A Letter from an eminent merchant in Ostend containing an account of a strange and monstrous birth hapned there : a woman being brought to bed of two children which are joined together by the crowns of their heads : he being an eye-witness thereof. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A48042 of text R36319 in the English Short Title Catalog. Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 3KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A48042 Wing L1444 ESTC R36319 ocm 15651630

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 Early English books online text creation partnership. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A48042) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 104292) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1152:2) A Letter from an eminent merchant in Ostend containing an account of a strange and monstrous birth hapned there : a woman being brought to bed of two children which are joined together by the crowns of their heads : he being an eye-witness thereof. 1 sheet ([2] p.) Printed for J. Stans and sold by R. Janeway, London : 1682. Caption title. Imprint from colophon. "Dated May 7, Old Stile." Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library.

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 eng Conjoined twins -- Early works to 1800. eebo A letter from an eminent merchant in Ostend, containing an account of a strange and monstrous birth hapned there, a woman being brought to bed of two Eminent merchant in Ostend. 1682 2 549 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A This text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2014-05 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2014-12 Sampled and proofread 2014-12 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2015-03 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
A LETTER From an Eminent Merchant in OSTEND , Containing an ACCOUNT Of a Strange and Monstrous Birth hapned there , A Woman being brought to Bed of two Children , which are joined together by the Crowns of their Heads . He being an Eye-Witness thereof . Dated May 7. Old Stile .

HAving for some Days resided in this City , I came to understand that there happened a Strange and wonderful Birth , about an hour and a half , or a Dutch Mile , from this place , in a Dorp called Clems , or rather Clements Church . Yesterday I walked thither in Company with several others , and found it answerable to the Relation I heard , viz. That they are two Daughters , well Shap'd and perfect in all their Members , onely they are joyned together , at the top of the head , and so fast that it seems to be but one head . Yet it is apparent both heads have their perfect faculties : and a partition may be easily selt , which I felt my self yesterday : But yet several Doctors and Chyrurgeons from Bridges , haveing been there , to see whether the Children might be parted without danger of death , find no probability . The Father is called Roelan Voyoen , being by Trade a Wagonmaker , of about 23 Years of age : The Mothers name is Maria Castelmans , about 19 Years old . She was delivered of these two Children ( being her first-born on the sixth of this Moneth , being Ascension day ( so called ) about two a Clock in the Morning : they are both baptized , and the one named Pieternella , the other Barbara . That they are distinct in life , soul and brains , appear plainly from the actions which they have , both together , and sometimes apart : for the one often sleeps , while the other is awake , Cryes and eats : and they are ofenttimes both awake , and both eating : I have seen them both asleep , and both awake , and one asleep , and the other awake . The Heads are so united together , that when that which is awake turns it self , the Neck of the other turns also : They will never be able to go , sit , or stand : for if the one should sit , or stand upright , the other must stand on her Head , with the Heels upward : Their Face , Nose , and Eyes , are not directly opposite to one another , but somewhat sideways , so as that one looks toward you , and the other from you . Many People come daily to see them , and give 3 Stivers apiece : Their Parents are offered a great Sum of Money for them to be carried about : They told us , they did intend ( after the Holy Days , so called ) to carry their Children to Bridges , and it may be from thence to the Cities of Holland .

London , Printed for J. Stans , and Sold by R. Janeway , 1682.