Thread by @marinamaral2

Just a random tweet/thread to let you know that in 1726, in England (Godalming, Surrey), there was a woman called Mary Toft who tricked doctors into believing that she had given birth to rabbits.

Mist's Weekly Journal, 19 November 1726: "From Guildford comes a strange, but well attested piece of news. That a poor woman who lives at Godalmin, near that town, was, about a month past, delivered by Mr John Howard, an eminent surgeon and man-midwife... .1

... of a creature resembling a rabbit; but whose heart and lungs grew without its belly. About 14 days since she was delivered by the same person of a perfect rabbit; and, in a few days after, of 4 more; and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the 4th, 5th, and 6th instant... .2

of one in each day; in all nine. They died all in bringing into the world. The woman hath made oath, that two months ago, being working in a field with other women, they put up a rabbit; who running from them, they pursued it, but to no purpose... .3

... this created in her such a longing to it, that she (being with child) was taken ill, and miscarried; and, from that time, she hath not been able to avoid thinking of rabbits. People, after all, differ much in their opinion about this matter... .4

... some looking upon them as great curiosities fit to be presented to the Royal Society, &c. others are angry at the account, and say, that if it be fact, a veil should be drawn over it, as an imperfection in humane nature."

3 December: "the woman who hath been delivered of so many Rabbits, was, by order of his Majesty, brought to Town. (...) Nobility have been to see her; and many Physicians have attended her, in order to make a strict Search into the Affair; another Birth being expected."

10 December: "the Woman from Godalmin in Surrey, said to have been deliver’d of seventeen Rabbits, is at the Bagnio in Leicester-Fields in Custody of the High Constable of Westminster, who hath order’d a Petty Constable to take Care of her."

17 December: "Mary Toft, the Rabbit Woman, is order’d to be prosecuted upon a Statute of Edward III as a vile Cheat and Impostor. The learned Gentlemen, who find themselves mistaken at last in their Judgments of that Affair, are healing their Reputations as well as they can (..)"

24 December: "several higglers from Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and other parts, affirm, they have lost above a hundred pounds a man by the detestable Rabbet-breeding Woman; they being under contracts to take of the Warreners, weekly, a certain number, which afterwards came... .2

.. to bad markets, and they could not dispose of them, so that rather than she should escape punishment, they declare they would sue her for damage".

(Mist’s Weekly Journal)

14 January 1727: "Mary Toft, charged upon Oath for being an abominable Cheat and Impostor, in pretending to be deliver’d of several monstrous Births at several Times, was brought, on Saturday last, from Bridewell to the Quarter Sessions of the Peace held for the City...

... and Liberty of Westminster, and was by the Court remanded back to Bridewell, and it is referred to Sir Thomas Clarges, Bart. to continue, Bail, or Discharge; and we are inform’d, that there will be an Information prefer’d against her and others, for a Conspiracy..."