

Body Snatchers | The London Dungeon

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