The Strange Reason Ben Franklin's Basement Was Filled with Skeletons | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Benjamin Franklin's London home had a secret basement with 15 bodies, likely used for anatomy studies.

Key Insights

• 👎 Benjamin Franklin's London home concealed a dark secret with 15 buried bodies found during repairs.
• ☠️ The bones discovered in the basement dated back to Franklin's time, suggesting they were used for anatomy studies.
• 🥺 Anatomy studies were in their infancy, leading to a scarcity of human bodies legally available for research.
• 👎 William Hewson, Franklin's friend, likely ran an anatomy school in the basement, utilizing the buried bodies for study.
• 😷 Grave robbing was a common practice to obtain human specimens for medical research during that era.
• 👪 Franklin was not directly involved in the anatomy studies conducted in his London home, but he was aware of them.
• 🙂 The discovery of the buried bodies shed light on the darker practices of anatomy studies during the 18th century.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What was discovered in Benjamin Franklin's London home in 1998?

In 1998, during repairs at Franklin's London home, 15 buried bodies were discovered in a secret basement room, dating back to Franklin's time, raising questions about their origin.

Q: Who is believed to have been responsible for the buried bodies found in Franklin's basement?

The most likely culprit behind the buried bodies was Benjamin Franklin's young friend and protege, William Hewson, who was probably running an anatomy school in the basement.

Q: Why was it difficult to obtain human bodies legally for anatomy studies during Franklin's time?

Social and ethical norms of the time frowned upon anatomy studies, making it hard to acquire human bodies legally, leading anatomy pioneers like Hewson to resort to grave robbing for specimens.

Q: How was the discovery of the buried bodies linked to Benjamin Franklin himself?

While Franklin may not have been directly involved, his basement was likely used for illegal anatomy studies, with Hewson conducting anatomy lessons using the bodies.

Summary

In this video, the narrator discusses the discovery of 15 bodies in Benjamin Franklin's old London house during renovations in 1998. The bones, dating back to Franklin's time, were found buried in a secret windowless room in the basement. While the initial reaction may be to assume Franklin was a serial killer, the most plausible explanation is that one of Franklin's young friends, William Hewson, used the basement as an anatomy lab. During a time when the study of anatomy was frowned upon socially and legally, Hewson likely obtained bodies through grave-robbing and buried the remains in the basement to avoid getting caught. Franklin may have been aware of the illegal activities but is unlikely to have been directly involved.

Questions & Answers

Q: Were there really bodies found in Benjamin Franklin's London house?

Yes, during renovations in 1998, 15 bodies were discovered buried in a secret room in the basement of Benjamin Franklin's former residence.

Q: Were these bodies evidence that Benjamin Franklin was a serial killer?

No, while the initial assumption may be that Franklin was a serial killer, further investigation revealed that the most likely explanation was that one of Franklin's young friends, William Hewson, used the basement as an anatomy lab.

Q: Why would William Hewson use Franklin's basement as an anatomy lab?

During the time Franklin lived in London, the study of anatomy was still in its early stages and not socially accepted. Obtaining human bodies legally was challenging, so people like Hewson resorted to grave-robbing. Franklin's house offered a convenient location with sources of corpses nearby for Hewson to establish his anatomy lab.

Q: Did Benjamin Franklin know about the illegal activities happening in his house?

The Benjamin Franklin House suggests that Franklin was likely aware of the illegal studies conducted in his building. However, it is unlikely that he was directly involved in Hewson's activities.

Q: What happened to the bodies after they were used for anatomical study?

Instead of disposing of the bodies elsewhere and risking getting caught, Hewson simply buried the remains in the basement. This allowed him to avoid prosecution for dissection and grave-robbing.

Q: Did other people also study anatomy in a similar manner during that time?

Yes, studying anatomy through the dissection of human bodies was common during that time. However, it was generally illegal or socially frowned upon, so practitioners either paid professional resurrection men to procure cadavers or turned to grave-robbing themselves.

Q: Were these activities related to Franklin's association with the Freemasons?

While Franklin's history as a Freemason was initially considered by historians investigating the bones, there is no evidence to suggest a connection between the bodies and his masonic affiliations.

Q: Did Franklin's house have any other dark incidents or secrets?

Other than the discovery of the bodies, there is no evidence of any other dark incidents or secrets associated with Franklin's London house.

Q: Is there any connection between the bodies and dark masonic rituals?

While masonic rituals can have dark known undercurrents, there is no evidence linking the bodies found in Franklin's house to any specific masonic rituals.

Q: What other interesting facts are associated with Benjamin Franklin's life?

Apart from his involvement in various scientific and political endeavors, Franklin has an interesting history, including his fascination with electricity and his experiments with lightning, as well as his role in the American Revolution as one of the Founding Fathers.

Takeaways

The discovery of bodies in Benjamin Franklin's London house was initially shocking, leading to speculations of Franklin's involvement in dark activities. However, further investigation revealed a more plausible explanation - the bodies were likely used for anatomical studies by Franklin's young friend, William Hewson, in a time when studying anatomy was not yet socially accepted or legal. This discovery sheds light on the challenges faced by early practitioners of anatomy and their methods of obtaining bodies for study. It also provides an intriguing glimpse into the life of Benjamin Franklin and his associations during his time in London.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Benjamin Franklin's London house had 15 buried bodies found during repairs in 1998.

• The bones dated back to Franklin's time, likely used for anatomy studies.

• Franklin's friend, William Hewson, probably ran an anatomy school in the basement.