The Edinburgh murders that changed medicine forever — and still haunt the city today

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Edinburgh in the 1820s was the medical capital of the world. Students arrived from across Europe to learn anatomy from some of the finest surgeons alive. And in a damp tenement just west of the Grassmarket, two Irish labourers stumbled upon a business opportunity that would end in the gallows — and transform British law forever.

The city that needed bodies

Understanding Burke and Hare begins with understanding their city. Edinburgh’s medical schools were world-renowned, but surgeons faced a problem no one wanted to discuss openly: they needed fresh human corpses for dissection, and the law provided none.

Grave robbing — the grim work of “resurrection men” who dug up the newly buried — had become routine across Edinburgh. Families slept beside fresh graves. Iron cages called mortsafes were bolted over coffins to prevent theft. Surgeons paid well and asked no questions. Demand far outstripped supply.

Enter William Burke and William Hare.

How it began — and how it escalated

Burke and Hare were Irish labourers who arrived in Edinburgh looking for work. They became lodgers in a boarding house on Tanner’s Close, just off the West Port near the Grassmarket. In late 1827, a fellow lodger named Donald died of natural causes before paying his rent. Hare had an idea: why not sell the body to the anatomists?

They delivered the corpse to the lecture theatre of Dr Robert Knox, a brilliant and charismatic surgeon who asked no questions. They received £7 10s — excellent money for a single transaction.

They never looked back.

Over the next ten months, Burke and Hare murdered at least 16 people. Their method entered the English language: “burking” — smothering a victim without leaving visible marks, producing a fresh and undamaged body suitable for the dissecting table. Their victims were mostly poor and vulnerable, lured to the lodging house with the promise of warmth and drink.

The night the scheme unravelled

In October 1828, a woman named Margaret Docherty was brought to the lodgings. The following morning, neighbours found her body hidden beneath a bed. The police were called. Burke and Hare were arrested.

Here the story takes its darkest turn. Hare turned King’s evidence — testifying against Burke in exchange for full immunity. It remains one of the most controversial legal deals in Scottish history. Hare walked free. Burke faced trial alone.

On 28th January 1829, William Burke was hanged in the Lawnmarket before a crowd of 25,000 people. Dr Knox, despite widespread public fury, was never charged with any offence.

In a final, grim irony, Burke’s own body was handed to Edinburgh Medical College for public dissection. His skeleton remains on display at the Surgeons’ Hall Museum to this day.

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What changed because of them

Burke and Hare’s crimes forced Parliament to act. The Anatomy Act of 1832 established a legal supply of bodies for medical schools — from workhouses and unclaimed hospital deaths — ending the market for body snatching almost overnight.

It was grim legislation born from grim events. But it transformed medical education across Britain, finally giving surgeons the cadavers they needed without relying on murder or grave robbery. Modern surgical training traces a direct line back to those West Port tenements.

Dr Robert Knox never fully recovered. Though never charged, his reputation was destroyed by public outrage. He left Edinburgh in disgrace and spent his remaining years in London, largely forgotten.

Where to find them in Edinburgh today

Their Edinburgh hasn’t entirely vanished. Tanner’s Close no longer exists, but the West Port — the street that once led to their door — is still there, a short walk from the Grassmarket.

The Greyfriars kirkyard is still filled with mortsafes — iron cages bolted over coffins to protect the dead from the resurrection men. You can walk among them today, reading the weathered inscriptions on centuries-old stones.

Surgeons’ Hall Museums on Nicolson Street holds the definitive exhibit: Burke’s skeleton, his death mask, and a pocketbook reportedly made from his skin. It is not for the faint-hearted, but it is one of the most extraordinary museum displays in Scotland.

Several walking tours depart nightly from the Royal Mile, covering Burke and Hare alongside the city’s other dark histories. The Old Town after dark — cobblestones, shadowed closes, gas-lamp glow — makes the perfect backdrop for a story this strange.

Who were Burke and Hare?

William Burke and William Hare were Irish immigrants living in Edinburgh in the 1820s. They murdered at least 16 people and sold the bodies to anatomist Dr Robert Knox for use in medical dissection. Burke was convicted and hanged in January 1829; Hare was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony and released.

Where did Burke and Hare live in Edinburgh?

They lived at Tanner’s Close, a narrow alley that once ran off the West Port near the Grassmarket. The close no longer exists, but the surrounding area is largely unchanged. A commemorative plaque marks the approximate location.

Can you visit Burke and Hare sites in Edinburgh?

Yes. The Surgeons’ Hall Museum on Nicolson Street holds the most significant exhibits, including Burke’s skeleton and death mask. The Grassmarket and West Port are freely accessible on foot. Many ghost and history walking tours include Burke and Hare sites and depart nightly from the Royal Mile.

Edinburgh doesn’t hide its dark past — it wears it like a second skin. The cobblestones, the graveyards ringed with iron cages, the museum cases with their grim contents: they’re all still here, waiting to be found. And once you know what happened in these streets, the city never quite looks the same again.

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