Woodblock for a chapbook illustration published in The Miracle of Miracles, 1715.

The miracle of miracles

A birthing monstrosity

[England], [1715?]

1 printing block : wood ; 5.9 x 8.1 x 2 cm

Print from woodblock published in: The miracle of miracles. [England] :[1715] (Uk-ES)T72040 (Uk-ES)T072040

Wellcome Collection 3288178i

Aston, John. (1882) Chapbooks of the Eighteenth century, page 60.

Crawford, Julie. (2005) Marvellous protestantism: monstrous births in post-reformation England, page 183.

There is a crack in the top left of the block, and three hairline cracks, all on printing face.

It was published under the title 'The Miracle of Miracles', with the following text: "Being a fair and true Account of Sarah Smith, Daughter of John Symons a Farmer, who lately was an Inhabitant of Darken Parish in Essex, that was brought to Bed of a Strange Monster, the body of it like a Fish with Scales thereon: it had no legs but a pair of great Claws, Tallons Like a Liands, it had Six Heads on its Neck, one was like the Face of a Man with Eyes Nose and Mouth to it, 2d like the Face of a Cammel, and its Ears Cropt, Two other faces like Dragons with spiked Tongues hanging out of their Mouths, another had an Eagles Head with a Beak instead of a Mouth at the end of it, and the last seeming to be a Calves head. Which eat and fed for some time, which Monster has surprised many Thousand people that came to see it. Daily, Spectators flock to view it, but it was by Command of the Magistrates knock’d on the Head, and several Surgeons were there to dissect it. Also you have a Funeral Sermon on the Woman who brought it forth, a very wicked Liver, and disobedient to her Parents, and one that was mightily given to Wishing, Cursing and Swearing. With a Prayer before and after the said Sermon. It being very fit and necessary to be had in all Families for a Warning to Disobedient Children. This strage and unheard of Monster was brought into the World in May last, and if any doubt the truth thereof, it will be certify’d by the Minister and Church-Wardens of the said Parish of Darkins in Essex as aforesaid."

The block was titled 'A birthing monstrosity' with catalogue number 11 on the acquisition packaging.

Purchased by Wellcome Collection in 2020 from a collector of printing matrices. The seller acquired it from a private collection where it had been held since 1929.