Digging in the Dark: A History of the Yorkshire Resurrectionists - Softcover

Johnson, Ben

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1473878179 ISBN 13: 9781473878174

Publisher: Pen and Sword History, 2017

Synopsis

Progress can be unstoppable at times, and not even death can prevent the desire for knowledge. A dark trade has long existed to provide fuel for the fires of research, a trade which is viewed by many as the most despicable occupation of all.

The resurrection men of Yorkshire came from all walks of life, and employed a myriad of macabre methods to raise their defenseless prey from beneath the consecrated ground. This was a trade which offered great reward, but was definitely not for the faint of heart.

Throughout this journey into the dark past of Yorkshire, we meet an infamous celebrity who made an unexpected reappearance, a traveling minstrel who was to become the talk of many towns, a child whose death was just the beginning of a tragic tale, and a holy man who helped a community but earned his own illicit rewards in return.

Also to be raised from the dead are a number of explosive events, all of which lit a fire beneath the local communities and led the people of Yorkshire to the streets in violent protest. A medical school reduced to ashes, a gang of professionals moonlighting in the darkest occupation, and a scandal which would engulf a city many years after the threat of the body snatchers had been all but ended.

Spanning over almost three centuries, this grim compendium of tales casts a shadow over the beauty of Yorkshire, a dark veil which reaches out in all directions, threatening the peace of the dearly departed across the length and breadth of the nations largest county.

About this title

About the Author:

Ben Johnson is a freelance writer, columnist and sub-editor. He currently writes for two true crime magazines, and has a first class Honours degree in Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University. It was while studying court reporting that he found his love for the dark subject of true crime, and since these days of sitting at cold, silent press benches, has been a prolific writer, with articles being published on both sides of the Atlantic.

Review:

"I think this is a great book for anybody interested in off beat history in Yorkshire, or anywhere in the UK really! Lots of tales and history on the 'sack em up men'. You may have heard of Burke and Hare - but the issue of grave robbing for medical research was widespread throughout the land. (Liverpool had its own instances too!) A great crime related book." (Infamous Liverpool)

"This is the bizarre but true story of a group of Yorkshiremen who took it upon themselves to rob graves to procure cadavers for medical purposes. It is hard to believe this is all true, and some of Ben's tales sound a little "tall", but it's entertaining and most certainly dark..." (Books Monthly)

About this edition

• Publisher: Pen and Sword History
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1473878179
• ISBN 13: 9781473878174
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 168