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| Sir Jeffery Hudson |
I like reading about 17th
century England. There’s all sorts of great info that comes from that era, like
Jeffery Hudson.
Born in 1619 to normal sized
parents, Jeffery was nineteen inches tall with proportionate features. As a
child, there are all sorts of differentials on his actual height, from one
foot, seven inches (48 centimeters) to three feet tall.
Being small had its
disadvantages. Once when he washed his face and hands, he fell into the basin
and almost drowned.
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| Jeffery with the Queen |
He was, of course, bullied throughout life. One story recalls how some kids killed an old lady’s cat, skinned it then dressed Jeffery in the pelt. The old lady had guests at the time, and when Jeffery walked into her parlor, he brought the party into an uproar.
Jeffery’s father worked for George
Villers, the first Duke of Buckingham. Jeffery was introduced to the king’s court at
the young age of eight dressed as a chick who popped out of a pie to the
amusement of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta. The Duchess of Buckingham then
offered Jeffery to the Queen as a gift. (Pretty heartless on the part of the
parental units, methinks.) Henrietta was delighted, and that’s how Jeffery went
into service for the Queen.
Jeffery was pampered and made fun
of, took part in Court entertainments. On occasion, he was matched with the
Court’s giant, a William Evans who stood well over seven feet. Once, to the joy
of the cavaliers, William pulled out a loaf of bread from one pocket and young
Jeffery from another. William put the two together and pretended to eat. Many
titters and polite applause met this trick.
With the English Civil Wars,
Jeffery went into exile in 1643 with the queen where he resided in France.
While there, he became a serious young man who no longer took teasing in
stride. It was unlawful to duel in France, but as a joke, a gentleman
challenged Jeffery to one. Full of fun, they were to fight their duel on
horseback, the gentleman with a squirt full of water. He planned to douse our
dear Jeffery, not kill him, but Jeffery was of a different mind. He shot the
fellow dead which sent the French court into angst. His actions upset Queen
Henrietta and he was expelled from France.
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| An attack by Barbary Pirates |
While aboard a vessel crossing to
England, Barbary pirates, who were known to roam up and down the coasts of
Spain, France, England and Ireland, captured the ship. Jeffery was taken into
slavery where he toiled in North Africa for twenty-five years.
After King Charles II’s restoration, his queen’s dowry included ports of call around Africa and into the East & West Indies. Charles sent a delegation to Algeria and Tunis to ransom captives. Jeffery happened to be one of those rescued. While in slavery he had grown an unprecedented forty-five inches and reached the height of nearly four feet.
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| Christian Slavery |
He was no longer an item of
interest.
Once back in England, Jeffery’s
life took a downward spiral. He was Roman Catholic in a non-papist England. In
1679, he was arrested and thrown in prison for three years while Titus Oates
scavenged the land for pope followers. Once
released, he died a pauper at the age of 63. No one knows for sure where he is
buried.
Many thanks to:
Wallechinsky, David, Wallace, Irving. The People's Almanac, Doubleday & Company, 1975
http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/jeffrey-hudson-lord-minimus/
Wikicommons public domain
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