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Strange newes of a prodigious Monster

On Wednesday 17th April 1613, just after Easter, a pair of twins was born in Adlington. These twins were conjoined at the back, as seen on the picture below.




Adlington didn't have its own church until the 19th Century when Christ Church (now Sharju Indian Restaurant) was built. Until then, Adlington belonged to Standish parish, and would go to Standish Church to worship. This original document, written by William Leigh, the Rector of Standish Parish Church, has an article which can be read here.

From 1613, to 1801, when we have the first official population of Adlington, the population of Great Britain and Ireland had more than tripled. If we apply this to the statistics we have for Adlington, this could make the population in 1613 as low as 150; based on the average family size, this could have been only 30 families. It would certainly have been a much smaller village than today, and one would have known everyone in the village.

News clearly spread about these twins, and many local people, both rich and poor came to look at the twins. At the time, many people were still deeply religious and the birth of these twins was taken as an indication of God's displeasure against bastardy.

Both parents were branded, the mother with the mark of bastardy. After this, it is unknown what happened to either the parents or the twins, and it is unlikely that we will ever find out, as very few records exist from this era.
Labels: Adlington, Blog, Early History, Miscellaneous
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About Me



Kim Hunter, BA (Hons), PG Cert is an experienced Lancashire genealogist who helps people find their ancestors. She loves local history, solving mysteries, and helping others uncover the past.

 


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