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. A month later, a quaker named Abbott complained ofWalrond's actions before a local court, Figure 2. The plate ofred pitcher clay made to celebrate the and apparently had some success since it is recorded twins' birth that Walrond assaulted him outside the courtroom 108 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 86 February 1993

'and struck him several Blows with his Cane'. Some time later, Walrond and the Brooms attacked a meeting ofthe Friends at Gregory-Stoke, and arrested 12 men; they also broke all the furniture in the house and made a great bonfire 'Carousing and Drinking about the Fire the mean while'. In spite ofhis fine estate, Henry Walrond was struck by severe penury in the early 1680s. Whiting believed that his extravagant friends, the parasitic Broom brothers, devoured a good deal of his income8. To repair his financial difficulties, Walrond took the extraordinary step to abduct the conjoined twins from their mother, in order to have them exhibited for money. Sir Edward Phelips, of Montacute, who was also a Justice of the Peace and a great enemy of the Society ofFriends, was his accomplice in this scheme. It is impossible to explain how these two worthies could have thought of such a bizarre plan to make money; while Walrond had a bad reputation, Phelips was a wealthy and distinguished gentleman. It might be guessed that they were impressed by the many spectators who wanted to see Priscilla and Aquila as a curiosity, and decided to turn this to their own Figure 3. The fine plate in Lambeth Delft which was made advantage. The twins' mother might have been a after the sad death of the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins, in quaker, and by threats of reprisals, Walrond and order to condemn the man responsible for this outrage Phelips could have 'borrowed' the conjoined twins from the wretched woman, and placed them with some this as a divine punishment for his persecutions: 'as travelling exhibitor of monstrosities. he even surpassed the deeds of the Wicked, so there was not the like Example of him in all Respects The death of the twins (though there were several others sad enough) in all It is somewhat unclear exactly when Walrond and the County of Somerset'8. Sir Edward Phelips, on the Phelips abducted the conjoined twins and how long other hand, remained a wealthy magnate and was they were exhibited before their death. Priscilla and twice a MP for his borough. Aquila were apparently alive in 1681, and there is Although the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins have some evidence from Whiting's account that they been little noticed in the medical literature, the fine might have died in 168358. Several authors have Lambeth Delft plate made in their honour has kept followed Whiting in accusing Walrond and Phelips English antiquaries aware of their existence. More for directly causing the death of the twins, but than 100 years after their birth, a County historian Whiting's animosity against the persecutors of the considered the conjoined twin birth as the most quakers makes him an unreliable witness. It is interesting occurrence in Isle-Brewers since the possible that the children died of natural causes in founding of that village'0. In the 1880s, the local spite ofbeing well looked after. At any rate, Walrond historian Dr Hugh Norris studied the plates-made to and Phelips seem to have been prosecuted in the commemorate the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins. Crown-Office for abducting the twins and keeping Although the 17th century parish registers had been them until they died, but they were aquitted. Later, lost or destroyed, the still existing local tradition Henry Walrond was summoned by the House of helped him to elucidate the somewhat cryptic Commons to answer several charges against him, but inscription on the larger plate, and in an article in he refused to appear, feigning himself sick. Later the Western Antiquary, he identified Walrond and during his sojourn in London, he was instead Phelips as the men responsible2. The larger plate introduced at Court by a distinguished nobleman, who (Figure 3) has been described as a very fine example praised his actions in persecuting the quakers8. of English Lambeth Delft; it is quite scarce, and a Popular sentiment near Isle-Brewers was ofcourse plate was sold in 1887 for nearly its weight in very much against the two child-robbers, and in order silver2. to point out the men responsible for this outrage, a large plate in Lambeth Delft (Figure 3) was made. It Discussion was glazed in an unusual shade of pale green, and The Isle-Brewers conjoinedtwins belong to the earliest depicts two well-dressed gentlemen, with epaulettes, cases of live-born English double monstrosities of sashes, wigs and swords. They support a likeness whom satisfactory records exist. It is true that the of the conjoined twins, whose names are given on famous Biddenden Maids weie said to be born already each side. The inscription round the border says: in 1100, but in spite ofmuch circumstantial evidence, 'BEHOVLDT : TO : PARSONS : THAT: ARE: their existence cannot be proven with certainty". RECONSILD: TO: ROB: THE : PARENTS: AND: Another ancient legend describes 'The Twin-sisters TO : KEEP : THE : CHILD'. At the feet of the two of Foscote', who were said to have been born in a men are the words 'HEARE: IS: GAIN o> O'THE hamlet near Norton St Philip. They had two heads : BROOM'; evidently a punning allusion to the family but only one pair of legs. These Twin-sisters lived of parasites who were Walrond's assistants9. until mature years, and according to an obscure Henry Walrond apparently got little monetary gain pamphlet, when one of them died, 'the survivor was from the exhibition of the twins, since he came to a compelled to drag about her lifeless companion till sad end and died in great poverty. Whiting attributed death released her of the horrid burden'. In the floor Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 86 February 1993 109 ofthe nave ofthe church ofNorton St Philip were the bile ducts are shared between the twins. From the portraiture in stone of this prodigy. If the brief descriptions and illustrations ofthem, it is likely that description of these Twin-sisters is trustworthy, the conjunction of the Isle-Brewers conjoined twins they seem to belong to the dicephalus group of was relatively extensive, and they may well have had monstrosities, like the famous Scottish Brothers, who a common liver. Nevertheless, they were quite viable lived at the Court ofKing James IV ofScotland. These and appeared to be of good health during their short brothers were two complete individuals above the life, which rules out the coexistence ofsevere cardiac waist, with only one set of lower extremities; they or gastrointestinal malformations. With modern thus belonged to the type dicephalus tetrabrachius techniques, the Isle-Brewers xiphopagus twins could dipus. The Scottish Brothers spoke several languages probably have been separated, but with the surgical and were very proficient in singing and playing on knowledge ofthe time, such an attempt was not even instruments; they lived until the age of 2812. Most considered. other early English double monstrosities have been stillborn or less viable. The 1552 Oxfordshire ischio- Acknowledgments: Financial support from the Crafoord pagus twins lived only about 4 days, while the Foundation (Lund, Sweden) is gratefully acknowledged. thoracopagi born in Plymouth 1670 and Petworth 1677 were stillborn or died shortly after birth. Nor References did the ischiopagus twins born near Salisbury in 1664 1 Anon. A True Relation of a Monstrous Female Child. live more than a short while4'13"4 London: D. Mallet, n.d. available ofthem, which agree 2 Norris H. A piece of Delft ware with a West-Country From the descriptions history. Western Antiquary 1887;7:111-12 in most particulars, it is evident that the Isle-Brewers 3 Park K, Daston LM. Unnatural conceptions: the study conjoined twins belonged to the teratological type of monsters in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century xiphopagus, in which the twins are joined from the France and England. Past and Present 1981;92:20-54 processus xiphoideus sterni to the umbilicus. Such 4 Shrewsbury JFD. A contribution to the historical record xiphopagus (or omphalopagus) twins are often quite of monstrous births. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Empire viable. The extent ofshared tissues varies a good deal: 1949;56:67-85 it has been shown that 52% of them have a common 5 Anon. A letter from Mr A.P. in Somersetshire, giving liver, and 17% also have a common diaphragm'5"16. an Account of a strange Birth that in May last happened A small group (12%) have only skin structures as a at Hilbrewers in that County. Philosophical Collections fibrous band, and are ofcourse much easier 1681;2:21-2 [Later reprinted in Phil Trans R Soc Lond connecting, (Lowthorpe's abridged series) 1720-1;3:303] to separate surgically. Already in 1689, the German 6 Brathwaite WC. The second period ofQuakerism, 2nd Dr Konig operated on such a pair ofxiphopagus twins edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912 by tightening ligatures around the connecting band 7 Morland SC, ed. The Somerset Quarterly Meetings of of tissues, with complete success. The original the Society ofFriends 1668-1699. The Somerset Records Siamese twins, Change and Eng, also belonged to the Society 1978;75 xiphopagus group. They were born in 1811 and lived 8 Whiting J. Persecution Expos'd. London 1715 united for 63 years. It was often debated whether they 9 Hodgkins JE, Hodgkins E. Examples of early english could be separated, but when they were younger, the pottery. London: Cassell & Co, 1891 twins themselves were unwilling to submit to such 10 Collinson J. The history and antiquities ofthe county of an operation. When the Siamese twins grew older, Somerset, Vol. I. Bath: R Cruttwell, 1791 11 Bondeson J. The Biddenden Maids: A curious chapter they became afraid that after the death ofone ofthem, in the history of conjoined twins. J R Soc Med the other would be tied to a corpse, and during a 1992;85:217-21 journey to London and Edinburgh they consulted 12 Anon. The "Twin-sisters of Foscote" and the "Scottish several eminent surgeons. The verdict ofSir William Brothers". BMJ 1902i:915-16 Ferguson, among others, was that it was unadvisable 13 Gould GM, Pyle WL. Anomalies and curiosities of to attempt a surgical separation. At autopsy, it was medicine. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1897 seen that the Siamese twins' liver and several major 14 Thompson CJS. The mystery and lore of monsters. vessels were shared, and an attempt at operation with- London: Williams & Norgate, 1930 19th century techniques would probably have been 15 Harper RG, Kenigsberg K, Sia CG, Horn D, Stern D, fatal. Bongiovi V. Xiphopagus conjoined twins: a 300-year 'review ofthe obstetric, morphopathologic, neonatal, and Today, surgical separation of xiphopagus twins is surgical parameters. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1980;137: performed with very good results: not lessthan 42 617-29 pairs of such twins have been operated on. In 21 of 16 Hoyle M. Surgical separation of conjoined twins. Surg these cases, both twins survived, and in 14, one ofthe Gynecol Obstet 1990;170:549-62 twins died'6. The main problems of these operations are the existence ofcommon sections ofgut, as well as coexistent cardiac or gastrointestinal malformations. An important matter is to what extent the liver and (Accepted 25 November 1991)