Eleanor Markham (born c. 1872) was an American woman who became one of the most prominent cases of an averted
premature burial in the late 19th century.
According to news reports at the time, the 22-year-old Miss Markham was pronounced dead in
Sprakers, New York on July 8, 1894, by a Dr. Howard, the family physician. Since the weather was quite warm, it was decided to have the burial quickly, and her coffin was closed and fastened after family members said goodbye on the morning of July 10. But on the way to the graveyard, the hearse was stopped after a noise was heard coming from the coffin. The lid was unfastened to find Miss Markham alive, exclaiming "You are burying me alive!," to which Dr. Howard reportedly said, "Hush child, you are all right. It is a mistake easily rectified."
Markham soon after fainted, but recovered after being administered some stimulants. She stated that she had been conscious the entire time of the preparations for burial, but was unable to cry out. She fully believed she would be buried alive, when finally, using all her will, she was able to make a knocking noise to draw attention.
[(13 October 1912)]
Burial Alive is Bugaboo Of the Average Person
''Washington Herald''[(1 August 1894)]
Put in Her Coffin Alive
''Anderson Intelligencer''[(5 September 1894). ''Notes and Notions'', ''Fort Wayne Gazette'' (one sentence report, states her age was 22 years old)][(13 July 1932)]
Earth of Urn Burial
''Burra Record
The ''Burra Record'' was a newspaper covering Burra and the mid-north eastern area of South Australia that was first printed in June 1876. In 1977, it merged with the ''Review-Times'' to form the ''Review-Times-Record'', which in turn became ''Th ...
'' (1932 mention of Markham's "amazing escape" from burial)[(14 July 1894)]
From the Dead. A Supposed Corpse Comes to Life in the Coffin
''Washington Bee
''The Washington Bee'' was a Washington, D.C.-based American weekly newspaper founded in 1882 and primarily read by African Americans. Throughout almost all of its forty-year history, it was edited by African American lawyer-journalist William Cal ...
''[(11 July 1894)]
From The Dead: A Supposed Corpse Comes to Life in the Coffin
''Herkimer Democrat'' (Herkimer, New York
Herkimer is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States, southeast of Utica. It is named after Nicholas Herkimer. The population was 10,175 at the 2010 census.
The town contains a village also called Herkimer. Herkimer County Community ...
), p. 2, col. 3
The fear of
premature burial was a topic of substantial discussion in the late 19th and early 20th century. Markham's case was among those included in the book ''Premature Burial and How It May Be Prevented'' by
William Tebb
William Tebb (22 October 1830 – 23 January 1917) was a British businessman and wide-ranging Reform movement, social reformer. He was an anti-vaccinationist and author of anti-vaccination books.''Bodily Matters: The Anti-Vaccination Movement in E ...
and Edward Vollum.
Bill Bryson
William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...
also mentions the "well-known case" of Markham in his 2010 book ''
At Home: A Short History of Private Life''.
[ Bryson, Bill. '' At Home: A Short History of Private Life'' (2010) (noting great concern in 19th century about risk of premature burial, and noting that Markham's 1894 event was a "well-known case")][Tebb, William, et al]
Premature Burial and how it May be Prevented
pp. 101–02 (1905)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Markham, Eleanor
Premature burials
1872 births
People from Montgomery County, New York
Year of death missing