In a remarkable twist of museological fortune, visitors to Moyse’s Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, now have the opportunity to witness not one, but two macabre relics from one of Britain’s most infamous murder cases. A second book bound partially with the skin of executed murderer William Corder has emerged from the shadows of history, having been inadvertently shelved among ordinary volumes in the museum’s offices for decades.
The Forgotten Relic Resurfaces
Unlike its notorious counterpart—a volume completely encased in human skin that has long been a centerpiece of the museum’s collection—this second book employs Corder’s tanned hide only on its spine and corners. Museum curators have conducted visual examinations between the leather of both volumes and confidently assert they share the same ghastly origin.
“The resemblance between the materials is unmistakable,” notes a museum representative. “Both appear to have been fashioned from the same source.”
This unsettling artifact had been donated many years ago by descendants of the surgeon who performed Corder’s post-execution anatomical examination, but somehow became what museum professionals term a “museum loss”—an object that slips through the cataloging cracks and vanishes from institutional memory.
“These museum losses typically date from the previous century,” explains Mr. Clarke from the museum staff. “Items that simply haven’t been seen or properly accounted for in several decades sometimes resurface in the most unexpected places.”
In this case, the forgotten volume had been hiding in plain sight, positioned inconspicuously among conventional books on an office shelf, awaiting rediscovery.
The Blood-Soaked Tale of William Corder
A Fatal Romance
The story behind these grim artifacts dates back to the 1820s, when William Corder—a farmer’s son known locally for his duplicitous nature and romantic entanglements—began a relationship with Maria Marten. Their affair produced a child who tragically did not survive infancy, after which Corder proposed marriage.
In 1827, he arranged to meet Maria at the Red Barn in Polstead, ostensibly to elope. This rendezvous would prove to be Maria’s final moments alive.
Deception Unmasked
Following her disappearance, Corder crafted an elaborate web of deceit. He wrote letters to Maria’s family, claiming the couple had married and settled happily in another part of the country. For months, his fabrications shielded him from suspicion.
Dreams Lead to Discovery
The case took an extraordinary turn when Maria’s stepmother experienced recurring dreams in which Maria appeared murdered and concealed beneath the floor of the Red Barn. So vivid and persistent were these nocturnal visions that the family eventually persuaded authorities to investigate.
In a chilling validation of the stepmother’s premonitions, search parties discovered Maria’s decomposed remains hidden precisely where the dreams had indicated—buried in a grain storage bin within the barn.
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Justice and Anatomical Legacy
Evidence swiftly pointed to Corder as the perpetrator. His arrest led to a sensational trial in 1828 at Shire Hall in Bury St Edmunds, culminating in a guilty verdict. Corder’s public execution drew a massive crowd estimated between 7,000 and 20,000 spectators.
As was customary for notorious criminals of the era, Corder’s body underwent post-mortem examination. During this procedure, portions of his skin were removed and tanned like leather—a practice that, while shocking to modern sensibilities, was not uncommon in 19th-century Britain for infamous offenders.
Preserving a Dark Chapter of History
Today, both volumes bound with William Corder’s skin stand as unsettling testimonials to an era when justice and scientific inquiry sometimes intersected in ways contemporary society might find disturbing. They represent not only a notorious murder case but also historical attitudes toward criminality, punishment, and the human body.
Visitors to Moyse’s Hall Museum can now contemplate this expanded collection of unusual artifacts, each offering a tangible connection to the infamous Red Barn Murder—a case that continues to fascinate and disturb nearly two centuries after Corder’s crimes.
