People Of Mow Cop

Hannah Dale was born on the 23^rd February 1881, she was the daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Dale, and was their 4^th child. All the family were normal average folk, her father a 31 year old miner weighed 10 stone, and her mother a 28 year old was only 8 stone. These facts seem of little importance at first, until you look at the size that Hannah herself grew to.
When Hannah was born she was so small it was said she could fit into a quart jug, however by the time she was 8 years old she weighed an astonishing 20 stone. Hannah kept on growing and enjoyed a pretty normal sort of child hood. Problems only occurred when the family travelled, because of her size Hannah had to travel in the guards van, her home at Oakes Bank, Dales Green also had to have the doors widened.
On her 10^th birthday she was 4ft 11 ins tall, she had a 55-inch chest and a 3ft thigh. In fact the vaccination marks on her arms stretched to the size of plates.
Hannah died aged 11 from bronchitis, which is not surprising. It said she died weighing between 33 and 34 stone. She was buried in the churchyard of Mow Cop Church, her grave reads "child of wonder".
More than 2000 people lined the funeral procession for this amazing child, not however out of morbid curiosity but because everyone around knew her, and came to say farewell to this pleasant and happy child.


			Hannah Dale
					Hannah Dale was born on the 23^rd February 1881, she was the daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Dale, and was their 4^th child. All the family were normal average folk, her father a 31 year old miner weighed 10 stone, and her mother a 28 year old was only 8 stone. These facts seem of little importance at first, until you look at the size that Hannah herself grew to. When Hannah was born she was so small it was said she could fit into a quart jug, however by the time she was 8 years old she weighed an astonishing 20 stone. Hannah kept on growing and enjoyed a pretty normal sort of child hood. Problems only occurred when the family travelled, because of her size Hannah had to travel in the guards van, her home at Oakes Bank, Dales Green also had to have the doors widened. On her 10^th birthday she was 4ft 11 ins tall, she had a 55-inch chest and a 3ft thigh. In fact the vaccination marks on her arms stretched to the size of plates. Hannah died aged 11 from bronchitis, which is not surprising. It said she died weighing between 33 and 34 stone. She was buried in the churchyard of Mow Cop Church, her grave reads "child of wonder". More than 2000 people lined the funeral procession for this amazing child, not however out of morbid curiosity but because everyone around knew her, and came to say farewell to this pleasant and happy child.

			Her gravestone read IN LOVING MEMORY OF HANNAH The beloved daughter of THOMAS & ELIZABETH DALE Of Dales Green Mow Cop WHO DIED JUNE 2ND 1892 AGED 11 years & 3 months. HERE LIES MY DUST THE CHILD OF WONDER I BID FAREWELL TO ALL BEHIND AND NOW I DWELL JUST OVER YONDER IN HEAVEN WITH GOD SO GOOD AND KIND ALSO WILLIAM & WALTER their sons WHO DIED IN INFANCY