. ▁Watch - h ouses ▁were ▁sometimes ▁ere cted ▁to ▁shelter ▁the ▁watch ers . ▁One ▁watch - house ▁in ▁Edinburgh ▁is ▁a ▁three - store y ▁cast ell ated ▁building ▁with ▁windows . ▁Watch ing ▁soci eties ▁were ▁often ▁formed ▁in ▁towns , ▁one ▁in ▁Glasgow ▁having ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁members . ▁Many ▁k irk ▁session ▁houses ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁watch ers , ▁but ▁gra ves ▁were ▁still ▁viol ated . ▁ ▁The ▁mort safe ▁ ▁The ▁mort safe ▁was ▁invent ed ▁in ▁about ▁ 1 8 1 6 . ▁These ▁were ▁iron ▁or ▁iron - and - stone ▁devices ▁of ▁great ▁weight , ▁in ▁many ▁different ▁designs . ▁O ften ▁they ▁were ▁complex ▁heavy ▁iron ▁contra ptions ▁of ▁ro ds ▁and ▁pl ates , ▁pad locked ▁together ▁- ▁examples ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁close ▁to ▁all ▁Scottish ▁medical ▁schools . ▁A ▁plate ▁was ▁placed ▁over ▁the ▁coff in ▁and ▁ro ds ▁with ▁heads ▁were ▁pushed ▁through ▁holes ▁in ▁it . ▁These ▁ro ds ▁were ▁kept ▁in ▁place ▁by ▁lock ing ▁a ▁second ▁plate ▁over ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁form ▁extremely ▁heavy ▁protection . ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁removed ▁by ▁two ▁people ▁with ▁keys . ▁They ▁were ▁placed ▁over ▁the ▁coff ins ▁for ▁about ▁six ▁weeks , ▁then ▁removed ▁for ▁further ▁use ▁when ▁the ▁body ▁inside ▁was ▁sufficiently ▁decay ed . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁model ▁of ▁a ▁mort safe ▁of ▁this ▁type ▁in ▁Mar isch al ▁Museum , ▁Aber de en . ▁Sometimes ▁a ▁church ▁bought ▁them ▁and ▁h ired ▁them ▁out