
In October 1726, Newspapers Began Reporting A Remarkable Event. In The Town Of Godalming In Surrey, A Woman Called Mary Toft Had Started To Give Birth To Rabbits. Several Leading Doctors - Some Sent Directly By King George I - Travelled To Examine The Woman And She Was Moved To London To Be Closer To Them. By December, She Had Been Accused Of Fraud And Taken Into Custody. Mary Toft's Unusual Deliveries Caused A Media Sensation. Her Rabbit Births Were A Test Case For Doctors Trying To Further Their Knowledge About The Processes Of Reproduction And Pregnancy. The Rabbit Births Prompted Not Just Public Curiosity And Scientific Investigation, But Also A Vicious Backlash. Based On Extensive New Archival Research, This Book Is The First In-depth Re-telling Of This Extraordinary Story. Karen Harvey Situates The Rabbit-births Within The Troubled Community Of Godalming And The Women Who Remained Close To Mary Toft As The Case Unfolded, Exploring The Motivations Of The Medics Who Examined Her, Considering Why The Case Attracted The Attention Of The King And Powerful Men In Government, And Following The Case Through The Criminal Justice System. The Case Of Mary Toft Exposes Huge Social And Cultural Changes In English History. Against The Backdrop Of An Incendiary Political Culture, It Was A Time When Traditional Social Hierarchies Were Shaken, Relationships Between Men And Women Were Redrawn, Print Culture Acquired A New Vibrancy And Irreverence, And Knowledge Of The Body Was Remade. But Mary Toft's Story Is Not Just A Story About The Past. In Reconstructing Mary's Physical, Social And Mental World, The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder Allows Us To Reflect Critically On Our Own Ideas About Pregnancy, Reproduction, And The Body Through The Lens Of The Past.
This book investigates the 1726 case of Mary Toft, a woman who claimed to give birth to rabbits, to understand how this event functioned as a focal point for the scientific, political, and social anxieties of early 18th-century England. Karen Harvey, a historian specializing in the social and cultural history of the 18th century, utilizes extensive archival research to move beyond the sensationalism of the event. She examines the motivations of the medical establishment, the dynamics of the Godalming community, and the broader implications for gender and power relations during a period of significant cultural transition.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Historians and scholars of the 18th century frequently cite this work for its meticulous archival research and its ability to contextualize a bizarre historical anomaly within broader societal shifts. Experts highlight the text as a significant contribution to the history of the body and the study of early modern medical authority.
Page Count:
227
Publication Date:
2020-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192599356
ISBN-13:
9780192599353
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!