At Rest

Apparently moved by the recent burial of Richard III's remains in Leicester, campaigners are calling for those of Joseph Carey Merrick, the Elephant Man, to receive similar treatment. A descendant of one of his managers, and the founder of a memorial society, have both been on the BBC proclaiming that Merrick was a devout Christian who would have been deeply concerned with the location of his corrupt body once the spirit had departed. His remains at the moment are available by appointment for medical education and research; which seems appropriate enough given that it was a doctor, rather than the Church or managers of freak shows, who eventually befriended him and gave him proper care. The University of London has stated that Merrick "expected" this use of his remains. As a gentle soul, a devout Christian and the victim of one of his fun-loving God's more elaborate pranks, he was in an excellent position to understand that the flesh is not what counts.