Other items of interest:

Saint-André,Nathaniel, A propos Mr. St. Andre's case and depositions as publish'd in the London Gazette of February 23, 1724, and the Daily Post of March 4, London, [1725]. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Hunterian Ei.1.2

Douglas, James, An advertisement occasion'd by some passages in Sir R. Manningham's Diary [of ... attendance upon Mary Toft, the pretended Rabbit-breeder] lately publish'd. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20

Swift, Jonathan, The anatomist dissected: or the man-midwife finely brought to bed. Being an examination of the conduct of Mr. St. André touching the late pretended Rabbit-bearer .... Westminster, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20

The Discovery: or, the Squire turn'd ferret. An excellent new ballad... [on the Godalming Rabbit-Woman case]. [MS. copy.]. Westminster, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Hunterian Add f.37.

The doctors in labour or a new whim wham from Guildford. Being a representation of ye frauds by which ye Godliman woman carried on her pretended rabbit-breeding... [2 copper-plates.] In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20

Manningham, Richard, Sir, An exact diary of what was observ'd during a close attendance upon Mary Toft, the pretended rabbet-breeder of Godalming..., [Sir Richard Manningham]. Together with an account of her confession of the fraud. London, 1726. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Mu56-i.6 .

Tuft, Merry, Much ado about nothing: or, a plain refutation of all that has been written or said c Tuft,oncerning the Rabbit-Woman of Godalming, [Merry pseud.]. Being a full... confession from her own mouth... of the whole affair... [A squib.]. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in In Sp Coll Hunterian Em.2.11

Braithwaite, Thomas, Remarks on A short narrative of an extraordinary delivery of rabbets, perform'd by Mr. John Howard, [Thomas Braithwaite], as publish'd by Mr. St. André..., London 1726. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Hunterian Em.2.11

Costen, Edward, The several depositions of Edward Costen, Richard Stedman, John Sweetapple, Mary Peytoe, Elizabeth Mason, and Mary Costen; relating to the affair of Mary Toft, of Godalming being deliver'd of several rabbits: as they were taken before... Lord Onslow... 1726. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Hunterian Em.2.11

Saint André,-Nathaniel, A short narrative of an extraordinary delivery of rabbets, perform'd by Mr John Howard, Surgeon at Guilford. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20

A shorter and truer advertisement, [Flamingo, pseud.]. By way of supplement, to what was published the 7th instant. Or, Dr. Douglas in an extasy at Lacey's Bagnio... [A poem on the Godalming Rabbit-woman. MS. copy.]. Flamingo. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20.

Ahlers, Cyriacus, Some observations concerning the woman of Godlyman [Mrs. Mary Toft]..., [Cyriacus Ahlers]. Tending to prove her extraordinary deliveries to be a cheat... London, 1726. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20. Also in Sp Coll Hunterian Ei.2.7

St. André's miscarriage: or, a full... account of the Rabbet Woman... [MS. copy.]. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20.

The Surrey-wonder: an anatomical farce. A plate with reference to the Godalming Rabbit-woman. [London, s.a.] In Sp Coll Hunterian Aa.7.20.

Remarks on some passages in Sir R. Manningham's Diary [of ... attendance upon Mary Toft, the pretended Rabbet-Breeder] lately publish'd. London, 1727. In Douglas, James,London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Ek.3.12

The strength of imagination in pregnant women examin'd, and the opinion that marks and deformities in children arise from thence, demonstrated to be a vulgar error. By a Member of the College of Physicians in London. London, 1727. In Sp Coll Hunterian Em.2.11. Also in Sp Coll Mu56-i.6

Turner, Daniel, The force of the mother's imagination upon her foetus in utero, still farther considered: in the way of a reply to Dr. Blondel's last book, entitled, The power of the mother's imagination over the foetus examined, [Daniel Turner]. To which is added, the twelfth chapter of the first part of a treatise De morbis cutaneis, as it was printed therein many years past... London, 1730. In Sp Coll Hunterian Em.2.11

Manuscript items:

A letter from William Pountney at Farnham to his father in Kensington, undated, giving an account of events in Godalming relating to Mary Toft. His letter was circulated to various people including 'ye Dcts'. In 1726 James Douglas became involved in the case of Mary Toft, the Rabbit Woman of Godalming, who claimed to have given birth to rabbits. MS Hunter D321/1

Letter from St André telling Douglas that Mary Toft has been brought from Guildford to the Bagnio in Leicester Fields, 29 Nov. 1726. MS Hunter D322



Letter from St André (1680-1776) to James Douglas 3rd December 1726, trying to persuade him to continue his interest in the case. MS Hunter D323

Mary Toft's confession on 7 Sept., taken down by James Douglas. In this confession she accuses the wife of the organ-grinder for putting her up to the deception of giving birth to rabbits: MS Hunter D324

Fair copy of Mary Toft's confession. In this confession she accuses the wife of the organ-grinder for putting her up to the deception of giving birth to rabbits. Amanuensis, (?)G. Douglas.MS Hunter D325 Fair copy of Mary Toft's confession. In this confession she accuses the wife of the organ-grinder for putting her up to the deception of giving birth to rabbits. Amanuensis, (?)G. Douglas. MS Hunter D325

An account of Mary Toft's first confession. Amanuensis, (?)G. Douglas. MS Hunter D326

Mary Toft's confession on 8 Dec. taken down by James Douglas. In this she implicates her mother-in-law and Mr Howard, the Guildford surgeon. MS Hunter D327

Mary Toft's confession on 12 Dec., taken down by James Douglas in which she implicates her mother-in-law. MS Hunter D328

Recto - Statement of why James Douglas cannot publish an account of Mary Toft's confession. Amanuensis, (?)G. Douglas. Verso - A restatement of why Douglas cannot publish the confession. In unidentified hand. MS Hunter D329

Draft of James Douglas's Advertisement occasioned by some passages in Sir R Manningham's diary lately published, London (1727), including six attempts at the introduction. Regarding Mary Toft. MS Hunter D330

Statement in unknown hand that James Douglas believed in the rabbit-births [of Mary Toft] and that Manningham and Douglas, together with St André and Howard, were in league over the deception. MS Hunter D331

Transcribed extract regarding Mary Toft from Whitehall Evening Post, 29 Dec. 1726. Headings in Douglas's hand, extract in unidentified hand. MS Hunter D332

Transcribed extract from Daily Journal and from Daily Post, 9 Jan. 1727, on prosecution of Mary Toft and Mr Howard. MS Hunter D333

Notes on authors' accounts of monstrous births, and comments on authors who wrote on the case of Mary Toft. Amanuensis, G. Douglas. MS Hunter D334

Letter to James Douglas from W. Kinleside, ND. Verso - A list of parts of rabbit, presumably those removed from Mary Toft. MS Hunter D335

A full and true account of a Horrid, Cruel, Barbarous, Bloody and Inhuman Self Murder committed by Ann Toft. 27 Dec. Purporting to be an account of the suicide of [Mary] Toft. Full of errors. Mary Toft's husband was Joseph, not William. Mary Toft died in 1763. See The Gazetteer, 21 Jan. 1763 MS Hunter D337

Cunicularii Cunicularii, or the wise men of Godliman in consultation. Print depicting Mary Toft of Godalming giving birth to rabbits. Annotated in manuscript: Published about the 20th Octobe,r 1726. MS Hunter D321/2

The following have been useful in creating this article:

Jan Bondeson A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities I.B. Taurus, 1997 [not available in library]

Lisa Forman Cody Birthing the Nation; Sex, Science and the Conception of Eighteenth Century Britons Oxford University Press, 2005 [not available in library]

Mark Hallett and Christine Riding Hogarth Tate Britain, 2006 [not available in library]

Michael Howell & Peter Ford The True History of the Elephant Man Alison & Busby, 2001 [not available in library]

Clifford A. Pickover The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits: A True Medical Mystery Prometheus Books, NY, 2000 (Sp Coll Hunterian Add. 278)

Dennis Todd Imagining Monsters: Miscreations of the self in Eighteenth-Century England University of Chicago Press, 1995

(Level 9 English E448.S3 TOD)

The Wellcome Library website http://wellcomelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/03/extraordinary-delivery-of-rabbets-see.html

References cited in text

1. St. André's A Short Narrative, pp. 23-24

2. The True History of the Elephant Man, Appendix One: The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick

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