Chang and Eng Bunker
The first conjoined twins to be called “Siamese twins” where Chang and Eng (Bunker) who were born in a small village on the banks of the Mae Klong River near the port of Samut Songkhram Thailand in 1811.
The boys were thoraopagus twins joined by at the side of the chest by cartilage, they also had fused livers. By stretching the cartilage as they grew older, the boys were able to easily stand side by side. In modern times separation would be easy but in the early nineteenth century this was beyond the medical establishments skills and understanding.
The twins were discovered by a Scottish merchant, Robert Hunter, who arranged for them to leave Thailand(Siam) and travel around the globe in what would probably be described as a freak show. Later they parted company with their promoters and worked independently, spending later years touring with the famous P.T. Barnum.
By this time the pair were quite wealthy and decided to settle in America. They chose an area in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Here they became US citizens and eventually adopted the surname Bunker. They also went on to marry two local sisters, Adelaide and Sarah Anne Yates. The couples set up home together initially but eventually maintained two separate homes spending three days at each in a continuing cycle. Between them the twins fathered 21 children, Chang(10) and Eng(11).
In 1874 Chang contracted and subsequently died from a severe chest infection, refusing medical help(separation) Eng died some three hours after his brother.
The full story of the twins makes fascinating reading, far to big to even summarise effectively here. When researching this article I found references to them suffering from racism, owning slaves and having grandchildren fight in the Civil War, further reading from the sources listed below is recommended if you want to know more.
Meanwhile back in Thailand at the town of Samut Songkhram there is a small private museum and a statue commemorating the twins. While the US side of the family is well documented I would be fascinated to know if there are still living relatives of the twins in Thailand.
Please feel free to add anything you can to this short article.
Footnote:
In modern day North America there are over 1500 living relatives of Chang and Eng Bunker. There is an annual reunion for the Bunker family held in Mount Airy, North Carolina and this year, July 2010, 80 descendants attended the get-together including relatives of the Yates family.
Alex Sink who is currently contending the Florida Governors election is a descendent of Chang Bunker.
The book Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss charts the brothers life.
Sources referred to:
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