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Monstrosity, Bodies, and Knowledge in Early Modern England

Monstrosity, Bodies, and Knowledge in Early Modern England Curiosity to See and Behold - Premodern Health, Disease, and Disability

Hardback (14 Jun 2024)

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Publisher's Synopsis

In 1680, the poor cottager Mary Herring gave birth to conjoined twins. At two weeks of age, they were kidnapped to be shown for money, and their deaths shortly thereafter gave rise to a four-year legal battle over ownership and income. The Herring twins' microhistory weaves throughout this book, as the chapter structure alternates between the family's ordeal and the broader cultural context of how so-called 'monstrous births' (a contemporary term for deformed humans and animals) were discussed in cheap print, exhibited in London's pubs and coffeehouses, examined by the Royal Society, portrayed in visual culture, and litigated in London's legal courts. This book ties together social and medical history, Disability Studies, and Monster Studies to argue that people discussed unusual bodies in early modern England because they provided newsworthy entertainment, revealed the will of God, and demonstrated the internal workings of Nature.

Book information

ISBN: 9789462986671
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Imprint: Amsterdam University Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 305.908094109032
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 322
Weight: 595g
Height: 234mm
Width: 156mm