Biddenden Maids

Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst Chulkhurst (* 1100 in Biddenden, Kent, England; † 1134 ibid.) were two sisters who were born of a local legend, as Siamese twins and were known as the Biddenden Maids.

In figures, the two sisters are shown grown in a double portrait at the hips and shoulders. So the brother and sister is one of the oldest documented cases of a symmetrical double malformation.

The traditional presentation of siblings with only two visible arms, which suggests an additional adhesions in the shoulder area, may not be correct. Eliza and Mary have probably ever possessed two arms. The impression of overgrown shoulders was possibly wrongly, because they laid the sake of convenience an arm over the shoulder of the other.

The twins Mary and Eliza died at the age of 34 years. As one of the two sisters died, the surviving sister to have said:

"As we came together, we therefore want to go together "

" We came together, we will also go together "

She died several hours later.

The church of the village inherited from the wealthy Chulkhurst family after the death of the sisters 20 acres of land ( 81,000 square meters). Connected to the inheritance was the edition, and to give the proceeds from the land as support to the poor old man.

This so-called " Bread -and- Cheese - Charity", however, was first mentioned in 1665 in court records for the first time. To commemorate this charitable foundation - which exists to this day - two piece biscuits every Easter Sunday, embossed with a picture of the twin sisters, distributed to visitors to the city; the poor also get bread, cheese and tea.

The image of the twin sisters is landmark of Biddenden.