The Italian Boy

Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London

Sarah Wise

In 1831, the authorities unearthed a series of crimes at No. 3, Nova Scotia Gardens in East London that appeared to echo the notorious Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh three years earlier. After a long investigation, it became known that a group of body snatchers were supplying the anatomy schools with fresh ‘examples’ for dissection. The case became known as ‘The Italian Boy’ and caused a furore that led directly to the passing of controversial legislation that marked the beginning of the end of body snatching in Britain.

First published:: 2004
Published by:: Jonathan Cape
Length:: Hardcover 375 pages

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About the author

Sarah Wise is a freelance journalist and a regular contributor to The Guardian, Independent on Sunday Review, Observer magazine and The Times. She has also worked on women’s magazines, including Marie Claire. She completed an MA in Victorian Studies at Birkbeck College in 1996. This is her first book.