Victorian Cemeteries and Their Macabre Influence on Horror Literature

In the 1800s, the way in which people were laid to rest and the cemeteries in which they were buried changed dramatically. The use of coffins and the design of cemeteries shifted in response to advances in technology and changing cultural attitudes towards death and the afterlife. Naturally, horror writers of the era knitted together stories of cemeteries, being buried alive and graverobbing.

During this time, the use of coffins became more widespread and elaborate. With advancements in woodworking and the growth of the funeral industry, coffins became more ornate and decorative. They were often made from high-quality wood and finished with brass hardware and other decorative elements.

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At the same time, cemeteries began to change in response to population growth and urbanization. The old churchyard burial grounds were becoming overcrowded, and there was a need for new, larger cemeteries that could accommodate the growing number of dead.

The Victorian era saw the rise of the “garden cemetery,” a new style of cemetery that was designed to be a peaceful and beautiful place to visit and pay tribute to the dead. These cemeteries were landscaped with lawns, trees, and gardens, and often featured ornate mausoleums, crypts, and statues.

In addition to the changing design of cemeteries, the way in which people were laid to rest also changed. Headstones were often made of durable materials and featured elaborate inscriptions and carvings that memorialized the dead.

Despite the changing attitudes towards death and the afterlife, not everyone was able to afford the more elaborate coffins and ornate cemeteries of the Victorian era. For many poor families, burial was still a simple and straightforward affair, and their loved ones were often buried in unmarked graves in pauper’s cemeteries.

The Necropolis Railway

The Necropolis Railway, also known as the London Necropolis Railway, was a unique and rather macabre railway service that operated in the Victorian era and early 20th century in London, England. Its primary purpose was to transport the deceased, along with their mourners, to Brookwood Cemetery, which was located in Surrey, some distance from central London.

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The Necropolis Railway was established in response to the severe overcrowding of London's city cemeteries in the 19th century. Many of these cemeteries had become unsanitary and were unable to accommodate the growing number of burials in the rapidly expanding city. The railway aimed to provide a more sanitary and efficient way to transport the deceased and their families to a dedicated and spacious burial ground.

Brookwood Cemetery, located in Surrey, was one of the largest cemeteries in the world at the time of its establishment. It was designed to alleviate the overcrowding in London cemeteries and offer a peaceful and well-maintained resting place for the deceased. Doctor Robert Knox, the well-known accomplice of grave robbing duo Burke and Hare is buried at Brookwood Cemetery.

The Necropolis Railway offered two classes of service, reflecting Victorian social divisions. The first class was more luxurious and included better amenities, while the second class was more basic. The cost of the funeral service and the quality of the burial plot varied depending on the class chosen.

The journey on the Necropolis Railway was sombre and highly regulated. Mourners would board the specially designed funeral trains with their loved one's casket, and the journey to Brookwood Cemetery would proceed in silence. The railway had dedicated stations, such as the Westminster Bridge Road station in London, for the purpose of boarding funeral trains.

Railways did appear in Gaslamp Horror. The Signalman by Charles Dickens is one, and the contemporary historical novel by Sam Hurcom, The Shadow on the Lens, is another.

Today, the history of the Necropolis Railway remains a subject of curiosity and interest among those intrigued by Victorian customs, transportation, and the macabre aspects of history.

Buried Alive

The fear of being buried alive was a prevalent concern during the 1800s, and instances of people being mistakenly buried while still alive were well documented. This fear was largely driven by the limited medical knowledge of the time, as well as the often rushed nature of funerals.

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At that time, it was not uncommon for individuals who appeared to be dead to later awaken in their coffins, with reports of scratch marks inside the coffin. This was often the result of a misdiagnosis, as many medical conditions that mimic death, such as catalepsy, were not well understood. The fear of being buried alive was so great that some people even requested to be buried with bells attached to their coffins so that they could alert the living if they were mistakenly interred.

Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Premature Burial" (1844) is a classic example of the buried alive fear. The story's protagonist lives in constant terror of being mistakenly declared dead and buried alive. Poe's tale reflects the anxieties of the era and the dread of being trapped in a premature grave.

In response to this fear, some cemeteries implemented measures to prevent premature burial. For example, many graveyards in the United States and Europe installed “safety coffins,” which were designed to prevent premature burial. These coffins featured air holes, tubes for communication, and even escape ladders, in case a person was mistakenly buried while still alive.

In 1843, Christian Eisenbrandt patented a design for a coffin lid that one can operate from inside. If someone were to wake up in a coffin but not have been buried, they could pull a string that would pop the spring-loaded lid open. A design from 1900 was patented by Walter McKnight to indicate that someone had been buried alive. The individual would press a button and a flag would be raised above the surface to tell everyone that you were alive.

Despite these precautions, instances of people being mistakenly buried alive continued to be reported throughout the 1800s. This was particularly true in rural areas, where access to medical services was limited.

The fear of premature burial added a psychological layer to Victorian horror literature. It tapped into the deep-seated dread of being powerless and trapped, a fear that extended beyond the physical realm to the psychological. This theme added to the sense of horror and suspense in many Gothic tales of the era. This is realised in Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, where a character is chained to a wall in a crypt and a wall is built around him.

Body Snatching

Grave robbing, also known as body snatching, was common in the 1800s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. This illegal activity was driven by the demand for cadavers for medical research and education, as well as for personal profit.

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During this time, medical schools lacked a sufficient number of bodies for anatomy lessons and dissection. Medical students were often forced to resort to grave robbing in order to obtain the cadavers they needed for their studies. In addition, the illegal trade in corpses was also a lucrative business, with some individuals selling bodies to medical schools and anatomy professors for high prices.

Grave robbing was a dangerous and often violent crime, and it was not uncommon for the perpetrators to face resistance from the families and communities of the deceased. To prevent this, many families and communities took steps to protect their loved ones’ graves, such as digging them deeper or fortifying them with heavy stones or iron bars.

One of the most notorious cases of grave robbing during this time was that of Burke and Hare, two Irish immigrants who operated in Edinburgh, Scotland in the late 1820s. These two men saw an opportunity to make money by selling cadavers to the Edinburgh Medical College and began a string of gruesome murders to obtain the bodies they needed. Over the course of several months, Burke and Hare murdered 17 people and sold their bodies to the medical college, where they were used for dissection and anatomy lessons.

"The Body Snatcher" is a short story written by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1884. It is a chilling and macabre tale set in 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland. The story is loosely based on the real-life activities of William Burke and William Hare.

In Stevenson's story, the characters Fettes and Macfarlane engage in similar activities, robbing graves to provide cadavers for medical research. The story is a fictional exploration of the moral and psychological consequences of such actions, as well as a reflection on the ethical dilemmas surrounding the use of human bodies for scientific study in the 19th century.

While "The Body Snatcher" draws inspiration from the real-life events of Burke and Hare, it takes creative liberties to craft a gripping and suspenseful tale of horror and moral decay. The story has become a classic in the genre of Gothic horror literature and continues to be celebrated for its exploration of dark and unsettling themes.

The crimes of Burke and Hare caused widespread public outrage and concern, and they led to a great deal of media attention. The case also shone a spotlight on the illegal trade in corpses and the unethical practices of some medical schools and anatomy professors. In response to the public outcry, the Scottish government introduced laws to regulate the dissection of bodies and to prevent the illegal trade in corpses. Some medical schools and universities established their own cadaver gardens, where bodies were obtained through legal means, such as donations from the families of the deceased.

Ironically, the body of William Burke has fetched more money than the bodies of his victims because his skeleton is on display at Edinburgh's Anatomical Museum, bringing in money.

In Closing

The 1800s saw significant changes in the way in which people were laid to rest and the cemeteries in which they were buried. The rise of the funeral industry and the growth of the population led to more elaborate coffins and the development of new styles of cemeteries, such as garden cemeteries. These changes reflected the changing attitudes towards death and the afterlife, and continue to influence the way in which we remember and honour the dead today.

In its eerie and unique role, the Necropolis Railway stands as a compelling testament to the confluence of Victorian society's practicality and its fascination with the macabre. Born from the necessity to address the overcrowding of city cemeteries, this sombre railway offered a discreet and efficient journey for the departed and their grieving loved ones to the serene grounds of Brookwood Cemetery. The division of classes on the Necropolis Railway mirrored the social distinctions of the era, a reflection of Victorian society's complexities. This fascinating chapter in history, while tinged with an air of darkness, provides a unique glimpse into the intersections of transportation, societal norms, and the enduring intrigue of the macabre.

The fear of being buried alive was a significant concern during the 1800s, driven by the limited medical knowledge of the time and the often-rushed nature of funerals. Despite the fear, people still held deep beliefs about the afterlife and the importance of proper burial, which led to a number of macabre practices and rituals surrounding death. Although advances in medicine and technology have made the fear of being buried alive largely a thing of the past, it continues to be a subject of fascination and horror in popular culture.

Grave robbing was a common and lucrative criminal enterprise in the 1800s, driven by the demand for cadavers for medical research and education. The illegal trade in corpses was a source of public outrage and concern, and it led to the introduction of laws to regulate the dissection of bodies and to prevent the illegal trade in corpses. Today, medical schools obtain cadavers through legal means, such as donations, and the practice of grave robbing is no longer a widespread problem.

The case of Burke and Hare was one of the most notorious examples of grave robbing in the 1800s, and it brought public attention to the illegal trade in corpses and the unethical practices of some medical schools and anatomy professors.