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Little Nannete Stocker

Aidan

master brummie
I thought it would be interesting to start a thread on Little Nanette who was part of the attractions of the Birmingham Onion fair in the early C19th.

A picture of her with her performing partner is given here.

A lot of detail about their early career and Royal connections is given here (tip - put in your library card bar code and you should gain access)

I know that she is buried in the grounds of St Philips with an inscribed tombstone but haven't found a pic yet - does anyone have one they could upload please? It would be interesting to know of her life and death in Birmingham....
 
No pic, but this is the inscription:

In memory of NANETTA STOCKER, who departed this life, May 4th 1819, aged 39 years. The smallest woman ever in this kingdom. Possessed with every eccomplishment, only 33 inches high. A NATIVE OF AUSTRIA. My mother in law (after two new knees and one new hip) is only 4' 7", and I thought that was small. Shortie
 
Thanks Shortie - do you have any history as to how she lived and died in Birmingham? 39 seems quite young to die even in those days especially as I don't think she can have been hard up.
 
No, sorry Aidan, that's all I have except for the fact the gravestone was/is near the belfry door, is small and dark in colour and no other info was given. I don't think 39 was young for those days, you have to remember that people died from things like pneumonia because there was no penicillin. Some of my family died before that age, simply because of lack of medicines for simple ailments.. She was very small, though,and that in itself might have meant she was more susceptible than most to certain illnesses. Shortie
 
Thanks for the pic Lloyd and Shortie for the info. Hope someone on the forum knows her Birmingham history...
 
hi aiden ;
yes she was burried in st phillips church yard for many years right up untill around the 1958-9;
when you walked along colmore row and entered the grounds from coming fron the
bennitts hill and the town hall after afew yards on the path there was a very little slab ; no up right
head stone it had her name on it and stating all her details and stating she was the smallest women in the word i most certainly do remember it when i was a kid as well and i never knew it was there until a dear old friend when i was a kid knew of it he pointed and showed it me and every time i went through there i would always stop and read it time and time again ; and when i got older i used to take my young daugter to town and tell her the history and show her the grave but manyyears later it was removed and replaced y some-one else ;
its amazing how you should think of that and try and start a thread on it ;
i just wonder just how many of our forum members remember her and the grave in st phillips church yard , well done ;
best wishes astonian ;;;
 
Thanks Astonian, glad it touched a memory for you. It is an interesting story isn't it and nice to put a picture and story to a grave. I just wish we could find out the end of the story - did she die at her last gig at the Onion fair or did she settle down here for a time?
 
hi aiden ;
yes it is a intresting story ; and it would be nice to fill in the missing jig saw peices
and she was recorded for the smallest lady in the world i was quite surprized when i tried to find the grave again to show some-one but they revaveped the grounds and took her stone or slab what you may call it away
i think it was when they layd new turf through out best wishes astonian ;;
 
I thought I would bring this thread up as the lady was mentioned on a St. Philips thread and I don't want to go off topic!
Her burial reference (May 6th 1819) calls her "Nannate".
rosie.
 
thanks pedro what a fascinating story...maybe if anyone is passing st philips they could double check to see if her headstone was removed...sad if it was last may would have been the 200th anniversary of her death

lyn
 
i agree paul....yet another bit of brum history i knew nothing about....we never stop learning...

all the best

lyn
 
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