Exhumed Night Work
(In which Dr. Knox makes the acquaintance of Misters Burke and Hare, Resurrectionists by trade)
“The bulk of the work was done at night, using wooden shovels... and a “dark lanthorn” - a device commonly used by burglars: designed to shed light where necessary, but not to attract attention... A hole would be dug at the head of the grave, down to the coffin, and hooks or a crow-bar inserted under the lid. The weight of earth on the rest of the lid acted as a counter-weight, so that when pressure was exerted lid invariably snapped across, and the body could be hoisted out of the grave with ropes.” - Ruth Richardson Death, Dissection, and the Destitute 1987
“The corporation of corpse-stealers, I am told, support themselves and Families very comfortably, and that no-one should be surprised at the Nature of Such a Society, the late Resurrectionists in St. Saviours, St. Giles's and St. Pancras churchyards, are memorable Instances of this laudable Profession.” Anonymous A View of London and Westminster 1728
“Blest be ye man [that] spares these stones, And curste be ye [that] moves my bones” - William Shakespeare's epitaph 1616
Hare: Welcome to our nocturnal vocation
Disembalming we grimly extract the expired
Disinterring by lanthorn illumination
To fulfill anatomists' cadaverous desires –
Dr. Knox: Giving Nightwatchmen fits with the mortsafes you've picked Finding fresh graves to dig, I must say it's a hell of a gig
Chorus: Night work be done, the lifeless made graveless. our prize to be won
Exhumed by torchlight, dead weight dead to rights
This night work, an unholy sight, undertaken tonight
Hare: A livelihood in death we scrape
Your casket vacant, corpse taken forthwith
From our fell spades you will not escape
Second coming ignominious, unclean and sick –
Dr. Knox: Wooden shovels and picks, from your tomb you'll be nicked
Sink to new depths of sick, compunction cut to the quick
Chorus: Night work be done, the lifeless made graveless our prize to be won
Exhumed by torchlight, dead weight dead to rights
This night work, an unholy sight, undertaken tonight
Solo - Matthew Harvey
Dr. Knox: It's a dirty job, finding fresh graves to rob
Solo - Michael Burke
Dr. Knox: These are dirty deeds, six feet of dirt, dug dirt cheap
Solo – Matthew Harvey
Dr. Knox: It's a dirty job, finding fresh graves to ro
Toil as the casket's slaves, death is our living wage
Chorus: Night work be done, the lifeless made graveless our prize to be won
Exhumed by torchlight, dead weight dead to rights
This night work, an unholy sight, undertaken this -
Night work be done, the lifeless made graveless our prize to be won Exhumed by torchlight, dead weight dead to rights
This night work, an unholy sight, undertaken tonight
