https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-96yf3-1aa1016

Death was everywhere in Victorian Manchester. In this episode we discuss the dangers of factory life and beyond, as well as the traditions for remembering the dead.

Dean talks about the grim legacy of mass graves around the city, including sites (some now in city parks) where the dead were buried 18 deep. We also look at the Coffin Flood, which saw bodies torn from the ground and float down the River Medlock to the horror of passersby, and the running battles between Catholic priests and local families to stop raucous ‘whisky wakes’.