In 1828 William Burke and William Hare killed at least 16 people in Edinburgh’s West Port and sold their bodies to the anatomy teacher Robert Knox. The case exposed the trade in bodies for dissection and helped bring about the Anatomy Act of 1832.
This page collects what we have published on the case. The victims named in the indictment were Mary Paterson, James Wilson and Margery Campbell or Docherty.
Key facts
| Where | West Port, Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| When | Late 1827 to 31 October 1828 |
| Victims | At least 16 (University of Edinburgh Anatomical Museum) |
| Trial | High Court of Justiciary, 24–25 December 1828 |
| Outcome | Burke hanged 28 January 1829 and publicly dissected; Hare gave evidence and went free; charge against Helen M’Dougal not proven; Knox never charged |
| Consequence | Anatomy Act 1832 |
Episodes and articles
Shorts about this case will be listed here when they are published.
Documented / Disputed
- Documented: At least 16 murders; bodies sold to Robert Knox (Anatomical Museum).
- Documented: Burke convicted 25 December 1828, hanged 28 January 1829 (Anatomical Museum; trial report).
- Disputed: How much Knox knew.
- Disputed: What became of Hare after his release.
Further reading
- Trial of William Burke and Helen M’Dougal (Edinburgh, 1829). Internet Archive.
- University of Edinburgh, Anatomical Museum, “William Burke”. biomedical-sciences.ed.ac.uk.
- Ruth Richardson, Death, Dissection and the Destitute (University of Chicago Press, 2000). Catalogue record.
Series: Dark Medicine · Strange Justice. All case pages: Case pages index. How we work: Editorial Standards.
