Mail*Link(r) SMTP               Exhumations
 
In Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) the third offical cemetry was established
in 1838 and later closed c 1890 when it was full. The graves fell into disuse
and the nearby Queen Victoria (you can tell we were part of the Empire) Market
expanded onto the site. There were by the best estimate some 10,000 interments
of which 1040 were exhumed and moved to the Melbourne Ceneral Cemetry. Some
9000 burials seem to remain. The removal was based on the peresense of grave
markers that is if your marker was there you were moved. Recent work
undertaken in 1991 and 1992 (under my instigation when I worked at the
Victoria Archaeological Survey) involved archaeologists opening up areas so
that a new shed and associated plumbing could be established. They managed to
get around the burials  with the building foundations and plumbing and so they
were left in situ.
 
Exhumation seems to be a common practice at least in the late Ninteenth
Century although it was always contraversial.
 
Another form of exhumation was grave robbing where bodies were removed for
sale to anatomists who at least in England were only allowed to discect the
corpses of criminals (this formed part of their punishment). Newly interred
coffins were it seems frequently robbed with the corpses sold to reputable
hospitals. It would be interesting if archaeological evidence of this
paractice has been found.
 
As an aside the parctice of graving robbing led to the development of
"burkeing" the killing of people to sell their corpses to the anatomists.
Named after Burke  but I forget whether Burke was a victim or perpertrator.
 
Hope this is of some use
 
 
Iain Stuart
University of Sydney