A particular Account of Peter the Wild Boy; extracted from the Parifb Regifter of North Church, in the County of Hertford.

ETER* commonly known by the name of Peter the Wild Boy, lies buried in this church yard t, oppofite to the porch.-In the year 1725 he was found in the woods near Hamelen, a fortified town in the electorate of Hanover, when his Majefty George I. with his attendants, was hunting in the foreft of Hertfwold. He was fuppofed to be then about 12 years of age, and had fubfifted in thofe woods upon the bark of trees, leaves, berries, &c. for fome confiderable length of time. How long he had continued in that wild state is altogether un. certain; but that he had formerly been under the care of fome perfon was evident from the remains of a fhirt collar about his neck at the time when he was found. As Ha

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melen was a town where criminals were confined to work upon the fortifications, it was then conjectured at Hanover, that Peter might be the iffue of one of thofe criminals, who had either wandered into the woods, and could not find his way back again, or, being difcovered to be an ideot, was inhumanly turned out by his parents, and left to perish, or fhift for himself. In the following year, 1726, he was brought over to England, by the order of Queen Carolina, then Princefs of Wales, and put under the care of Dr. Arbuthnot, with proper mafters to attend him. But, notwithstandig there appeared to be no natural defect in his organs of fpeech, after all the pains that had been taken with him he could never be brought diftinctly to articulate a fingle fyllable, and proved totally incapable of receiving any inftruction. He was afterwards intrufted to the care of Mrs. Titch

bourn,

bourn, one of the Queen's bed. chamber women, with a handfone penfion annexed to the charge. Mrs. Titchbourn ufually frending a few weeks every fummer at the house of Mr. James Fenn, a yeoman farmer, at Axter's End, in this parifh, Peter was left to the care of the faid Mr. Fenn, who was allow. ed 351. a year for his fupport and maintenance. After the death of James Fenn he was transferred to the care of his brother, Thomas Fenn, at another farm-house in this parish, called Broadway, where he lived with the feveral fucceffive tenants of that farm, and with the fame provifion allowed by government, to the time of his death, Feb. 22, 1785, when he was fapposed to be about 72 years of age.

"Peter was well made, and of the middle fize. His countenance had not the appearance of an ideot, nor was there any thing particular in his form, except that two of the fingers of his left hand were united by a web up to the middle joint. He had a natural ear for mufic, and was fo del ghted with it, that, if he heard any mufical inftrument played upon, he would immediately dance and caper about till he was almoft quite exhaufted with fatigue; and though he could never be taught the diftinet utterance of any word, yet he could eafily learn to hum a tune. All thofe idle tales which have been publifhed to the world about his climbing up trees like a fquirrel, running upon all fours like a wild heat, &c. are entirely without foundation; for he was fo exceedingly timid and gentle in his nature, that he would fuffer himself to be governed by a child. There have been also many falfe ftories propagated of his incontinence;

but, from the minuteft inquiries among thofe who conftantly lived with him, it does not appear that he ever difcovered any natural paf. fion for women, though he was fub. ject to the other paffions of human niture, fuch as anger, joy, &c. Upon the approach of bad weather he always appeared fullen and uneafy. At particular feofons of the year, he fhewed a ftrange fondness for ftealing away into the woods, where he would feed eagerly upon leaves, beach-maft, acorns, and the green bark of trees; which proves evidently that he had fubfiit. ed in that manner for a confiderable length of time before he was first taken. His keeper therefore at fuch feafons generally kept a firic eye over him, and fometimes even confined him, because, if he ever rambled to any diftance from his home, he could not find his way back again; and once in particular, having gone beyond his knowledge, he wandered as far as Norfolk, where he was taken up, and, being carried before a magiftrate, committed to the houfe of correc. tion in Norwich, and punished as a sturdy and obftinate vagrant, who would not (for indeed he could not) give any account of himfelf: but Mr. Fenn having advertised him in the public papers, he was releafed from his confinement, and brought back to his ufual place of abode.”

was

"Notwithstanding the extraordinary and favage ftate in which Peter was first found greatly excited the attention and curiofity of the public; yet, after all that has been faid of him, he was certainly nothing more than a common ideot without the appearance of one, But as men of fome eminence in the literary world have in their works

published

published ftrange opinions and ill. founded conjectures about him, which may feem to ftamp a credit upon what they have advanced; that pofterity may not, through their authority, he hereafter misled upon the subject, this fhort and true account of Peter is recorded in the parish register by one who conftantly refided above 30 years in his neighbourhood, and had daily op. portunities of feeing and obferving him."

A brafs plate is fixed up in the parish church of North Church, on the top of which is a fketch of the head of Peter; drawn from a very good engraving of Bartolozzi, and underneath it is the following infcription:

"To the memory of PETER, known by the name of the Wild Boy, having been found wild in the foreft of Hertfwold, wear Hanover, in the year 1725. He then appeared to be about 12 years old. In the following year he was brought to England by the order of the late Queen Carolin, and the ableft mafters were provided for him. But, proving incapable of fpeaking, or of receiving any inftruction, a comfortable provifion was made for him at a farm-house in this parifh, where he continued to the end of his inoffenfive life. He died on the 22d day of February, 1785, fuppofed to be aged 72.

USEFUL