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Date of Graduation
5-14-2026
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Degree Name
<-- Please Select One -->
Department
Department of History
First Advisor
Neel Amin
Second Advisor
Fawn-Amber Montoya
Abstract
During the 19th century English medical schools relied on resurrection men to provide dead bodies for anatomical dissection. While resurrection men typically took bodies from graveyards, there were also those who committed murder in order to sell the bodies of their victims. Carlo Ferarai, an unhoused immigrant child, was the victim of just such a murder, and his death contributed to many legal and social changes which have been studied by historians. This paper recontextualizes Carlo’s death by exploring his life as a social history. Using court transcripts, newspapers, and other sources, alongside insights drawn from urban history, and animal history, this paper explores Carlo’s life and reexamines the role of community and joy in Carlo’s life, arguing that he found both in the neighborhoods in which he lived and spent his time, the public houses he frequented, and the pets he owned.
Included in
European History Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Social History Commons
