Chang & Eng Bunker- "Siamese Twins"

For Christmas, I received a book called "Mobituaries", written by Mo Rocca. I am loving it, even though I haven't much time to read. I just read a very interested story about the "first" siamese twins, or more-or-less the twins the term was named after. 

Born: 11 May 1811- Siam
Died: 17 Jan 1874- Mount Airy, North Carolina
         Age- 62

Eng and Chang Bunker

Now, obviously, I have heard of these twins before and I know I've seen there picture in various articles, but I never knew their story. Born in Siam (today, it's Thailand), they traveled to America at the age of 18 with a man who wanted to "manage" their talent, but he rather took advantage of the twins disability and pocketed most of the profits. At the age of 28, they stopped touring and settled into a small town in North Carolina so that they could marry and have lives of their own. I didn't know this part of their story. I had no idea they both married and even had children! 

Chang and Eng married in 1843 to sisters Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of David and Nancy Yates. Between the two brothers, they had 21 children (Chang-10) (Eng- 11)!

~Family of Chang Bunker:

Chang married Adelaide Yates. Adelaide was born on 11 Oct 1823 and died at the age of 93 on 21 May 1917. She outlived her husband, his brother and her sister my many years. Chang and and Adelaide together had 10 children: 

1. Josephine Virginia (1844-1867)
2. Christopher Wrenn (1845-1932)
3. Nancy Adelaide (1847-1874)
4. Susan Mariana (1849-1922)
5. Victoria (1852-1896)
6. Louise Emiline (1855-1934)
7. Albert Lemuel (1857-1944)
8. Jesse Lafayette (1861-1909)
9. Margaret Elizabeth (1863-1950)
10. Hattie Irene (1868-1945)


~Family of Eng Bunker:

Eng married Sarah Ann Yates. She was born on 18 Dec 1822 and died at the age of 69 on 29 Apr 1892. Together, Eng and Sarah had 11 children:

1. Katherine Marcellus (1844-1871)
2. Julia Ann (1845-1865)
3. Stephen Decatur (1846-1920)
4. James Montgomery (1848-1921)
5. Patrick Henry (1850-1938)
6. Rosalyn Etta (1852-1852)
7. William Oliver (1855-1932)
8. Frederick Marshall (1857-1886)
9. Rosella Virginia (1859-1941)
10. Georgianna Columbia (1863-1865)
11. Robert Edward (1865-1951)

This is a terrible picture, but it was the largest "person" picture I could find of the twins and their families (picture courtesy of Google.com). Pictured are the twins, their wives, children and one of their slaves.

Surprisingly, neither brother had twins. However, with all of their 21 children, their direct descendants number over 1500! That is insane! These two men very well could have succumbed to their "disability" or "oddity" but instead, changed their lives for good and did what THEY wanted and I LOVE that part of the story! 

Chang and Eng and their wives Sarah and Adelaide are buried together in the White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery in White Plains, North Carolina.