A QUARTETTE OF DWARFS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 215, 18 September 1911, Page 6

A QUARTETTE OF DWARFS

FOUR CURIOUS PERSONALITIES

One of the most celebrated dwarfs v of past times was Jeffrey Hudson, who was bora at Oakham, Rutlandshire, in 1619. At eight years of age, when the Duke of Buckingham took Mm under his protection, he was only lSi/i high., vtrlubli he did not exceed until he reached the age of 30, when he sprang up to 3ft 9in, which lie never exceeded.. Soon alter the marriage of Charles I. he awis pre-. sen ted to the Queen, by whom he was:kept for the amusement of the Court, once being ;served, up! as a pie.. In a duel that he fought his antagonist at first took the affair as ( a joke, and appeared on the ground J armed, only with a squirt, which so j enraged the little man that a real | encounter witli pistqls \xa& arranged, resulting in David killing the Go- ; liath. Hudson died at t«he age of ; 60 whiie in prison for his alleged connection with the Popish plot.

No less celebrated ■ was- Richard t Gibson, a dwarf who came into the. i world four years before Hudson, i Hs ability as, an artist was of a high order. He married Ann Sheppard, Court dwarf to Queen Henrietta j Mary, the King giving away the bride ; and-*the Queen presenting her with, a ' diamond ring. Waller, the Court j poet, wrote one of his pretty sets of verses on the occasion: The marriage turned out a complete success in every way, and the little couple had nine children, five of whom were of* full ordinary stature. Gibson) lived to be 75 years of age, his good lady surviving him by 15 years. A most curious specimen of the 1 freaks of humanity was given to the | world in tlie 17th century, when, on j •June 2, 1674, Matthew Buchinger appeared upon the scene, sans either j iiunds or legs; in addition he was i only SL'in high. All these di&ad- j vantages notwithstanding, but prob- j ably on account of them, he was j eargerly sought after 'in the matri- I monial market, and married no fewer j thali four times, enridling the world I with 11 children. This tiny man I was a musical genius of no mean j order, being proficient on a variety i of instruments, ranging from the flute to the bagpipes, having by his own ingenuity invented a jneans of overcoming his physical drawbacks. H*e> was also an expert conjurer, a good draughtsman, and, a rapid writer. I

A still smaller dwarf was Wybrand Lolkes, the son of a poor fisherman, who was born,.in West Freisland in .' 730. He became a watchmaker at Rotterdam, showing more than usual ability in his craft. He married a woman, of ordinary size, and they had three children. When he had reached his ■ 60th year his business failed, and henceforth he got his living, and a good one, by turning himself into a show. After making a good collection of gold coins in his new avocation, he eventually found liis way to London. Here he obtained an engagement at Astley's Amphitheatre, but soon returned to his; native place, where he spent the re- ; mainder of his life in ease and com-! fort. At no period of his earthly { career did Lolkes _ exceed 561b in) weight or reach a higher stature than J 2ft 2in. I