Protected graves, Church of St Michael, Warden

Image: © Andrew Curtis Taken: 10 Jan 2015

There is another photo here: Image Three graves situated close to the lytch-gate on the north side of the church and dated 1860-1899 are protected by iron hoops, a device to stop the body snatchers. This is commonly known as a mortsafe. In the case here, the iron hoops were ordered by William Thomas Shields (Priest, Rector of Thockrington) to cover his own grave, and those of his wife, Frances Jane, and 19 month old son, Bryan Donkin. A common purpose of body snatching, especially in the 19th century, was to sell the corpses for dissection or anatomy lectures in medical schools. Those who practised body snatching were often called 'resurrectionists' or 'resurrection-men' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_snatching Within Northumberland, a mortsafe of a similar type, although stronger-looking, can be found in the churchyard of St Mary's in Holystone Image In addition, there are Watch Houses within graveyards at Doddington, Belford and Morpeth. Echoes of the Resurrection Men: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bodysnatchers/index.php

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