Biddenden cake cast, Biddenden, Kent, England, 1801-1900

Made:
1801-1900 in Biddenden
Biddenden cake, English, 19th century Group shot of A650878 - Broadsheet describing Biddenden maids

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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Biddenden cake, English, 19th century
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Group shot of A650878 - Broadsheet describing Biddenden maids
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Biddenden cake, English, 19th century

The Biddenden maids, Elisa and Mary Chulkhurst (1100-1134) were conjoined twins named after their home town of Biddenden, in Kent, England. They lived for 34 years joined at their hips and shoulders until they died, six hours apart. The twins are said to have left land to the Church, the rental income from which was to be used to purchase food for the poor to be distributed on Easter Sunday. Souvenir cakes made from plaster and bearing their image were also distributed. Today, cakes are distributed to the elderly on Easter Monday.

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A650880
Materials:
organic material (bread) and cotton (textile)
Measurements:
overall: 180 mm x 55 mm x 20 mm,
type:
souvenir and cast
credit:
Glendining