The Isle-Brewers Conjoined Twins of 1680
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106 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 86 February 1993 The Isle-Brewers conjoined twins of 1680 J Bondeson MD LicSc Department of Medicine, University of Lund, Malmo General Hospital, S-214 01 Malmo, Sweden Keywords: conjoined twins; history of teratology; malformation; xiphopagus Introduction impending evils, and shortly before the invasion In the annals of double monstrosities, the conjoined of the Duke of Monmouth, he asked a distinguished twins born at Isle Brewers, Somersetshire, in 1680, gentleman in London to convey his apprehensions to have been little noticed in the medical publications. the King2. The Rev Paschall wrote that 'Before our They were among the earliest live-born English troubles came along we had some such signs as used conjoined twins. The twins died, probably in 1683, to be deemed forerunners of such things. In May, after being taken away and exhibited for money by 1680, here was that monstrous birth at Ile Brewers, a certain Henry Walrond, an unpopular country a parish in Somerset, which at that time was taken squire who was a great persecutor of the quakers. much notice of.' A very fine memorial plate in Lambeth Delft was made in their honour. In this historical vignette, the A 'monster broadside' on the twins life and death of the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins is In the 17th and 18th centuries, short pamphlets or presented in some detail using new material, and the 'broadsides' were an important source of information, problem of their correct diagnosis is considered. and were eagerly bought by both high and low. Such broadsides gave news ofwars and battles from abroad, The Isle-Brewers coWnoined twins or told stories of strange and prodigious happenings. On 19 May 1680, a strange happening occurred in Isle Quite a large proportion ofthem dealt with monstrous Brewers, which was not to be forgotten for many births, and such 'monster broadsides' seem to have years. A poor village woman, who was already the been a most popular literary genre during many mother of five living children, had a very long years3. Such broadsides began with a provocative pregnancy, and was uncommonly big with child; the title and an often coarse woodcut of the monstrosity old women predicted that she was to bear twins. After a tedious childbirth, she was delivered of conjoined twin girls. The spectators were, of course, mightily impressed with this singular event, as expressed in a contemporary pampleti 'The groaning Mother was disburthened ofthe Monstrous Birth, whose frightful Apparition so amazed the several Assistants and Spectators, that starting back all pale, they knew not what to think, but long time stood doubtful in their wonder, e're they durst approach, supposing it more dreadful than it was, but after a more curious View, they found it was a humain Creature, and bore the Stamp (though in an unusual Form) of woman, so that taking heart, they annimated each other so far, as to take it in their Arms, whilst in a double voice it cried aloud ...' When the midwife and the villagers dared emine the strange birth closer, they saw that the twins were joined back to back from the nipples down to the navel. The children were lively and seemed to be in perfect health. It was considered remarkable that 'when the Infant or Infants, which you please, cry, their Voices or Cries are ofthe selfsame note, though 'tis seldome that both heads cry together.' Their father was a poor man of good character, 'free from all aspersions of Vice or exorbitances', and the pamphlet writer considered it unlikely that the monstrous birth was a divine punishment'. On 29 May, the children were taken to be christened by the Rev Andrew Paschall, who had the living of Chedzoy, Somerset. The conjoined twins were named Priscilla and Aquila; probably the parents considered these uncommon names to be suitable for their extraordinary children. The superstitious vicar believed the monstrous birth to be a portent of Figure 1. The titlepage ofthe 'monster broadside' on the twins Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 86 February 1993 107 involved, followed by a brief description of the the middle of the bodies. The letters IO and SD on malformed creature and its birth, and an often much the sides are harder to explain. A crowned, partially longer discourse on the theological interpretation of floral decoration is the side device. In 1947, Professor this strange occurrence. Shrewsbury saw a specimen ofthis dish of Sgrafiato Later in 1680, a gentleman in Taunton-Dean wrote ware in the County Museum at Taunton Castle. It was such a monster broadside about the Isle-Brewers con- probably made at Crock Street, near Ilminster4. joined twins, which was sold in London through the bookseller D Mallet'. The probably only remaining Another description of the copy (Figure 1) of this four-page pamphlet is kept in Isle-Brewers conjoined twins the British Library. It is interesting to speculate who After the publication ofthe pamphlet about them, the might have donated this pamphlet to the Library, since fame of the conjoined twins soon spread, and a it is bound into a fine 'Collection of Advertisements' Somerset gentleman oflearning, Mr A P, visited Isle- from the late 17th century. It is well known that Brewers to write a short description of them for the Samuel Pepys was an avid collector ofpamphlets, and Royal Society's Philosophical Collections5. He was a part ofhis collection is today at the British Library. probably not a FRS, nor was his brief account read The volume might also have been part of Sir Hans at any of the Royal Society's meetings. According to Sloane's original donation, since Sir Hans also had Mr A P, the twins' bodies were joined from the navel a large collection of monster broadsides. up to a point,ust beneath the nipples. He pointed out The first page of the pamphlet on the Isle-Brewers that the bodies were separate and distinct both above conjoined twins was illustrated by a very coarse and beneath this common area. When the children drawing of the twins (Figure 1). A considerable were laid supine, they seemed to have but one body proportion of its text consists of long-winded specu- where joined, but when they were turned there lation on the religious implications ofthis monstrous appeared to be a deep furrow between their bodies. birth. At least, the writer ofthe pamphlet had visited Mr A P was fascinated to see that one of the twins Isle-Brewers and examined the twins, and he had might sleep calmly while the other cried. The midwife also spoken to the attendants present at their birth. who had delivered the conjoined twins told him that It was clear to him that the conjoined twins were the placenta had been three times the usual size; the two separate beings, and he even dared express the navel-string was of uncommon thickness. Mr A P theologically hazardous opinion that they also pos- concluded that Priscilla and Aquila appeared to sessed two immortal souls. The twins' bodies were be in perfect health: 'they Suck and Cry heartily, conjoined at the backs, and the ribs, breast-bones and Exonerate apart freely, and are likely to live, if the bellies appeared to be distinct. The twins had no Multitudes that come to see them (sometimes 500 in further malformations; it was emphasized that their a day) do not occasion the shortening of their Lives'. heads were ofnormal size and form and that they had But the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins were not to be 'two Female Faces, beautiful, fair, and of pleasant granted a long life. Before they were 3 years old, they Aspect; in which were plainly imprinted all the were taken from their mother by a certain Henry smiling Graces of well-promising Virgins'. Walrond, a penniless country squire who wanted to Hundreds ofpeople daily visited Isle-Brewers 'to see exhibit them for money. the monstrous work of Nature, and admire so great a piece of curiosity'. In memorial of the birth of the Henry Walrond intervenes conjoined twins, a plate in red pitcher clay was made, In the second halfofthe 17th century, the appearance probably to be sold to the many visitors who thronged of the Society of Friends or 'quakers' arose much Isle-Brewers to see them. It was glazed yellow, and controversy. The teachings of the quakers, which had a rude device drawn through the surface, showing included conventicles, opposition against the church, the outline in red (Figure 2). In the centre is the and refusal to bear arms, led to repeated trouble with likeness of the twins, with their date of birth across the authorities. In the 1680s it was not uncommon that country noblemen and Justices of the Peace arranged cruel persecutions of the quakers within their jurisdiction6. In Somersetshire, one of the worst of these harriers of the quakers was Henry Walrond Esq., ofWalrond's Hall near Isle-Brewers7. Walrond's family was quite influential, and although his reputation was not the best, he was made a Justice of the Peace. One of Walrond's daughters married a gentleman named Broom, whose numerous relations all lived at Walrond's Hall. In 1680, Henry Walrond recruited a cavalry troop in order to break up illegal meetings of the Friends. His principal assistants in this venture were his relations, the Broom brothers. According to John Whiting, the Long Sutton quaker, 'Henry Walrond, a Persecuting Justice ofthe Peace, so called, (though one of the greatest Disturbers of it)' broke up a meeting of the Friends in Ilchester and had several ofthe participants jailed, while the others were fined 60 guineas8.