- Target:
- Jeremy Hunt MP
- Region:
- United Kingdom
Joseph Carey Merrick, otherwise known by his stage name The Elephant Man was born in Lee Street in Leicester in 1862. He spent the last years of his life at The Royal London Hospital on the Whitechapel Road in the East End of London under the care of Dr. Frederick Treves. He died in April 1890.
It is widely believed Joseph wanted his remains be kept at the hospital for medical research. Although not on public display, there is no evidence this was his wish and his bones have been bleached to such an extent no DNA can be extracted. Joseph's mother Mary Jane is buried in Welford Road Cemetery with Joseph's younger brother William who died when he was five years old. We believe he should be returned to Leicester and given a Christian Burial and laid to rest with his mother.
We demand that Joseph Carey Merricks Rights as a Disabled Man are reconsidered again under Today's Equality Laws of 2010, Joseph Merrick was a Devout Christian during the reign of Queen Victoria, at a time when his Religion would have been of Great Importance to him, every Christian of this era, would have placed a Great Emphasis on being laid to rest in the Consecrated Grounds of a Christian Church after death, as a start of their Journey, to the Afterlife.
We sign this Petition as Members of Multicultural Faiths & those of No Religious Persuasion, to secure the Human Rights of John Merrick & allow him to be finally laid to rest with his Family.
As it is the Queen Mary University of London who are holding onto John Merricks Remains & Hospitals come under the NHS, it is only right that we ask Jeremy Hunt MP to intervene.
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The Return Joseph Merrick: AKA The Elephant Man Back To Leicester. petition to Jeremy Hunt MP was written by Marcus Keane and is in the category Civil Rights at GoPetition.