Tom thumb height

General Tom Thumb

American circus performer (–)

Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, – July 15, ), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was an American with dwarfism who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P.&#;T. Barnum.[1]

Childhood and early life

Born January 4, ,[2] in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Stratton was the son of a carpenter named Sherwood Edward Stratton, who was the son of Seth Sherwood Stratton and Amy Sharpe.

Sherwood married his first cousin Cynthia Thompson, daughter of Joseph Thompson and Mary Ann Sharpe. Charles Stratton's maternal and paternal grandmothers, Amy and Mary Ann Sharpe, were stated to be small twin girls born on July 11, , or , in Oxford, New Haven, Connecticut.

Born in Bridgeport to parents who were of medium height, Charles was a relatively large baby, weighing 9&#;pounds 8&#;ounces (&#;kg) at birth.[3] He developed and grew normally for the first six months of his life, at which point he was 25 inches (64&#;cm) tall and weighed 15 pounds (&#;kg).

Then he suddenly stopped growing. His parents became concerned when, after his first birthday, they noticed he had not grown at all in the previous six months. They showed him to their doctor, who said there was little chance Charles would ever reach normal height.

By late , at almost five years old, Stratton had grown only one inch (&#;cm) from when he was six months old and had not gained any weight.

Apart from this, he was a completely normal, healthy child, with several siblings who were of average size. His body was proportionate and functional.

Adoption by Barnum

Phineas T. Barnum heard about Stratton, and after contacting his parents, taught the boy how to sing, dance, mime, and impersonate famous people.

Barnum went into business with Stratton's father, who died in Stratton made his first tour of America at the age of five, with routines that included impersonating characters such as Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as singing, dancing, and comical banter with another performer who acted as a straight man.

To market the act, Barnum gave Stratton the name General Tom Thumb, naming him after the popular English fairy tale.[4] The tour was a huge success and soon expanded.

A year later, Barnum took young Stratton on a tour of Europe, making him an international celebrity.[5] Along with Barnum, Stratton appeared before Queen Victoria.[6]:&#;&#; He met the three-year-old future King Edward VII, at that time the Prince of Wales.

In , he triumphed at the Théâtre du Vaudeville (France) in the play Le petit Poucet of Dumanoir and Clairville. The tour was a huge success, with crowds mobbing him wherever he went. After his three-year tour in Europe, Stratton began his rise to stardom in the United States.[6]:&#;&#; Stratton's fame grew at an astonishing rate, and his popularity and celebrity surpassed that of any actor within his lifetime.[7]

On his return home from his second tour in , aboard the SS Cambria, he attracted the attention of the explorer John Palliser who "was not a little surprised, on entering the state-cabin, to hear the most unnatural shrill little pipe exclaiming, 'Waiter!

General tom thumb biography of william shakespeare In fact, as an independent act, Stratton toured the United States a dozen times, appeared on Broadway, and took to the stage in London and Paris, selling out venues along the way. He stopped growing at 18 months. His funeral was attended by more than 20, people, and Barnum commissioned a life-size monument to be placed on his grave at the Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut. More than 10, people attended his funeral.

bring me a Welsh rabbit'."[8] During the voyage, General Tom Thumb contributed to a collection for the relief of famine victims in Ireland.[9]

Stratton's first performances in New York marked a turning point in the history of freak show entertainment. Before Stratton's debut, the presentation of "human curiosities" for entertainment was deemed dishonorable and seen as an unpleasing carnival attraction.

However, after viewers were introduced to Stratton and performances, he was able to change the perception people held toward freak shows. Stratton's lively and entertaining performances made these types of carnival shows one of the most favored forms of theatrical entertainment in the United States.[7]

From the age of seven, Stratton performed in grand full-length fairytale melodramas under the management of P.T.

Barnum. A few of the melodramas that Stratton performed were Hop o' My Thumb and the Seven League Boots. In these melodramas, Stratton was assigned the title role, which he played on multiple occasions. While Barnum sought to capitalize on Stratton's small stature, he also aimed to highlight and showcase his many true gifts as a performer.

For example, Stratton was noted to be clever in his acts. He was a talented actor, singer, dancer, and comedian. As a result, certain dramatic critics did not compare his skills to those of the freak show community of which he was a member, but preferred to judge him on his merits as a professional entertainer.[7]

On his 13th birthday Stratton stood exactly 2&#;feet 5&#;inches (74&#;cm) tall.

On his 18th birthday, he was measured at 2&#;feet &#;inches (&#;cm) tall. On his 21st birthday, he was 2&#;feet 10&#;inches (86&#;cm) tall. Stratton became a Freemason on October 3, Stratton, by now 2&#;feet 11&#;inches (89&#;cm) tall, was initiated to be a Freemason alongside a man who was 6&#;feet 3&#;inches (&#;cm).[10]

Marriage and later life

His marriage in , to Lavinia Warren,[6]:&#;&#; also a little person, became front-page news.

The wedding took place at Grace Episcopal Church, and the wedding reception was held at New York City's Metropolitan Hotel. The couple stood atop a grand piano at the reception to greet some 10, guests. The best man at the wedding was George Washington Morrison ("Commodore") Nutt, another dwarf performer in Barnum's employ.

The maid of honor was Minnie Warren, Lavinia's sister.

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    • Following the wedding, the couple was received by President Lincoln at the White House. Stratton and his wife toured together in Europe as well as British India, in particular the area that later became Bangladesh.

    Under Barnum's management, Stratton became a wealthy man. He owned a house in the fashionable part of New York[11] and a steam yacht, and he had a wardrobe of fine clothes.

    He also owned a specially adapted home on one of Connecticut's Thimble Islands.[12] When Barnum got into financial difficulty,[13] Stratton bailed him out. Later, they became business partners. Stratton made his final appearance in England in

    In January , Stratton was staying at John F.

    Antisdel's Newhall House in Milwaukee when a fire broke out, which Milwaukee historian John Gurda would call "one of the worst hotel fires in American history". More than 71 people died, but Tom and Lavinia were saved by their manager, Sylvester Bleeker.[14] In Stratton and his wife were engaged at a new dime museum in Boston called the World's Museum, Menagerie, and Acquarium.[15]

    Death and legacy

    Six months after surviving the Newhall House fire, Stratton died unexpectedly of a stroke.

    General tom thumb biography of william You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. Hidden categories: Pages using infobox person with multiple parents Articles with hCards Commons category link is locally defined People stubs. Barnum recalled their reception:. He toured the country and even performed for Queen Victoria of England and the young Prince of Wales.

    He was 45 years old. Over 20, people attended the funeral. P. T. Barnum purchased a life-sized statue of Tom Thumb and placed it as a gravestone at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.[16] When Lavinia Warren died, more than 35 years later, she was interred next to him, with a simple gravestone that read "His Wife".

    In , vandals smashed the statue of Tom Thumb.

    It was restored by the Barnum Festival Society and Mountain Grove Cemetery Association with funds raised by public subscription.[17]

    The cause of Stratton's extreme shortness, then unknown, is referred to today as pituitary dwarfism. X-rays were not discovered until , 12 years after Stratton's death, and the medical techniques of the day were unable to ascertain the pathology underlying his diminutive size.

    He was buried with Masonic honors by Saint John's Lodge. He became Master Mason in St. John's Lodge No. 3 at Bridgeport, Connecticut on October 8, He received the Commandery degrees of Masonic Knight Templar in Hamilton Commandery No. 5, at Bridgeport, Connecticut, in

    Screen portrayals

    See also

    References

    1. ^Hawkins, Kathleen (November 25, ).

      "The real Tom Thumb: History's smallest superstar". BBC News.

    2. ^"UPI Almanac for Friday, Jan. 4, ". United Press International. January 4, Archived from the original on January 5, Retrieved September 4,
    3. ^Thumb, Tom ().

      General tom thumb biography of william butler: In the Strattons joined Commodore Nutt and Ms. While Stratton's small size gave him a foothold in the entertainment world, his talent and stage artistry kept him there. Stratton's obituary in The New York Times reported that they did have a child of normal size born in , but that he or she died in Barnum, of course, promoted their wedding, which was held on February 10, , at Grace Church, an elegant Episcopal cathedral at the corner of Broadway and 10th Street in New York City.

      Sketch of the life: personal appearance, character and manners of Charles S. Stratton, the man in miniature, known as General Tom Thumb, and his wife, Lavinia Warren Stratton, including the history of their courtship and marriage Also, songs given at their public levees. S. Booth. p.&#;4. Retrieved March 5,

    4. ^Hawkins, Kathleen (November 25, ).

      "The real Tom Thumb and the birth of celebrity". BBC News. Retrieved May 27,

    5. ^"Page 1 Passport Applications, - Fold3". Archived from the original on March 4, Retrieved July 7,
    6. ^ abcNickell, Joe ().

      Secrets of the sideshows. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN&#;.

    7. Tom thumb story
    8. Tom thumb wife
    9. How did tom thumb die
    10. General tom thumb greatest showman

      11. OCLC&#;

    11. ^ abcChemers, Michael M. (). "Jumpin' Tom Thumb: Charles Stratton Onstage at the American Museum". Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film. 31 (2): 16– doi/nctf S2CID&#;
    12. ^Palliser, John. Solitary Rambles and Adventures of a Hunter in the Prairies, John Murray, London, p.
    13. ^Christine Kinealy, 'Charity and the Great Hunger.

      General tom thumb biography of william hurt The couple traveled with a baby for a while, which may have been one of several rented from foundling hospitals, or their own who lived from — At the end of the evening, the queen's spaniel attacked Stratton, and he had to raise his cane to the dog in order to leave the royal palace unscathed. He also mimicked Napoleon and Cupid. Recognizing Charles' talent, Barnum offered to train him for the stage.

      The kindness of Strangers' (London: Bloomsbury, ).

    14. ^10, Famous Freemasons, William R. Denslow. Missouri Lodge of Research, Trenton, Missouri–, vol 4. p.
    15. ^McNamara, Robert.

      Biography of william shakespeare Initially, Cynthia Stratton balked at the offer, but the pay was higher than her husband's. He was presented as General Tom Thumb and his age bumped up to eleven years. He then hurried back to New York City to begin promoting his new discovery. Stratton sometimes appeared in costume, wearing a body stocking and standing still as a statue while dressed as different Grecian heroes.

      "Biography of General Tom Thumb, Sideshow Performer". ThoughtCo.

    16. ^"February "General Tom Thumb" Marries "The Queen of Beauty"". Today In Connecticut History, Office of the State Historian & CThumanities. February 10,
    17. ^"P.T. Barnum & Bankruptcy: The Show Must Go On".

      Consumer Legal Services, LLC, The Law Offices of Theresa Rose DeGray.

    18. ^P.T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman, Kunhardt, Philip B., Jr., Kunhardt, Philip B., III and Kunhardt, Peter W., Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN&#;
    19. ^"At the World's Museum". The Boston Globe. October 6, p.&#;2.
    20. ^Rhoads, Loren (October 24, ).

      Cemeteries to See Before You Die. Running Press. ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.

    21. ^Marker on the side of Tom Thumb's grave marker. The Historical Marker Database – accessed February 11,

    Further reading

    External links