The Anatomy Murders: Being the True and Spectacular History of Edinburgh's Notorious Burke and Hare and of the Man of Science Who Abetted Them in the Commission of Their Most Heinous Crimes

Cast of Characters

Cast of Characters In legal documents, people were identified by all the names they were known to have used, as well as all the names that other people used to refer to them. Many sources therefore list all known aliases and nicknames, as well as maiden names of married women. I have included the most frequent variants in the list below. Perpetrators William Burke, West Port Margaret Hare or Laird, Tanner’s Close, West Port William Hare, Tanner’s Close, West Port Helen M’Dougal, West Port Cadavers (Approximate chronological order from November 1827 to October 31, 1828) Donald, died of natural causes in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 2) Joseph, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 3) Abigail Simpson, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 3) Englishman from Cheshire, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 4) Old woman, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 4) Mary Paterson or Mitchell, murdered in Constantine Burke’s house, Canongate (Chapter 5) Elizabeth Haldane, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 6) Effy the cinder gatherer, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 7) Grandmother, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 7) Grandson, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 7) 272 Cast of Characters Old woman, murdered in Tanner’s Close by Hare acting on his own (Chapter 7) Old woman being taken to the Police Office, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 8) Margaret or Peggy Haldane, murdered in Brogan’s flat (Chapter 6) Mrs. Hostler, murdered in Brogan’s flat (Chapter 8) Ann M’Dougal, murdered in Brogan’s flat (Chapter 8) James Wilson, known as Daft Jamie, murdered in Tanner’s Close (Chapter 9) Margaret or Margery or Madgy Docherty or Campbell, murdered in Brogan’s flat (Chapters 1 and 10) Anatomists John Aitken and Thomas Johnstone Aitken, medical lecturers, Surgeon’s Square George Ballingall (1786-1855), professor of surgery, Edinburgh University George Stewart Campbell, skeleton maker, High School Yards Lancelot Donelly, doorkeeper and anatomical assistant to John Lizars William Fergusson (1808–1877), LRCSE, chief assistant to Robert Knox Thomas Wharton Jones (1808–1891), assistant to Robert Knox Frederick John Knox, LRCSE (1794–1873), brother of Robert Knox, responsible for his anatomical museum Robert Knox, MD, FRCSE (1791–1862), anatomical lecturer, head of dissecting establishment at Number 10, Surgeon’s Square Robert Liston, FRCSE (1794–1847), surgeon and lecturer Alexander Lizars and John Lizars (1791/2–1860), anatomical lecturers, Surgeon’s Square Alexander Miller, assistant to Robert Knox Alexander Monro tertius (1773–1859), professor of anatomy, Edinburgh University David Paterson, doorkeeper and anatomical assistant to Robert Knox Granville Sharp Pattison (1791–1851), professor of anatomy, Glasgow University Thomas Southwood Smith (1788–1861), physician to Jeremy Bentham and proponent of the Anatomy Bill Cast of Characters 273 James Syme, FRCSE (1799–1870), surgeon and lecturer John William Turner, FRCSE, surgeon and lecturer, Surgeon’s Square Witnesses Hugh Alston, neighbor of William Burke and Helen M’Dougal John Brogan, his wife, and son John, friends and neighbors of William Burke Janet Brown, friend of Mary Paterson and chief witness for her murder Constantine Burke, brother of William Burke, police scavenger, his wife, Elizabeth Burke or Graham, and their sons, Richard and William Jean Coghill, friend of Mary Paterson Ann Conway, neighbor of William Burke and Helen M’Dougal Ann and James Gray, lodgers with William Burke and Helen M’Dougal Mary Ann Haldane, daughter of Elizabeth and sister of Margaret Haldane Janet Law, neighbor of William Burke and Helen M’Dougal John M’Culloch, porter, Alison’s Close Jean Sutherland, friend of Mary Paterson Janet Wilson and Janet Downie or Wilson, mother and sister of Daft Jamie (James Wilson) Isabella Worthington, friend of Mary Paterson Resurrectionists John Burnett, medical student, Canongate George Cameron, Carnegie Street James Gow, Blackfriars Wynd James Hewit, Carubber’s Close John Kerr, Skinners Close Andrew Lees, Scott’s Close John McQuilkan, Drummond Street John Spouse, Bell’s Wynd Judicial Authorities Archibald Alison (1792–1867), advocate depute, part of the 274 Cast of Characters prosecution team for the trial of Burke and M’Dougal David Boyle (1772–1853), lord justice clerk, High Court of Justiciary John Hope (1794–1858), solicitor general, the immediate supervisor of the procurator fiscal within the Crown Office Alexander Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank (1777–1861), justice, High Court of Justiciary Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), secretary of state for the Home Office, Whitehall, London Sir William Rae (1769–1842), lord advocate, the Crown’s...