Have you ever thought of a book bound in human skin? That sounds very sick, doesn’t it? Yes, it is. But there is a book on a brutal murder trial bound in the murderer’s skin. On the record, there are two copies of the book called “Trial of William Corder” from the 1827 Red Barn Murder trial. Now, it is being displayed in a museum.
Being publicly displayed sounds awful, doesn’t it? But it is true. In the quiet town of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, a museum is showcasing a book of a horror story from a 19th-century murder case. The book includes the details of the trial of William Corder, the man convicted of the infamous murder case, the Red Barn Murder of 1828.
The first skin-bound copy of the book has been on display and in the collection of the Museum since the 1930s. But last year, a staff member from the museum’s library discovered the second skin-bound edition in a long-forgotten office bookshelf. The second copy is believed to have been donated two decades ago, and now both of them are being publicly displayed, which sparked debate over ethics, history, and the line between education and exploitation.
The Red Barn Murder: A Tale of Love and Betrayal
What is the story of this trial book? Well, the case began when Maria Marten from Polstead, Suffolk, disappeared after she went to meet her lover, William Corder. She went to see the love of her life at the Red Barn, which is why the case is described as the Red Barn Murder. Corder promised her to elope with her to Ipswich. Unfortunately, Marten vanished instead of being with her lover.
Months later, a shocking tragedy occurred when her body was discovered buried in the Barn. Sometimes later, the lover Corder was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Marten. Corder was found guilty of murder and burying Martine in the Barn by the court based on circumstantial evidence. In 1828, Cordor was publicly hanged before a crowd of thousands, as it was the rule of law back then. But instead of burying his body, it was dissected for science. As part of it, some of his skins were preserved and tanned, which they later used for binding a book about his own trial.
Get Your Book: The Trial of William Corder
“A Particularly Sick Artefact” – The Controversy
While writing this article, this is the first case of a human skin binding book to us. It feels sick to the stomach. What do you think? Isn’t it a particularly sick artefact? We think so. It hits the moral of the very core of human history.
However, despite most people’s criticism, the museum defends the display as a “window into the past”. For centuries, there have been fictions and films made about Cordor’s character and the story. However, most of the time, the real story gets obscured, and this book is the only one that can get you as close to the truth. Therefore, the museum stands by its decision and showcases the book as a stark reminder of how justice and punishment were once served.
If you want to read it and learn about the real story, the book is available to purchase, don’t worry, not the human skin-bound one.
Get Your Book: The Trial of William Corder
Why Does This Story Still Haunt Us?
Now the question remains, why the Red Barn Story still haunts us?
Simply put, the murder story has inspired films, plays, and novels for nearly 200 years. Besides, the story continues to be interpreted in popular culture in many ways. However, the museum has to say that “the facts have been blurred into near obscurity.”
However, as the museum is displaying the Trial of William Corder bound in human his own skin raises a question. Is this a legitimate historical artifact or a macabre spectacle? Does it cross the ethical line, or is it important to remind the dark past of the murderer?
Leave us a comment on what you think.
