Cemetery guns

[Rató:rats]

A little late for Hallowe’en but interesting nonetheless

You may have heard that during the 18th and 19th centuries, the cemeteries of North America and Europe were full of "resurrection people."

That sounds nice, but these people were not nice.

They were grave robbers, paid by doctors or medical students to dig up freshly buried bodies.
Because they needed corpses to dissect them in anatomy class.

Bodies were not donated for medicine at that time and therefore the shortage had to be bridged somehow.
There was a shadow trade in corpses.

Families of the dead used various bizarre technologies to protect themselves from the theft of the bodies of their loved ones.
They built wrought-iron cages over the graves, but they also set up "cemetery cannons".

It was a flintlock weapon mounted on a rotating base and stand. So it could swing freely.

The device was at the foot of the tomb and was intended to aim at the head of an unprayed-for visitor.

It was ignited by a series of three or more trip wires arranged in an arc.
Thieves who did not know this and came in the night would trip and set off the fatal shot.

Some of the grave robbers sent women dressed in black like widows with children with them to watch the graves during the day and report the locations of graveyard guns to their accomplices.

Unfortunately, the resurrectionists stole the bodies mostly in poor people's graves.

This means that families who could afford cemetery cannons and other protection needed them the least.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Theft of Corpses back then was known as "Burking" named after a couple of guys that were famous for it.

 

[DixieTexian]

Why the extra beefy construction? Were they loading them up with charges that heavy, or were they just using cheap materials that needed the extra reinforcement? Seems like you would want to make them a little less conspicuous.

 

[andy52]

Here's a pretty complete history of such devices.
https://royalarmouries.org/stories/our-collection/cemetery-guns/

 

[TDM]

A little late for Hallowe’en but interesting nonetheless

You may have heard that during the 18th and 19th centuries, the cemeteries of North America and Europe were full of "resurrection people."

That sounds nice, but these people were not nice.

They were grave robbers, paid by doctors or medical students to dig up freshly buried bodies.
Because they needed corpses to dissect them in anatomy class.

Bodies were not donated for medicine at that time and therefore the shortage had to be bridged somehow.
There was a shadow trade in corpses.

Families of the dead used various bizarre technologies to protect themselves from the theft of the bodies of their loved ones.
They built wrought-iron cages over the graves, but they also set up "cemetery cannons".

It was a flintlock weapon mounted on a rotating base and stand. So it could swing freely.

The device was at the foot of the tomb and was intended to aim at the head of an unprayed-for visitor.

It was ignited by a series of three or more trip wires arranged in an arc.
Thieves who did not know this and came in the night would trip and set off the fatal shot.

Some of the grave robbers sent women dressed in black like widows with children with them to watch the graves during the day and report the locations of graveyard guns to their accomplices.

Unfortunately, the resurrectionists stole the bodies mostly in poor people's graves.

This means that families who could afford cemetery cannons and other protection needed them the least.

View attachment 173868View attachment 173869

Very interesting, did not know about those. Thanks.

 

[longcruise]

Fun topic. Great relief from election BS.

 

[TDM]

Fun topic. Great relief from election BS.

Most definitely.

 

[rchas]

You'll get a kick out of this... "Ould Badger" mentions a cemetery gun.

Ould Badger, The Story of a Resurrectionist:

https://www.youtube.com › watch?v=ecIUOIDvnzo

 

[hanshi]

I've never heard of them until this thread. Dr. Frankenstein had bodies purloined for his...Uuh, work.

 

[Trapper Scott]

Thanks for sharing this because I had never heard of such a contraption.

 

[russellshaffer]

I wonder if I could set one up on an elk trail. Probably not.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Never heard of them! Very interesting!

Facial fractures from impact typically occur in well-defined patterns, known as LeFort Type I, II, or III. This is based on the cadaver studies done by a French physician named Rene LeFort, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars. He had a ready source for cadavers, fresh off the battlefields. The story goes that he noted specific patterns of facial fractures in his dissection work, so he started trying to replicate them, to gain a better understanding. Legend has it that he would have a body with an intact face brought in, then he would stand over the body and drop a cannon ball on the face, and then dissect it to evaluate the fracture that resulted. He found these usually followed one of three patterns, which are now described as LeFort Type I, II, or III fractures.

There are illustrations and descriptions here if anybody is interested: Facial Fracture Management

Gruesome...

Notchy Bob

 

[Feltwad]

These small guns were common in the UK and were known has trip wire guns used on big estates to deter poachers, and trespasser also has quoted in graveyards. They were set next to a track 0r place of access at leg height, loaded with shot to main and not kill which most victims died of gangrene, in the UK they were banned from use in 1824
Feltwad

 

[Urban Coyote]

Interesting, I'd never heard of such a thing but then the thought of body snatching has never crossed my mind, FFFG or FFG recommended?

 

[springfield art]

A little late for Hallowe’en but interesting nonetheless

You may have heard that during the 18th and 19th centuries, the cemeteries of North America and Europe were full of "resurrection people."

That sounds nice, but these people were not nice.

They were grave robbers, paid by doctors or medical students to dig up freshly buried bodies.
Because they needed corpses to dissect them in anatomy class.

Bodies were not donated for medicine at that time and therefore the shortage had to be bridged somehow.
There was a shadow trade in corpses.

Families of the dead used various bizarre technologies to protect themselves from the theft of the bodies of their loved ones.
They built wrought-iron cages over the graves, but they also set up "cemetery cannons".

It was a flintlock weapon mounted on a rotating base and stand. So it could swing freely.

The device was at the foot of the tomb and was intended to aim at the head of an unprayed-for visitor.

It was ignited by a series of three or more trip wires arranged in an arc.
Thieves who did not know this and came in the night would trip and set off the fatal shot.

Some of the grave robbers sent women dressed in black like widows with children with them to watch the graves during the day and report the locations of graveyard guns to their accomplices.

Unfortunately, the resurrectionists stole the bodies mostly in poor people's graves.

This means that families who could afford cemetery cannons and other protection needed them the least.

View attachment 173868View attachment 173869

Interesting; have read about these but I bet they weren't very common. Nowadays of course it is illegal to 'booby trap' anything.

 

[Ross5403]

Why do I want to build 2 of these for my driveway now .

 

[Horse]

Can't even rot in your grave without some sawbones lacky gettin their mits on ya.

 

[Gtrubicon]

How do you remove a stuck ball out of a cemetery gun?

 

[Trapper Scott]

Interesting; have read about these but I bet they weren't very common. Nowadays of course it is illegal to 'booby trap' anything.

Only if you get caught.

 

[Idaho Ron]

This is my cemetery airgun. And yes I work in a cemetery.