Forget Burke and Hare, meet Lawrie and Wilson….
A report in Kelso Mail of 11 Dec. 1820 stated that the residents of Coldingham and Eyemouth were ‘considerably agitated by rumours of corpses being dug out of their respective church-yards, and sent to Edinburgh.’ They had organised night watches, taking turns but suspicion grew stronger and………
Coldingham, Dec. 8, 1820
‘a trunk, in the cart of a carrier who goes from Coldingham and Eyemouth to Edinburgh, and which had been delivered to him by a Dr Lawrie, of this place (always suspected as a resurrection-man), contained the corpse of an old woman, buried last week in the church-yard, here’
The inhabitants broke open the trunk and found the corpse of the woman in a bag.
‘The whole town got into a violent commotion; a party obtained a warrant from Mr renton of Graystonelees, a Justice of the Peace, and along with a constable, proceeded with great speed to this town, and apprehended Lawrie, and carried him before Mr Renton, for examination, where he confessed the crime, and declared his accomplices to be Dr Wilson, in Swinton and a young lad of the name of Nicol, in this place, who has since absconded. Letters were also found in his desk from one McKenzie, No. 94, Nicolson’s street, Edinburgh who appears to be his employer, requesting him “by all means to send in a cock or hen, and a chicken, as two full-grown ones might be too much at once.” Lawrie is lodged in Greenlaw jail, and Wilson has given in a bond for his appearance when called for.’
Strangely the reporter notes the trunk: ‘The Trunk…is a very handsome one, and ornamented around its borders with rows of brass nails.’
George Lawrie pleaded guilty and was sentanced to six months imprisonment in Canongate Jail. The court made it very clear that
‘this was the most lenient punishment they could inflict for the offence, and that those who were habitually guilty of this practice were not to consider it as a precedent for any future case, if it should again come under the cognizance.’ (Kelso Mail 26 March 1821)
What happened to Wilson and Nicol? We’ll investigate further………..
Posted by: Rachel
