What is the full name of the person that said there appeared to be many "inaccuracies and contradictions" in accounts of the events following Beswick's death?
The mid-18th century saw an upsurge in the public's fear of being mistakenly buried alive, and much debate about the uncertainty of the signs of death. Various suggestions were made to test for signs of life before burial, ranging from pouring vinegar and pepper into the corpse's mouth to applying red hot pokers to the feet, or even into the rectum. Writing in 1895, the physician J. C. Ouseley claimed that as many as 2,700 people were buried prematurely each year in England and Wales, although others estimated the figure to be closer to 800.Hannah Beswick was born in 1688, the daughter of John and Patience Beswick, of Cheetwood Old Hall, Manchester, she inherited considerable wealth from her father who died in 1706. Some years before her own death, one of Hannah's brothers, John, had shown signs of life just as his coffin lid had been about to be closed. A mourner noticed that John's eyelids appeared to be flickering, and on examination the family physician, Dr Charles White, confirmed that he was still alive. John regained consciousness a few days later, and lived for many more years.Jessie Dobson, Recorder of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, has said that there appear to be many "inaccuracies and contradictions" in accounts of the events following Beswick's death in 1758. Many suggest that she left £25,000 (equivalent to about £3 million as of 2019) to White, a pioneer of obstetrics and one of the founders of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, on the condition that her body was kept above ground, and that periodically she was to be checked for signs of life. Beswick's will however, dated 25 July 1757 (less than a year before her death), states only that White was to receive £100 (£13,000 as of 2019), and that £400 (£53,000 as of 2019) was to be allocated for funeral expenses. Some accounts have suggested that White was an executor of Beswick's will and that he received the £400 himself, from which he was permitted to keep any surplus after the funeral expenses had been paid. Having Beswick embalmed therefore allowed him to keep the whole amount. Alternatively it has been suggested that White was considerably in debt to Beswick, a debt that would have to be repaid after the funeral, which was avoided by her embalming, but Beswick's will names Mary Graeme and Esther Robinson as her executors, not White. In 1866, more than 100 years after her death, the details of Beswick's will were still being disputed.
Jessie Dobson