Ann Moore (imposter)
Encyclopedia
Ann Moore was an English
woman who became notorious as the fasting-woman of Tutbury. From 1807 to 1813, she claimed to have eaten nothing
at all, but her claims were eventually shown to be a hoax
.
, Derbyshire
, the daughter of a day-labourer named Peg or Pegg. In 1788 she inveigled into marriage a farm servant, James Moore, who soon deserted her. She then lived on her looks and became the mother of a large family. About 1800 she made her way to Tutbury
to find employment.
Reduced to dire poverty, she subsisted on the minimum amount of food necessary to support a human being, and the astonishment created locally by her long fasts doubtless encouraged her to undertake the imposture which made her notorious. It was given out that she had lost all desire for food from November 1806. Six months later the interest taken in her in the neighbourhood was sufficient to warrant her in taking permanently to her bed. On 20 May 1807 it was reported that she attempted to swallow a piece of biscuit, but the effort was followed by great pain and vomiting of blood. 'The last food she ever took was a few blackcurrant
s, on 17 July 1807,' and in August 'she gradually diminished her liquids.' Details were multiplied in the pamphlets which narrated her case. One learned writer proved that she lived on air, another that the phenomenon was due to disease of the oesophagus, while a third was convinced that her condition was a manifestation of the supernatural power of God. Joanna Southcott
declared that the advent of the fasting-woman presaged a three years' famine in France
.
An investigation was set on foot in September 1808, and a succession of four hours' watches, undertaken by the chief inhabitants of the district, was arranged to cover a period of sixteen days. Bulletins were posted from time to time in Tutbury, to record progress, and a list of the watchers was published. At the commencement of the ordeal Mrs. Moore was described as terribly worn and emaciated, but as it progressed she sensibly improved in health and spirits. Robert Taylor and John Allen, two local doctors made communications on the subject of the case to the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal in November and December 1808.
The report of the committee was generally held to be conclusive evidence of Ann's veracity. For the next four years she continued to attract crowds of visitors many making a substantial offering. Mary Howitt
, then Mary Botham, was taken to see her as a child as she explains in her autobiography. She says that her father told her that not many believed that she ate nothing but that she did eat very little. Mary said that she could only think of the following poem:
There was an old lady all skin and bone
This old lady was very well known
She lay in bed as I've heard say
For many years to fast and pray
When she had lain a twelvemonth's space
The flesh was gone from hands and face
When that another twelvemonth was gone
She was nothing at all but a skeleton
In 1812 she deposited £
400 in the funds, but in the summer of that year Alexander Henderson
(1780-1863) Physician to the Westminster General Dispensary, wrote an able Examination ' of the imposture, showing the inconsistencies and absurdities of the woman's statements, and the curious parallel between the case and that of Anna M. Kinker, a girl of Osnabrück
, who practised a similar imposture in Germany
in 1800. Henderson reported that Ann claimed to have not eaten solid food for "upwards of five years" and had not drank liquid for four years. She claimed that she did not pass urine or any other matter.
Having survived one watch, Ann was subjected to another to check her claims. This one commenced on 21 April 1813, and continued till the 30th, when this extraordinary case was discovered to be a cheat. She died a few months afterwards, aged 53 years.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
woman who became notorious as the fasting-woman of Tutbury. From 1807 to 1813, she claimed to have eaten nothing
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
at all, but her claims were eventually shown to be a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
.
Life
Ann was born in RoslistonRosliston
Rosliston is a small village in South Derbyshire, England close to the county boundaries of Leicestershire and Staffordshire.It is within The National Forest and just outside the village is the Rosliston Forestry Centre. The two village pubs are called "The Bulls Head " and "The Plough Inn". The...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, the daughter of a day-labourer named Peg or Pegg. In 1788 she inveigled into marriage a farm servant, James Moore, who soon deserted her. She then lived on her looks and became the mother of a large family. About 1800 she made her way to Tutbury
Tutbury
Tutbury is a large village and civil parish of about 3,000 residents in the English county of Staffordshire.It is surrounded by the agricultural countryside of both Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The site has been inhabited for over 3000 years, with Iron Age defensive ditches encircling the main...
to find employment.
Reduced to dire poverty, she subsisted on the minimum amount of food necessary to support a human being, and the astonishment created locally by her long fasts doubtless encouraged her to undertake the imposture which made her notorious. It was given out that she had lost all desire for food from November 1806. Six months later the interest taken in her in the neighbourhood was sufficient to warrant her in taking permanently to her bed. On 20 May 1807 it was reported that she attempted to swallow a piece of biscuit, but the effort was followed by great pain and vomiting of blood. 'The last food she ever took was a few blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
s, on 17 July 1807,' and in August 'she gradually diminished her liquids.' Details were multiplied in the pamphlets which narrated her case. One learned writer proved that she lived on air, another that the phenomenon was due to disease of the oesophagus, while a third was convinced that her condition was a manifestation of the supernatural power of God. Joanna Southcott
Joanna Southcott
Joanna Southcott , was a self-described religious prophetess. She was born at Gittisham in Devon, England.-Self-revelation:...
declared that the advent of the fasting-woman presaged a three years' famine in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
An investigation was set on foot in September 1808, and a succession of four hours' watches, undertaken by the chief inhabitants of the district, was arranged to cover a period of sixteen days. Bulletins were posted from time to time in Tutbury, to record progress, and a list of the watchers was published. At the commencement of the ordeal Mrs. Moore was described as terribly worn and emaciated, but as it progressed she sensibly improved in health and spirits. Robert Taylor and John Allen, two local doctors made communications on the subject of the case to the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal in November and December 1808.
The report of the committee was generally held to be conclusive evidence of Ann's veracity. For the next four years she continued to attract crowds of visitors many making a substantial offering. Mary Howitt
Mary Howitt
Mary Howitt was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly. She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents, while her father, Samuel Botham, a prosperous Quaker of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, was looking after some mining...
, then Mary Botham, was taken to see her as a child as she explains in her autobiography. She says that her father told her that not many believed that she ate nothing but that she did eat very little. Mary said that she could only think of the following poem:
There was an old lady all skin and bone
This old lady was very well known
She lay in bed as I've heard say
For many years to fast and pray
When she had lain a twelvemonth's space
The flesh was gone from hands and face
When that another twelvemonth was gone
She was nothing at all but a skeleton
In 1812 she deposited £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
400 in the funds, but in the summer of that year Alexander Henderson
Alexander Henderson (physician)
Alexander Henderson was a Scottish physician and author. Born in Aberdeenshire, he was educated at Edinburgh University, where he graduated as a doctor of medicine in 1803. He went to London and was admitted a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1808...
(1780-1863) Physician to the Westminster General Dispensary, wrote an able Examination ' of the imposture, showing the inconsistencies and absurdities of the woman's statements, and the curious parallel between the case and that of Anna M. Kinker, a girl of Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, who practised a similar imposture in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1800. Henderson reported that Ann claimed to have not eaten solid food for "upwards of five years" and had not drank liquid for four years. She claimed that she did not pass urine or any other matter.
Having survived one watch, Ann was subjected to another to check her claims. This one commenced on 21 April 1813, and continued till the 30th, when this extraordinary case was discovered to be a cheat. She died a few months afterwards, aged 53 years.