Dr Dan O’Brien

Molly Conisbee’s book No Ordinary Deaths featuring two skeletons standing alongside a large urn

Many thanks to @profilebooks.bsky.social for this copy of Molly Conisbee’s ‘No Ordinary Deaths’ a social history of death which is this death historian’s sort of thing!! It has undertakers too! More thoughts to come! #skystorians

I am indeed!! My most listened in 2024 too (back in the 0.01% of their listeners) saw them in London too this year!

A round white plate that is inscribed with the message ‘You and I are Earth 1661’

Ok, an object which demonstrates my passion for death history. A fragile Delftware plate titled ‘You and I are Earth. 1661’ It was found in a sewer and went into the collection of @londonmuseum.bsky.social #skystorians

Richard Newton’s An Apparition. A grave robber is startled in a nocturnal burial ground by a tall, white ghost. The two characters are surrounded by the graves of the burial ground.

Richard Newton’s Resurrection Men. Three grave robbers are gathered around a grave when a tall white ghost challenges them with a bone.

Excellent evening talking as part of Goths for Breakfast -‘Night of the Leaving Dead’ looked at the some of the curious things that happened involving both living and the dead. Here we have two of Newton’s cartoons ‘Resurrection Men’ and ‘An Apparition’ from British Museum! #gothsforbreakfast

A night sky full of stars.

Maria O’Brien - 1958 - 2025

My mum died suddenly yesterday evening at home. Despite her chronic RA she always seized the most of life and history and listened to many funerary tales. She always encouraged my studies and my research into death history!

So glad you enjoyed it! It was a brilliant session and the questions / comments were really interesting. Great to see those curious parallels between the past and present.

I will be joining in for this brilliant day of ideas and gothicness - the tickets are going fast but hopefully you can join me for ‘Night of the Leaving Dead’ ⚰️

A cartoon depicting a churchyard. Sat on two tombs are a lawyer, gravedigger, clergyman and physician. They are in the company of a skeleton representing death and all of the characters are having a good time drinking and smoking. A hearse arrives at the distant wall of the churchyard and the driver raises his hat in a salute to the gathered friends.

If you are in Australia or would like some death history to start the day I will be giving an online talk for NDAN about the lively and often busy world of 18th century burial grounds - 7th Feb - 7pm AEDT / 8am GMT Tickets: www.trybooking.com/events/landi...

A view of the Donmar stage from row C of the stalls. In the foreground there are tiny lightbulbs. A haze hangs over the stage which is surrounded on three sides by the seats.

At Donmar Warehouse this evening for Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. A whole performance based on a segment of War and Peace #musicals

A mourning ring. The bezel is decorated with an enamelled skull placed over woven hair and surrounded by diamonds.

Welcoming me to any new Bluesky members and the regulars (you are very much appreciated too!) Here is a one of my favourite mourning rings - a memento mori and an example of eighteenth century mourning ring from British Museum #skystorians

A satirical print from the eighteenth century depicting three grave robbers huddled around a grave. The men look in horror at a tall white ghost that is illuminated by their lantern light. The ghost nonchalantly holds out a bone towards the grave robbers.

I’ll be in this year’s Goths for Breakfast with ‘Night of the Leaving Dead’ - The Impermanent World of the Eighteenth Century Grave at 8pm GMT on 15th Feb.

It’s an online day of Gothic & horror sessions in support of the charity Magic Breakfast!

Tickets at:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/goths-for-...

A tiny gold coffin pendant. The opened lid reveals a tiny skeleton lying within. The coffin is decorated with nails and has three handles on each side.

It’s a coffin! A fine way to grab a death historian’s interest. This coffin pendant is a quite a bit smaller and its pop-out inhabitant is not faithful or a traitor but a memento mori skeleton. #thetraitors

A painting depicting a figure that is half woman and half skeleton. The skeleton half holds a scythe. The living half is dressed in fine clothing with her hair styled. A reminder that earthly wealth means nothing against death.

A winged skull from a wall memorial in St Mary Redcliffe church in Bristol. The skull gazes to the left of the image. It lacks a few teeth.

If you are new Bluesky hello! I’m Dr Dan, death historian and cemetery wanderer. Bringing you items from the material history of death from the early medieval to the present. I’m also quite partial to a Roman tombstone so maybe that needs tweaking… #skystorians

The memorial to John Hart Burges, rector of St John’s Devizes. It is a tall, black monument with a circular finial decorated with the initials IHR surrounded by a wreath. The circular finial is supported by a tall, flared pillar. St John’s church can be seen behind the memorial.

Found myself in a Devizes churchyard today and somehow rather viciously bumped my knee on the ironwork surrounding this impressive memorial to John Hart Burges, rector of St John’s (d.1899) #skystorians

I believe it is ‘son fine’ or ‘I am the end’

A tarot card featuring Death. Death is depicted as a skeleton holding a scythe over one bony shoulder. Death wears the red cape and hat of a cardinal demonstrating death’s dominion over all things.

As a death historian this is what I would call a death card. Death carrying a scythe and wearing a galero and red cape (ferraiolo) of a cardinal. Watercolour on card, varnished. Italian. c.1490 (From V&A) #TheTraitors

A satirical print from the eighteenth century depicting three grave robbers huddled around a grave. The men look in horror at a tall white ghost that is illuminated by their lantern light. The ghost nonchalantly holds out a bone towards the grave robbers.

I’ll be in this year’s Goths for Breakfast with ‘Night of the Leaving Dead’ - The Impermanent World of the Eighteenth Century Grave at 8pm GMT on 15th Feb.

It’s an online day of Gothic & horror sessions in support of the charity Magic Breakfast!

Tickets at:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/goths-for-...

The enamelled lid of an elliptical patch box. It depicts the injured Nelson being supported on deck as the battle of Trafalgar rages in the background. The scene is surrounded by the message ‘off Trafalgar the battle was fought. Nelson’s life the victory bought’

The enamelled lid of a patch box. It depicts a sailor standing alongside a memorial titled ‘in memory of Nelson’. The sailor holds a banner which reads ‘he lives in our hearts’

Finishing my Nelson funeral day with these patch boxes enamelled with mournful sentiments about the fallen Nelson. One imagines the moment of his injury and the other a sailor standing alongside a monument to Nelson. Both from NMM #skystorians

The ensign or flag from the Spanish warship San Ildefonso. It is a large Spanish flag with bars of red, yellow and red. The right edge of the flag is tattered with numerous holes and tears as a result of battle damage. It is very large. There are four people knelt along the top edge and they are very small compared to its overall width .

To get a sense of the epic scale of the ensigns here is the ensign from the San Ildefonso which was hung in St Paul’s during the funeral and is now part of the National Maritime Museum collection. (Pic from NMM) #skystorians

A view of St Paul’s with Nelson’s funeral being staged with a large crowd gathered in a bowl around the coffin which is under a plumed canopy. A tall cylindrical lantern hangs over the coffin with lots of points of illumination on it. The scene is framed by a large Spanish flag to the left and a large French flag to the right.

A view of Nelson’s funeral at St Paul’s with the giant lantern illuminating the coffin below. The ensigns of captured French and Spanish ships hang around the mournful scene. Print after Charles Augustus Pugin. From British Museum. #skystorians #navalhistory

The figurehead from Horatio Nelson’s funeral car. It depicts Victory personified as a winged woman in a flowing dress. She holds out a wreath in her outstretched right hand. This would have been at the front of the funeral car.

Nelson’s funeral car. A large black wagon with four wheels. The front and back of the car are shaped to look like Nelson’s ship Victory. His coffin is positioned in the middle of the car, it is decorated with escutcheons and ornate handles. A canopy is held over the coffin by four pillars, one on each corner.

One of my favourite funerals - 9 Jan 1806, the funeral of Horatio Nelson at St Paul’s Cathedral. A spectacularly large event preceded by a procession from the admiralty. Here is Nelson’s funeral car (from British Museum) and its surviving figurehead (NMM) #skystorians

The platt memorial. A large wall mounted memorial with two elliptical alcoves in which the busts of William and Mary Platt are placed. The couple stare out from the monument as if watching the church below. Around their alcoves are many colourful shields displaying the heritage of the pair.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 12 🪦🎄: The Platt memorial at St Pancras Old Church features busts of William & Mary Platt of Highgate. It was originally in the chapel of Highgate School. The memorial is decorated with heraldic shields illustrating the heritage of the deceased. #skystorians

A skull with crossed bones beneath it from a mourning brass. The detail of the skull is enamelled in red making it appear very striking. It has perfectly circular eye sockets and a very triangular nasal cavity. The row of teeth is designed as a row of rectangles.

The Reeve memorial brass. A long shiny metal plaque that is inscribed with red text. The red text is bookended by two skulls. One hovers over a pair of crossed bones and the other hovers over a winged hourglass.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 11 🪦🎄: Skulls bookend the memorial to various relatives of goldsmith George Reeve at Bath Abbey (his parents, wife and four sons) - accompanied by the words ‘thers a tyme wherein our bodys must revive agayne though now turn’d into dust’ 1664. #skystorians

A ledger stone from a grave decorated with a skull in profile accompanied by a sword and an anchor.

The ledger stone of Edward Harris. It commends his loyalty to the Church of England and his military service for the Royal Navy before becoming a resident of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich. It also mentions 18 years that Harris was enslaved by the Barbary pirates.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 10 🪦🎄: Edward Harris’ memorial records his service for the navy including almost two decades enslaved by Barbary pirates. Harris lived at the Royal Naval Hospital Greenwich & died in 1707. The grave slab has been moved into the Devonport memorial. #skystorians

The effigy of Thomas Heneage. He is wearing full armour with a tiny ruff and his moustachioed head rests on a pillow.

The effigy of Anna Heneage wearing a long robe and a large ruff. Her hands may have been joined in prayer but they are missing due to damage to the effigy.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 9 🪦🎄: Tudor effigies from Old St Paul's. In the crypt of Wren's cathedral are a family of effigies which survived the burning of St Paul's during the Great Fire of London. Thomas Heneage (d.1594) lies alongside his wife Anna (d.1592). #skystorians

Sir Maurice Berkeley lies in effigy alongside the effigy of his wife Ellen. Sir Maurice is wearing full armour. Both effigies have their hands joined in prayer.

The Berkeley tomb featuring two stone effigies lying alongside each other in an alcove with decorated fringe. There are two shields held above the effigies by carved stone lions.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 8 🪦🎄: Effigies of Sir Maurice Berkley (d.1464) and his wife Ellen (d.1475) rest in prayer on their tomb at Bristol’s Lord Mayor’s Chapel. Sir Maurice’s effigy is dressed in full armour including gauntlets that look a bit like metal mittens. #skystorians

Yes!! It leaves me wondering if these trumpet or shawm wielding skeletons are playing or just enthusiastically miming (who is going to stop a miming skeleton 😅)

A skeleton dances alongside a woman in a fashionable yellow dress. The skeleton holds up an arrow and points to ominously.

Two medieval skeletons play musical instruments and dance. The dancing skeleton on the right is wrapped in a billowing shroud.

Happy New Year to all - in the most death history way I know!! However you celebrate - whether you are dancing, feasting or just enjoying a welcome rest! #skystorians #happynewyear

Hi Sam - would love to give a talk again in 2025 if there’s space!

The effigy of William Longspée. He is dressed in full chain mail with only his eyes and nose visible through the mail hood which is also known as a coif. He is wearing a fabric surcoat over the mail.

The kite shaped shield carried by Longspée’s effigy. It is decorated with six lions in an inverted triangle pattern. Three lions above two lions above one lion.

Twelve Graves of Christmas - Day 7 🪦🎄: The brilliantly detailed mail and shield of William Longspée, Earl of Salisbury (d.1226) The tomb contained a curious mystery - a dead rat was found in his skull and its remains contained arsenic…were rumours that Longspée been murdered true? #skystorians