To stop grave robbing.

Between the 18-19 century grave robbing was a mayor part of some people's lives. A person could make a years wage for the right type of body. It had to be fresh and in most part whole. Young and old it did not matter. The medical community wanted them all for schooling up and coming doctors.

It was just the main cities that had problems with grave robbers, but most towns as well, as their graveyards would have less protection. A grave robbers life was a hard one. First of all it was in the most part all nightshifts, then you had to dig for the body. Break into the coffin, remove the body and refill the grave. All without being seen or heard doing it. Then you had to transport the body without getting caught. But if it was not for the doctors needing the bodies and paying well, none of it would have happened.

So to try and stop grave robbing going on a number of things were done ( will post more on others later).

One of these was an iron cast coffin. Made of iron and weighing over 1 ton it was used to protect the person's coffin. The wooden coffin was placed inside the iron one at the grave side. Then the iron coffin was lifted up and placed in the grave, then covered over. After 7 days it was deemed the body would no longer be fit for use, and the iron coffin dug up. The wooden coffin then would be removed from the iron one and placed in the grave. The grave would then be refilled. The iron coffin would then be taken away.

So the grave robbers knew which grave to go to, someone use to follow the dead person to the graveyard. Check to see how the person was laid to rest, and report back. 

To date no-one really knows how many bodies were removed after death. But there was at least 5 grave robbing gangs in Edinburgh, that are known about. How many more went unknown we shall never know.

A Vampire roams Glasgow.

SOUTHERN NECROPOLIS;
AREA GLASGOW SOUTH SIDE GORBALS,
DATE BUILT 1840,
NUMBER OF INTERMENTS 250,000.

This story is of Glasgow’s very own vampire although this one was reported in the papers at the time.
The Southern Necropolis is to the south side of Glasgow near to the Gorbals, this graveyard was built to re-place the over filled graveyard of, the old Gorbals graveyard on Rutherglen Road in 1840. The land for the graveyard was bought from William Gilmour, by July of that year the first grave was opened. This was for young baby of only 16 months old. There after followed more and more graves being opened. To get in to the grave yard you had to through the gatehouse just off Caledonia Road. This building is now grade A listed and was designed by the Glasgow Architect Charles Wilson in 1848.
There is 3 large areas in this graveyard Central, Eastern, and Western. It was in one of these areas that something strange was to come about in 1954.
Late in that year 1954 a young Police Officer was called out to check on some children who had been seen running around the graveyard late in the evening. Pc Alex Deeprose thought this may just be a case of vandalism, or even just kids larking around. What he found there was not only to shock him, but all so change the way the country was to act to comics from America, was sold in this country.
There among the gravestones, tombs, and trees of this graveyard was not a few children but hundreds of them. From about 4 years old up to about 14 years old. Some had sticks, some had knives, some even had stakes. When he caught up to a few of them after getting the shock out of what he was seeing out the way. What they told him shocked him even more. It would seem all these children were hunting one thing and one thing only, a vampire. Not just any vampire but one that was said to be 7 feet tall and had iron teeth. He was said to have already taken and eaten 2 children from the local area. They were there patrolling the graveyard making sure he could get no more, and to make sure they killed him if they seen him. With shouts coming from all around him of there he is get him. With screams of fright in his ears and the young ones trying to get a way from the shadows. The young Police Officer was at loss of what to do. he radio in for more help.
It took the combined help of the local headmaster and some more police officers before the children were rounded up and sent home. What started all this talk of vampires, that lead to all these children running a round a graveyard late in the evening of September?.
Well after the newspapers of that time got their hands on the tale, the story really took off. Although they tried hard to find any children that a had vanished or gone missing in the Glasgow none could be found. This started them thinking what else could have been used to set them off. It came to light that comics from America the likes of Tales from the Crypt (one of my all times fav’s ) and the likes of Vault of Horror. Maybe to blame. Even though the police, council and teachers tried to talk the children out of the vampire tale. They could still be seen late in the evning sitting on the wall to the graveyard, yelling out there it is get it. Some children the younger ones could be seen running hell for leather doon the street. Like the devil never mid a vampire was after them. This may not have been help by the fact mothers, and fathers were telling their kids if they did not behave the iron teethman would get them. Soon the council and some other church going people, and the newspapers got the Government to step in. They responded by in 1955 introducing The Children and Young Persons act. This meant comics such as Tales from the Crypt could no longer be sold to the very young, or from that matter any book that had horror tales deemed to be to frightening for young children of a certain age. As it was deemed that these comics were corrupting the minds of the young.
Was it really these comics that gave the children nightmares and forced their hands to go out and hunt a vampire?. We have all told tales of horror with our friends, we have all gone in to empty builds for a fright late at night. We have all walked through graveyards with the fear something maybe out to grab us. Yet to date we have not chased a vampire with a stake even when Buffy was in full swing.  What was it that happened those few weeks in September 1954, that got those children out looking?. If it was not comics, then maybe, just maybe a vampire still walks this graveyard late at night hoping that he will find a person alone, his prey walking home after a late night out. Just think this may even be you one night walking home in the dark listening for the sound of horror, the sound of the hands closing in on your body. His iron teeth closing around your neck. The last sound you may hear, is that of your blood leaving your body.

A walk in Edinburgh