Documentary and artistic evidence for conjoined twins from sixteenth century England

Our knowledge of disease in earlier Britain is largely based on the study of skeletal remains. However, a series of sixteenth century illustrative ballads provides the first proof for conjoined twins from late medieval England. The dearth of archaeological cases may be due to lack of definite skeletal changes or as a result of the remains being denied burial within consecrated ground. Other cases may exist, but documentary evidence is biased to the later medieval period, when such birth defects were recorded solely as a warning against immorality. The famous Biddenden Maids, no doubt, are remembered because of their association with a bequest of land and distribution to the poor.