Mobile Corpses from the 18th Century

Mobile Corpses from the 18th Century

From All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories by Joe Lex

June 1, 2026 · 2h 22m · Episode 495

About this episode

The episode explores the reasons behind exhuming 18th-century corpses and highlights notable figures associated with Laurel Hill East cemetery.

ABC:LHS #087 Even in death, some people don’t rest easy. Someone always wants to dig them up and move them. Though Laurel Hill East opened in 1836, several of its 18th-century dead were buried elsewhere first. First, I trace the many reasons people exhume the dead. And there are plenty. Thomas Godfrey invented a lifesaving navigational instrument. Buried first on a Germantown farm, he was later pursued by Laurel Hill as one of its earliest celebrity corpses. Commodore Alexander Murray was as important a sailor as Isaac Hull or Stephen Decatur, but without the headline-grabbing legend. Mayor Hilary Baker served when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital and crossed paths daily with the signers of the Declaration and Constitution. He died in office. Rev. William Smith deserves recognition alongside Benjamin Franklin as a cofounder of the University of Pennsylvania, yet Franklin is celebrated while Smith is largely forgotten. I had a blast making this one. I think you’ll have fun listening.

People in this episode

Host: Joe Lex

Topics covered

  • exhumation
  • 18th century
  • cemetery history
  • famous burials
  • Philadelphia history

Keywords

  • exhumation
  • Laurel Hill East
  • Thomas Godfrey
  • Commodore Alexander Murray
  • Mayor Hilary Baker
  • Rev. William Smith
  • Benjamin Franklin
  • Philadelphia history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Pennsylvania

Places: Laurel Hill East, Germantown, Philadelphia

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