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Body Snatching – A Cautionary Tale

Date updated: 16/08/2022

London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) researcher William Lewis has been looking into the history of the Millard family, ancestors on his mother’s side, and has discovered the poignant tale of William Millard, a healthcare worker at St Thomas’ Hospital in the early 19th century. Millard became involved in receiving bodies from the ‘Resurrection Men’ and after falling foul of one gang fell into the trade himself, with sad consequences both for him and his family. William Lewis tells the story of his ancestor.

I have been researching my Family History of MILLARD (my Mother’s maiden name) on and off for the past 10- 15 years. Through my job prior to retiring I had to base things on ‘Facts' and this is also what I use when researching. No maybes, buts or ifs for me.

The first appearance of William Millard is at St Thomas’ Hospital in Southwark about 1810/11. St Thomas’ in the early 1800s was renowned as a Teaching Hospital for 'Apprentice Surgeons' headed up by Sir Astley Cooper, who was highly regarded for his teaching and expertise, later becoming surgeon to royalty.

Bird's eye view of St Thomas' Hospital, Southwark, c.1825
St Thomas' Hospital, Southwark, c.1825. LPA ref: 19476

William Millard was employed at the Hospital in varying capacities, helping in the Operating Theatre and in the Hospital Museum. He also assisted in the Dissecting Room helping the surgeons who were teaching students. Part of his employment was to accept bodies from the body snatchers, pay them and then pass the body onto the students for dissecting practice.

As well as individual body snatchers there was also the notorious ‘Borough Gang’ headed by Ben Crouch, which also did business with William. William made a good living on the side with this wheeling and dealing and once said ‘There is nobody at the Hospital who has a better table than me'. This indicates how good his income was.

Things changed when in 1822 he ran foul of Ben Crouch and was 'stitched up’ by him, which resulted in William being sacked by St Thomas' Hospital. William was married to Ann and they had six children to support. He knew all about the body snatching industry and where to obtain bodies from and whom to supply to at the best prices, so at this time, 1822/3, he turned to grave robbing himself. But on one eventful night, 22 August 1823, he was caught in the grounds of The London Hospital, Whitechapel. He was sentenced to three months hard labour and sent to Cold Bath Fields Prison. An appeal was lodged against the sentence, but following a hearing his sentence was confirmed and William returned to Cold Bath Fields. Only a matter of weeks later he died in prison on 14 October 1823, having had a pardon granted by Sir Robert Peel, the then Home Secretary which did not materialise in time to save him.

Ann Millard, William’s wife, no doubt struggled over the following years with no income coming into the household, and this resulted in her claiming parish relief from St Thomas’ Parish. Ann received parish help for herself and children, it appears from 1826 to 1835. Ann then joined Charing Cross Hospital as a nurse, where she continued to work until her death on 7 April 1853.

With Family History I am not interested in putting as many names as I can on Trees, but love to investigate the Social History of the individual and where they lived.

I am indebted to the Staff at LMA for their help and time given to me in helping me with documents and other papers. I have spent hours trawling through documents. Ledger entries of monies paid by William in Parish dues, Bail Slips where William stood bail for other Body Snatchers, his own Bail Slip from escapades at The London Hospital, his Appeal papers, The Coroner’s Papers, Ann Millard's claims for Parish relief where she received money for her children for clothes and shoes. Ann even had to apply for Parish Relief for the cost to bury her son (which was granted).

In 2012 The Museum of London ran an exhibition entitled ‘Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men’. William and Ann Millard were mentioned in the exhibition.

These records show a family of fair wealth falling into poverty within a decade.