For generations, the
freshly buried dead were at risk from an unexpected threat. Under
cover of darkness, gangs of professional body snatchers exhumed
newly buried corpses to satisfy the growing demands of Britain’s
anatomy schools, supplying surgeons and medical students with the
bodies they needed to advance the study of medicine. However
unsettling the practice may seem today, many of the medical
breakthroughs we now take for granted owe something to this shadowy
trade.
Join us as we uncover the extraordinary world of the resurrection
men. Discover who they were, how they operated beneath the cover of
night, the ingenious measures families took to protect the graves
of their loved ones, and how one of the darkest chapters in
Britain’s medical history was finally brought to an end. From
mortsafes and watch houses to murder, anatomy and the passing of
the 1832 Anatomy Act, this is the fascinating story of the trade
that forever changed our understanding of the human body.
Tickets £12.50 including a delightful gin cocktail and a 20% donation to the Kings Chaplaincy Trust.
Emma Sparre-Newman
Emma Sparre-Newman developed an early interest in funerals as the daughter of a country parson, observing firsthand how her father supported bereaved families. After a detour into costume work at the BBC, she joined a South London funeral firm where she worked for nearly 30 years, including roles as senior funeral director, training manager, and service centre manager. In 2024, she became Cemetery Services and Business Development Manager at Brompton Cemetery. Emma regularly gives talks to diverse audiences, from the Police and Clergy to museums, the Women’s Institute, and Gothic and Steampunk events across the UK.
| Ticket | Event time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
The Resurrrection Men
Body Snatching and the Birth of Modern Medicine |
15:30 - 17:00 | £13.75 |
Address
King's College London, Entrance via Kings College on the Strand, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS
Nearest Station
Chancery Lane (Tube)
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