text: English

text: deformities

text: freak show

text: London Hospital

text: Frederick Treves

text: Leicester

text: father

text: uncle

text: Workhouse

text: Sam Torr

text: East Midlands

text: penny gaff

text: Tom Norman

text: Frederick Treves

text: Pathological Society of London

text: Europe

text: Belgium

text: robbed

text: Brussels

text: Alexandra, Princess of Wales

text: asphyxia

text: Proteus syndrome

text: DNA

text: a 1979 play

text: Bernard Pomerance

text: a 1980 film

text: David Lynch

text: Leicester

text: Evington

text: Baptist

text: William Carey

text: smallpox

text: scarlet fever

text: myelitis

text: Ashley Montagu

text: maternal impression

text: Sunday school

text: engine driver

text: haberdasher

text: bronchopneumonia

text: hawker

text: Hackney Carriages

text: Workhouse

text: music hall

text: Sam Torr

text: East Midlands

text: Nottingham

text: Tom Norman

text: penny gaff

text: London's East End

text: Whitechapel Road

text: patter

text: London Hospital

text: house surgeon

text: Frederick Treves

text: imbecile

text: papilloma

text: wart

text: subcutaneous tissue

text: calling card

text: Pathological Society of London

text: Bloomsbury

text: Continental Europe

text: Ostend

text: Dover

text: Antwerp

text: Harwich

text: Essex

text: Liverpool Street station

text: hansom cab

text: bronchitis

text: The Times

text: British Medical Journal

text: depression

text: brace

text: grouse

text: Wimpole Street

text: Madge Kendal

text: Prince

text: Princess of Wales

text: Christmas card

text: pantomime

text: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

text: Baroness Burdett-Coutts

text: Northamptonshire

text: Fawsley Hall

text: Knightley

text: gamekeeper

text: inquest

text: Wynne Edwin Baxter

text: Whitechapel murders

text: asphyxia

text: Second World War

text: Royal London Hospital

text: Queen Mary University of London

text: City of London Cemetery

text: British Medical Journal

text: Lancet

text: Henry Radcliffe Crocker

text: pachydermatocele

text: Frederick Parkes Weber

text: British Journal of Dermatology

text: Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen

text: café au lait spot

text: Maffucci syndrome

text: polyostotic fibrous dysplasia

text: Michael Cohen

text: Proteus syndrome

text: congenital disorder

text: histological

text: macrocephaly

text: hyperostosis

text: hypertrophy

text: plantar

text: hyperplasia

text: lipoma

text: Chartered Biologist

text: neurofibromatosis

text: Robert Matthews

text: The Sunday Telegraph

text: Discovery Health Channel

text: Natural History New Zealand

text: BBC

text: DNA

text: Tom Norman

text: Ashley Montagu

text: The True History of the Elephant Man

text: Tony Award

text: The Elephant Man

text: Bernard Pomerance

text: David Schofield

text: Philip Anglim

text: David Bowie

text: Mark Hamill

text: Bradley Cooper

text: The Elephant Man

text: David Lynch

text: Academy Award

text: John Hurt

text: Anthony Hopkins

text: ABC

text: Ripper Street

text: Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne

text: Tom Wright

text: Paula Arundell

text: Julie Forsyth

text: Emma J Hawkins

text: Sophie Ross

text: Charlie Heaton

text: Mastodon

text: Remission

text: Leviathan

text: Blood Mountain

text: Doppelgänger

text: The Fall Of Troy

text: Laurent Petitgirard

text: Eric Nonn

text: Jana Sykorova

categories: People from Leicester,1862 births,Accidental deaths in London,English people with disabilities,Sideshow performers

paragraph: Joseph Merrick

paragraph: Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man with severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show as the "Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital after he met Frederick Treves, subsequently becoming well known in London society.

paragraph: Merrick was born in Leicester and began to develop abnormally during the first few years of his life. His mother died when he was 11 and his father soon remarried. Rejected by his father and stepmother, he left home and went to live with his uncle Charles Merrick. In 1879, 17-year-old Merrick entered the Leicester Union Workhouse. In 1884 he contacted a showman named Sam Torr and proposed that Torr should exhibit him. Torr arranged for a group of men to manage Merrick, whom they named the Elephant Man. After touring the East Midlands, Merrick travelled to London to be exhibited in a penny gaff shop rented by showman Tom Norman. Norman's shop was visited by surgeon Frederick Treves who invited Merrick to be examined. After Merrick was displayed by Treves at a meeting of the Pathological Society of London in 1884, Norman's shop was closed by the police and Merrick joined Sam Roper's circus and was toured in Europe.

paragraph: In Belgium, Merrick was robbed by his road manager and abandoned in Brussels. He eventually made his way back to the London Hospital where he was allowed to stay for the rest of his life. Treves visited him daily, and the pair developed quite a close friendship. Merrick also got visits from the wealthy ladies and gentlemen of London society, including Alexandra, Princess of Wales. Although the official cause of his death was asphyxia, Treves, who performed the autopsy on the body, said that Merrick had died of a dislocated neck.

paragraph: The exact cause of Merrick's deformities is unclear. In 1986 it was conjectured that he had Proteus syndrome. DNA tests on his hair and bones in a 2003 study were inconclusive.

paragraph: Merrick's life was depicted in a 1979 play by Bernard Pomerance and a 1980 film by David Lynch, both titled "The Elephant Man".

paragraph: Section::::Early life and family.

paragraph: Joseph Carey Merrick was born 5 August 1862 at 50 Lee Street in Leicester, to Joseph Rockley Merrick and his wife Mary Jane (née Potterton). Joseph Rockley Merrick (c. 1838–1897) was the son of London-born weaver Barnabas Merrick (1791–1856) who moved to Leicester during the 1820s or 1830s, and his third wife Sarah Rockley. Mary Jane Potterton (c. 1837–1873) had been born at Evington, Leicestershire, her father being William Potterton, who was described as an agricultural labourer in the 1851 census of Thurmaston, Leicestershire. She was said to have some form of physical disability and as a young woman worked as a domestic servant in Leicester before marrying Joseph Rockley Merrick, then a warehouseman, in 1861.

paragraph: The following year, Joseph Carey Merrick was born, apparently healthy, and had no outward symptoms of any disorder for the first few years of his life. Named after his father, he was given the middle name Carey by his mother, a Baptist, after the preacher William Carey. The Merricks had two more children, not three as stated on his mother's grave. John Thomas, born 21 April 1864, who died of smallpox on 24 July of the same year, was not related to Joseph and Mary Jane Merrick. The other two children were: William Arthur, born January 1866, who died of scarlet fever on 21 December 1870 aged four and was buried on Christmas Day 1870; and Marian Eliza, born 28 September 1867, who was born with physical disabilities and died of myelitis and "seizures" on 19 March 1891, aged 24. William is buried with his mother, aunts and uncles in Welford Road Cemetery in Leicester while Marian is buried with her father in Belgrave Cemetery in Leicester. In his book "The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity", Ashley Montagu states that " Merrick was born on 21 April 1864". Montagu believed Treves's statement in his book, "The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences", referring to Merrick's first name as John, not Joseph, was due to confusing him with his supposed younger brother, who was later discovered to be of no relation to Joseph Merrick.

paragraph: A pamphlet titled "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick", produced c. 1884 to accompany his exhibition, states that he started to display symptoms at approximately five years of age, with "thick lumpy skin ... like that of an elephant, and almost the same colour". According to a 1930 article in the "Illustrated Leicester Chronicle", he began to develop swellings on his lips at the age of 21 months, followed by a bony lump on his forehead and a loosening and roughening of the skin. As he grew, a noticeable difference between the size of his left and right arms appeared and both his feet became significantly enlarged. The Merrick family explained his symptoms as the result of Mary's being knocked over and frightened by a fairground elephant while she was pregnant with Joseph. The concept of maternal impression—that the emotional experiences of pregnant women could have lasting physical effect on their unborn children—was still common in 19th-century Britain. Merrick held this belief about the cause of his affliction for his entire life.

paragraph: In addition to his deformities, at some point during his childhood, Merrick suffered a fall and damaged his left hip. This injury became infected and left him permanently lame. Although affected by his physical deformities, Merrick attended school and enjoyed a close relationship with his mother. She was a Sunday school teacher, and his father worked as an engine driver at a cotton factory, as well as running a haberdashery business. On 29 May 1873, less than three years after the death of her youngest son William, Mary Jane Merrick died from bronchopneumonia. Joseph Rockley Merrick moved with his two children to live with Mrs. Emma Wood Antill, a widow with children of her own. They married on 3 December 1874.

paragraph: Section::::Employment and the workhouse.

paragraph: Merrick left school aged 13, which was usual for the time. His home-life was now "a perfect misery", and neither his father nor his stepmother demonstrated affection towards him. He ran away "two or three" times, but was brought back by his father each time. At 13, he found work rolling cigars in a factory, but after three years, his right hand deformity had worsened and he no longer had the dexterity required for the job. Now unemployed, he spent his days wandering the streets, looking for work and avoiding his stepmother's taunts.

paragraph: Merrick was becoming a greater financial burden on his family, and eventually his father secured him a hawker's licence which enabled him to earn money selling items from the haberdashery shop, door to door. This endeavour was unsuccessful, since Merrick's facial deformities rendered his speech increasingly unintelligible and prospective customers reacted with horror to his physical appearance. Housewives refused to open doors for him and now people not only stared at him but began to follow him out of curiosity. Merrick failed to make enough money as a hawker to support himself. On returning home one day in 1877, he was severely beaten by his father and he left home for good.

paragraph: Merrick was now homeless on the streets of Leicester. His uncle, a barber named Charles Merrick, heard of his nephew's situation, sought him out and offered him accommodation in his home. Merrick continued to hawk around Leicester for the next two years but his efforts to earn a living met with little more success than before. Eventually, his disfigurement drew such negative attention from members of the public that the Commissioners for Hackney Carriages withdrew his licence when it came up for renewal. With young children to provide for, Charles could no longer afford to support his nephew. In late December 1879, now 17 years old, Merrick entered the Leicester Union Workhouse.

paragraph: Merrick became one of 1,180 residents in the workhouse. Joseph was given a classification to determine his place of accommodation. The class system determined which department or ward he would reside as well as the amounts of food he would receive. Joseph was classed as class one for able bodied males and females. On 22 March 1880, only 12 weeks after entering, Merrick signed himself out of the workhouse and spent two days looking for work. With no more success than before, he found himself with no option but to return to the workhouse. This time he stayed for four years. Around 1882, Merrick underwent surgery on his face. The protrusion from his mouth had grown to 8–9 inches and severely inhibited his speech and made it difficult to eat. He was operated on in the Workhouse Infirmary under the direction of Dr Clement Frederick Bryan and had a large part of the mass removed.

paragraph: Section::::Life as a curiosity.

paragraph: Merrick concluded that his only escape from the workhouse might be through the world of human novelty exhibitions. He knew of a Leicester music hall comedian and proprietor named Sam Torr. Merrick wrote to Torr, who came and visited him at the workhouse. Torr decided that he could make money exhibiting Merrick; although, to retain Merrick's novelty, he would have to be a travelling exhibit. To this end, he organised a group of managers for Merrick: music hall proprietor J. Ellis, travelling showman George Hitchcock, and fair owner Sam Roper. On 3 August 1884, Merrick departed the workhouse to start his new career.

paragraph: The showmen named Merrick the "Elephant Man", and advertised him as "Half-a-Man and Half-an-Elephant". They showed him around the East Midlands, including in Leicester and Nottingham, before moving him on to London for the winter season. George Hitchcock contacted an acquaintance, showman Tom Norman, who ran penny gaff shops in London's East End exhibiting human curiosities. Without a meeting, Norman agreed to take over Merrick's management and in November, Hitchcock travelled with Merrick to London.

paragraph: When Tom Norman first saw Merrick, he was dismayed by the extent of his deformities, fearing his appearance might be too horrific to be a successful novelty. Nevertheless, he exhibited Merrick in the back of an empty shop on Whitechapel Road. Merrick had an iron bed with a curtain drawn around to afford him some privacy. Norman observed Merrick asleep one morning and learnt that he always slept sitting up, with his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. His enlarged head was too heavy to allow him to sleep lying down and, as Merrick put it, he would risk "waking with a broken neck". Norman decorated the shop with posters that had been created by Hitchcock, depicting a monstrous half-man, half-elephant. A pamphlet titled "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick" was created, outlining Merrick's life to date. This biography, whether written by Merrick or not, provided a generally accurate account of his life. It contained an incorrect date of birth but, throughout his life, Merrick was vague about when he was born.

paragraph: Norman gathered an audience by standing outside the shop and drawing a crowd through his showman patter. He would then lead his onlookers into the shop, explaining that the Elephant Man was "not here to frighten you but to enlighten you". Drawing aside the curtain, he allowed the onlookers—often visibly horrified—to observe Merrick up close, while describing the circumstances leading to his present condition, including his mother's alleged accident with an elephant.

paragraph: The Elephant Man exhibit was moderately successful, and made money primarily from the sales of the autobiographical pamphlet. Merrick was able to put his share of the profits aside, hoping to earn enough to one day buy a home of his own. The shop on Whitechapel Road was directly across the road from the London Hospital, an excellent location, as medical students and doctors visited the shop, curious to see Merrick. One visitor was a young house surgeon named Reginald Tuckett. Like his colleagues, Tuckett was intrigued by the Elephant Man's deformities and told his senior colleague Frederick Treves.

paragraph: Frederick Treves first met Merrick that November at a private viewing, before Norman opened the shop for the day. Treves later recalled in his 1923 "Reminiscences" that Merrick was "the most disgusting specimen of humanity that I had ever seen ... at no time had I met with such a degraded or perverted version of a human being as this lone figure displayed." The viewing lasted no more than 15 minutes after which Treves returned to work. Later that day, he sent Tuckett back to the shop to ask if Merrick might be willing to come to the hospital for an examination. Norman and Merrick agreed. To enable him to travel the short distance without drawing undue attention, Merrick wore a costume consisting of an oversized black cloak and a brown cap with a hessian sack that covered his face, and rode in a cab hired by Treves.

paragraph: At the hospital, Treves examined Merrick, observing that he was "shy, confused, not a little frightened, and evidently much cowed". At this point, Treves assumed that the Elephant Man was an "imbecile". He measured Merrick's head circumference at the large size of , his right wrist at and one of his fingers at in circumference. He noted that his skin was covered in papillomata (warty growths), the largest of which exuded an unpleasant smell. The subcutaneous tissue appeared to be weakened and caused a loosening of the skin, which in some areas hung away from the body. There were bone deformities in the right arm, both legs, and, most conspicuously, in the large skull. Despite the corrective surgery to his mouth in 1882, Merrick's speech remained barely intelligible. His left arm and hand were not large and were not deformed. His penis and scrotum were normal. Apart from his deformities and the lameness in his hip, Treves concluded that Merrick appeared to be in good general health. Norman later recalled that Merrick went to the hospital for examination "two or three" times and during one of their meetings, Treves gave Merrick his calling card. On one of the visits, Treves had photographs taken, and he provided Merrick with a set of copies which were later added to his autobiographical pamphlet. On December 2, Treves presented Merrick at a meeting of the Pathological Society of London in Bloomsbury. Eventually, Merrick told Norman that he no longer wanted to be examined at the hospital. According to Norman, he said he was "stripped naked and felt like an animal in a cattle market".

paragraph: During this time in Victorian Britain, tastes were changing in regard to freak show exhibitions like the Elephant Man. Shows like Norman's were a cause for public concern, both on the grounds of decency and due to the disruption caused by crowds gathering outside them. Not long after Merrick's last examination with Frederick Treves, the police closed down Norman's shop on Whitechapel Road, and Merrick's Leicester managers withdrew him from Norman's care. In 1885, Merrick went on the road with Sam Roper's travelling fair. He befriended two other performers, "Roper's Midgets"—Bertram Dooley and Harry Bramley—who on occasion defended Merrick from public harassment.

paragraph: Section::::Europe.

paragraph: The dampening of public enthusiasm for freak shows and human oddities continued and the police and magistrates became increasingly vigilant in closing down shows. Merrick remained a horrifying spectacle for his viewers and Roper grew nervous about the negative attention the Elephant Man drew from local authorities. Merrick's group of managers decided that he should go on tour in Continental Europe, with the hope that authorities there would be more lenient. Merrick's management was assumed by an unknown man (possibly named Ferrari) and they left for the continent. The Elephant Man was no more successful there than in Britain, and similar action was taken by authorities to move him out of their jurisdictions. In Brussels, Merrick was deserted by this new manager, who stole Merrick's £50 (2018 equivalent £) savings. Abandoned, Merrick made his way by train to Ostend, where he attempted to board a ferry for Dover but was refused passage. He travelled to Antwerp and was able to board a ship bound for Harwich in Essex. From there, he travelled by train to London and arrived at Liverpool Street station.

paragraph: Merrick arrived at Liverpool Street Station on 24 June 1886, safely back in his own country, but with nowhere to go. He was not eligible to enter a workhouse in London for more than one night and would be accepted only by Leicester Union, where he was a permanent resident. Leicester was away. He approached strangers for help, but his speech was unintelligible and his appearance repugnant. He drew a crowd of curious onlookers until a policeman helped him into an empty waiting room, where he huddled in a corner, exhausted. Unable to make himself understood, his only identifying possession was Frederick Treves's card. The police contacted Treves, who went to the station. Recognising Merrick, Treves took him in a hansom cab to the London Hospital. Merrick was admitted for bronchitis, washed, fed and put to bed in a small isolation room in the hospital's attic.

paragraph: Section::::London Hospital.

paragraph: With Merrick admitted into the hospital, Treves now had time to conduct a more thorough examination. He discovered that Merrick's physical condition had deteriorated over the previous two years and that he had become quite crippled by his deformities. Treves also suspected that Merrick now suffered from a heart condition and that he had only a few years left to live. Merrick's general health improved over the next five months under the care of the hospital staff. Although some nurses were initially upset by his appearance, they overcame this and cared for him. The problem of his unpleasant odour was mitigated through frequent bathing and Treves gradually developed an understanding of Merrick's speech. A new set of photographs was taken. The question of Merrick's long-term care had to be addressed. Francis Carr Gomm, the chairman of the hospital committee, had supported Treves in his decision to admit Merrick, but by November, long-term plans needed to be made. The London Hospital was not equipped or staffed to provide care for the incurable, which Merrick clearly was.

paragraph: Carr Gomm contacted other institutions and hospitals more suited to caring for chronic cases, but none would accept Merrick. Gomm wrote a letter to "The Times", printed on 4 December, outlining Merrick's case and asking readers for suggestions. The public response—in letters and donations—was significant, and the situation was even covered by the "British Medical Journal". With the financial backing of the many donors, Gomm was able to make a convincing case to the committee for keeping Merrick in the hospital. It was decided that he would be allowed to stay there for the remainder of his life. He was moved from the attic to two rooms in the basement adjacent to a small courtyard. The rooms were adapted and furnished to suit Merrick, with a specially constructed bed and—at Treves's instruction—no mirrors.

paragraph: Merrick settled into his new life at the London Hospital. Treves visited him daily and spent a couple of hours with him every Sunday. Now that Merrick had found someone who understood his speech, he was delighted to carry on long conversations with the doctor. Treves and Merrick built a friendly relationship, although Merrick never completely confided in him. He told Treves that he was an only child, and Treves had the impression that Merrick's mother, whose picture Merrick always carried with him, had abandoned him as a baby. Merrick was also reluctant to talk about his exhibition days, although he expressed gratitude towards his former managers. It did not take Treves long to realise that, contrary to his initial impressions, Merrick was not intellectually impaired.

paragraph: Treves observed that Merrick was very sensitive and showed his emotions easily. At times Merrick was bored and lonely, and demonstrated signs of depression. He had spent his entire adult life segregated from women, first in the workhouse and then as an exhibit. The women he met were either disgusted or frightened by his appearance. His opinions about women were derived from his memories of his mother and what he read in books. Treves decided that Merrick would like to be introduced to a woman and it would help him feel normal. The doctor arranged for a friend of his named Mrs. Leila Maturin, "a young and pretty widow", to visit Merrick. She agreed and with fair warning about his appearance, she went to his rooms for an introduction. The meeting was short, as Merrick quickly became overcome with emotion. He later told Treves that Maturin had been the first woman ever to smile at him, and the first to shake his hand. She kept in contact with him and a letter written by Merrick to her, thanking her for the gift of a book and a brace of grouse (a pair of birds), is the only surviving letter written by Merrick. This first experience of meeting a woman, though brief, instilled in Merrick a new sense of self-confidence. He met other women during his life at the hospital, and appeared taken with them all. Treves believed that Merrick's hope was to go to live at an institution for the blind, where he might meet a woman who could not see his deformities.

paragraph: Merrick wanted to know about the "real world", and questioned Treves on a number of topics. One day he expressed a desire to see inside what he considered a "real" house and Treves obliged, taking him to visit his Wimpole Street townhouse and meet his wife. At the hospital Merrick filled his days with reading and constructing models of buildings out of card. He entertained visits from Treves and his house surgeons. He rose each day in the afternoon and would leave his rooms to walk in the small adjacent courtyard, after dark.

paragraph: As a result of Carr Gomm's letters to "The Times", Merrick's case attracted the notice of London's high society. One person who took a keen interest was actress Madge Kendal. Although she probably never met him in person, she was responsible for raising funds and public sympathy for Merrick. She sent him photographs of herself and employed a basket weaver to go to his rooms and teach him the craft. Other ladies and gentlemen of high society did visit him however, bringing gifts of photographs and books. He reciprocated with letters and hand made gifts of card models and baskets. Merrick enjoyed these visits and became confident enough to converse with people who passed his windows. A young man, Charles Taylor, the son of the engineer responsible for modifying Merrick's rooms, spent time with him, sometimes playing the violin. Occasionally, he grew bold enough to leave his small living quarters and would explore the hospital. When he was discovered, he was always hurried back to his quarters by the nurses, who feared that he might frighten the patients.

paragraph: On 21 May 1887, two new buildings were completed at the hospital and the Prince and Princess of Wales came to open them officially. Princess Alexandra wished to meet the Elephant Man, so after a tour of the hospital, the royal party went to his rooms for an introduction. The princess shook Merrick's hand and sat with him, an experience that left him overjoyed. She gave him a signed photograph of herself, which became a prized possession, and she sent him a Christmas card each year.

paragraph: On at least one occasion, Merrick was able to fulfil a long-held desire to visit the theatre. Treves, with the help of Madge Kendal, arranged for him to attend the Christmas pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Treves sat with some nurses, concealed in Baroness Burdett-Coutts' private box. According to Treves, Merrick was "awed" and "enthralled". "The spectacle left him speechless, so that if he were spoken to he took no heed". For weeks following the show Merrick talked about the pantomime, reliving the story as if it had been real.

paragraph: Section::::Last years.

paragraph: On three occasions Merrick left the hospital and London on holiday, spending a few weeks at a time in the countryside. Through elaborate arrangements that allowed Merrick to board a train unseen and have an entire carriage to himself, he travelled to Northamptonshire to stay at Fawsley Hall, the estate of Lady Knightley. He stayed at the gamekeeper's cottage and spent the days walking in the estate's woods, collecting wild flowers. He befriended a young farm labourer who later recalled Merrick as an interesting and well-educated man. Treves called this "the one supreme holiday of [Merrick's] life", although in fact there were three such trips.

paragraph: Merrick's condition gradually deteriorated during his four years at the London Hospital. He required a great deal of care from the nursing staff and spent much of his time in bed, or sitting in his quarters, with diminishing energy. His facial deformities continued to grow and his head became even more enlarged. He died on 11 April 1890, at the age of 27. At around 3:00 p.m. Treves's house surgeon visited Merrick and found him lying dead across his bed. His body was formally identified by his uncle, Charles Merrick. An inquest was held on 15 April by Wynne Edwin Baxter, who had come to notoriety conducting inquests for the Whitechapel murders of 1888.

paragraph: Merrick's death was ruled accidental and the certified cause of death was asphyxia, caused by the weight of his head as he lay down. Treves, who performed an autopsy on the body, said that Merrick had died of a dislocated neck. Knowing that Merrick had always slept sitting upright out of necessity, Treves came to the conclusion that Merrick must have "made the experiment", attempting to sleep lying down "like other people".

paragraph: Treves dissected Merrick's body and took plaster casts of his head and limbs. He took skin samples, which were later lost during the Second World War, and mounted his skeleton, which remains in the pathology collection at the Royal London Hospital, which amalgamated in 1995 with St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, under the aegis of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal University of London and a member of the United Hospitals. His mounted skeleton at the medical school is not on public display.

paragraph: There is a small museum dedicated to his life, housing some of his personal effects, and a new replica of his skeleton went on display in 2012. His remains in a glass case in a private room at the university can be viewed by medical students and professionals by appointment, to "allow medical students to view and understand the physical deformities resulting from Joseph Merrick's condition". Although the Queen Mary University of London intends to keep his skeleton at its medical school, some are contending that as a devout Christian Merrick should be given a Christian burial in his home city of Leicester.

paragraph: On 5 May 2019 author Jo Vigor-Mungovin discovered Merrick was buried in the City of London Cemetery.

paragraph: Section::::Medical condition.

paragraph: Ever since Joseph Merrick's days as a novelty exhibit on Whitechapel Road, his condition has been a source of curiosity for medical professionals. His appearance at the meeting of the Pathological Society of London in 1884 drew interest from the doctors present, but none of the answers nor the attention that Treves had hoped for. The case received only a brief mention in the "British Medical Journal", and the "Lancet" declined to mention it at all. Four months later, in 1885, Treves brought the case before the meeting for a second time. By then, Tom Norman's shop on Whitechapel Road had been closed, and the Elephant Man had moved on. Without Merrick, Treves made do with the photographs he had taken during his examinations. One of the doctors present at the meeting was Henry Radcliffe Crocker, a dermatologist who was an authority on skin diseases. After hearing Treves's description of Merrick, and viewing the photographs, Crocker proposed that Merrick's condition might be a combination of pachydermatocele and an unnamed bone deformity, all caused by changes in the nervous system. Crocker wrote about Merrick's case in his 1888 book "Diseases of the Skin: their Description, Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment".

paragraph: In 1909, dermatologist Frederick Parkes Weber wrote an article about von Recklinghausen disease in the "British Journal of Dermatology", erroneously citing Merrick as an example of the disease, which German pathologist Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen had described in 1882, but recently it has been found that this conjecture was wrong. In fact, symptoms that are always present in this genetic disorder include tumours of the nervous tissue and bones, small warty growths on the skin, and (which is a peculiar characteristic of this disease) the presence of light brown pigmentation on the skin called café au lait spots; however, these spots were never observed on Merrick's body. For this reason, although this diagnosis was quite popular through most of the 20th century, other conjectural diagnoses were advanced, such as Maffucci syndrome and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (Albright's disease).

paragraph: In a 1986 article in the "British Medical Journal", Michael Cohen and J.A.R. Tibbles put forward the theory that Merrick had suffered from Proteus syndrome, a very rare congenital disorder recently identified by Cohen in 1979 (this explains why this diagnosis was not advanced previously), citing Merrick's lack of reported café au lait spots and the absence of any histological proof that he had suffered from the previously conjectured syndrome. In fact, Proteus syndrome affects tissue other than nerves, and it is a sporadic disorder rather than a genetically transmitted disease. Cohen and Tibbles said that Merrick showed the following signs of Proteus syndrome: "macrocephaly; hyperostosis of the large skull; hypertrophy of long bones; and thickened skin and subcutaneous tissues, particularly of the hands and feet, including plantar hyperplasia, lipomas, and other unspecified subcutaneous masses".

paragraph: In a letter to "Biologist" in June 2001, British teacher and Chartered Biologist Paul Spiring speculated that Merrick might have suffered from a combination of Proteus syndrome and neurofibromatosis. This hypothesis was reported by Robert Matthews, a correspondent for "The Sunday Telegraph". The possibility that Merrick had both conditions formed the basis for a 2003 documentary film entitled "The Curse of The Elephant Man" that was produced for the Discovery Health Channel by Natural History New Zealand. During 2002, genealogical research for the film led to a BBC appeal to trace Merrick's maternal family line. In response to the appeal, a Leicester resident named Pat Selby was discovered to be the granddaughter of Merrick's uncle George Potterton. A research team took DNA samples from Selby in an unsuccessful attempt to diagnose Merrick's condition. During 2003, the filmmakers commissioned further diagnostic tests using DNA that was extracted from Merrick's hair and bone. However, the results of these tests proved inconclusive; therefore, the precise cause of Merrick's medical condition remains uncertain.

paragraph: Section::::Legacy.

paragraph: In 1923, Frederick Treves published a volume, "The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences", in which he detailed what he knew of Merrick's life and their personal interactions. This account is the source of much of what is known about Merrick, but there were several inaccuracies in the book. Merrick never completely confided in Treves about his early life, so these details were consequently sketchy in Treves's "Reminiscences". A more mysterious error is that of Merrick's first name. Treves, in his earlier journal articles as well as his book, insisted on calling him John Merrick. The reason for this is unclear; Merrick clearly signed his name as "Joseph" in the examples of his handwriting that remain. In the handwritten manuscript for "The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences", Treves began his account by writing "Joseph" and then crossed it out and replaced it with "John". Whatever the reason for the error, it is one that persisted throughout much of the 20th century; later biographers who based their work on Treves's book have continued the error.

paragraph: Treves's depiction of Tom Norman, the showman who had exhibited Merrick, was that of a cruel drunk who had ruthlessly exploited his charge. In a letter to the "World's Fair" newspaper, and later in his own memoirs, Norman denied this characterisation and said that he provided his show attractions with a way of earning a living, and that at the London Hospital, Merrick was still on display, but with no control over how or when he was viewed. According to Nadja Durbach, author of "The Spectacle of Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture", Norman's view gives an insight into the Victorian freak show's function as a means of survival for poor people with deformities, as well as the attitude of medical professionals of the time. Durbach cautions that both Treves's and Norman's memoirs must be understood as "narrative reconstructions ... that reflect personal and professional prejudices and cater to the demands and expectations of their very different audiences".

paragraph: In 1971, anthropologist Ashley Montagu published "The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity" which drew on Treves's book and explored Merrick's character. Montagu reprinted Treves's account alongside various others such as Carr Gomm's letter to the "Times" and the report on Merrick's inquest. He pointed out inconsistencies between the accounts and sometimes disputed Treves's version of events; he noted, for example, that while Treves claimed Merrick knew nothing of his mother's appearance, Carr Gomm refers to Merrick carrying a painting of his mother with him, and he criticised Treves's assumption that Merrick's mother was "worthless and inhuman". However, Montagu also perpetuated some of the errors in Treves's work, including his use of the name "John" rather than "Joseph".

paragraph: In 1980, Michael Howell and Peter Ford published "The True History of the Elephant Man", presenting the fruits of their detailed archival research. Howell and Ford brought to light a large amount of new information about Merrick. In addition to proving that his name was Joseph, not John, they were able to describe in more detail his life story. They refuted some of the inaccuracies in Treves's account, showing that Merrick's mother did not abandon him, and that Merrick deliberately chose to exhibit himself to make a living.

paragraph: Some persons remarked on Merrick's strong Christian faith (Treves is also said to have been a Christian), and his strong character and courage in the face of afflictions earned him admiration. Between 1979 and 1982, Merrick's life story became the basis of several works of dramatic art; these were based on the accounts of Treves and Montagu. In 1979, a Tony Award–winning play, "The Elephant Man", by American playwright Bernard Pomerance was staged. The character based on Merrick was initially played by David Schofield and in subsequent productions by actors including Philip Anglim, David Bowie, Mark Hamill and Bradley Cooper. In 1980, a film "The Elephant Man", directed by David Lynch, was released; it received eight Academy Award nominations. Merrick was played by John Hurt and Frederick Treves by Anthony Hopkins. In 1982, US television network ABC broadcast an adaptation of Pomerance's play, starring Anglim.

paragraph: Merrick is portrayed in two episodes in 2013 (the second series) of the BBC historical crime drama "Ripper Street", portrayed by actor Joseph Drake. In 2017, the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne commissioned playwright Tom Wright to write a play about Merrick's life. "The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man" premiered on 4 August, and starred Daniel Monks in the title role. The cast also featured Paula Arundell, Julie Forsyth, Emma J Hawkins, and Sophie Ross.

paragraph: In August 2018 it was announced that Charlie Heaton would be playing Merrick in a new two part BBC drama, a decision which has drawn criticism from some quarters.

paragraph: In 2002, American heavy metal band Mastodon, on their album "Remission", included an instrumental track, "Elephant Man". In 2004, on their album "Leviathan", they included a similar instrumental, "Joseph Merrick," as well as "Pendulous Skin" on 2006's "Blood Mountain." On their 2005 album "Doppelgänger", American band The Fall Of Troy released a song titled “Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man’s Bones,” titled in part after him. Merrick's life is the subject of "Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man", an opera by composer Laurent Petitgirard, set to a French libretto by Eric Nonn. It premiered on 7 February 2002 at the State Opera House, Prague, and starred contralto Jana Sykorova in the title role.

paragraph: In November 2016, Joanne Vigor-Mungovin published a book called "Joseph: The Life, Times and Places of the Elephant Man", with the foreword written by a member of Joseph Merrick's family. The book looks into the early life of Merrick and his family in Vigor-Mungovin's hometown of Leicester, with detailed information about Joseph's family and his ambition to be self-sufficient rather than survive on the charity of others.

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Notes

paragraph: BULLET::::- Footnotes

paragraph: BULLET::::- Bibliography

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick" – freak shop pamphlet printed c. 1884 to accompany the exhibition of the Elephant Man; published in "The True History of the Elephant Man", pp. 173–175

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Transcripts of the letters written to the Times newspaper by Francis Carr-Gomm, regarding Joseph Merrick.

alias:
John Merrick
Elephant Man
Joseph Carey Merrick

description: English man with severe deformities

enwikiquote_title: Joseph Merrick

wikidata_label: Joseph Merrick

wikipedia_title: Joseph Merrick


text: psychoanalyst

text: child analysis

text: object relations theory

text: existential

text: idealizations

text: Vienna Austria

text: Gymnasium

text: Melitta

text: Sándor Ferenczi

text: Karl Abraham

text: Freud

text: Anna Freud

text: controversial discussions

text: British Psychoanalytical Society

text: psychoanalysis

text: "death pulsation"

text: inorganic

text: Eros

text: Thanatos

text: id

text: ego

text: superego

text: plasticine

text: Oedipus complex

text: fantasies

text: envy

text: depressive position

text: paranoid-schizoid position

text: controversial discussions

text: object relations theory

text: Nicholas Wright

text: Melitta Schmideberg

text: Gillian Barge

text: Zoë Wanamaker

text: Francesca Annis

text: Uta Hagen

text: Volcano Suns

text: Alexander McCall Smith

text: 44 Scotland Street

text: Robert Hinshelwood

text: Free Association Books

text: Julia Kristeva

text: Donald Meltzer

text: Donald Meltzer

text: Hanna Segal

text: Jason Aronson

text: John Steiner

text: Phyllis Grosskurth

text: Herbert Rosenfeld

text: Phyllis Grosskurth

text: Melanie Klein

text: Encyclopædia Britannica

text: Melanie Klein Trust

text: Biography at FeministVoices.com

categories: Child development,Austrian Jews,Austrian expatriates in England,Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe),Jewish psychoanalysts,1960 deaths,History of mental health in the United Kingdom,British psychoanalysts,Epistemologists,Developmental psychologists,Austrian psychoanalysts,Analysands of Karl Abraham,British Jews,20th-century Austrian writers,1882 births,Transdisciplinarity,Stage theories,History of mental health,Motivation theorists,20th-century psychologists,Jewish scientists,Cognitive scientists,History of psychiatry,Analysands of Sándor Ferenczi,Freudians,Object relations theorists,People from Vienna,Positive psychologists

paragraph: Melanie Klein

paragraph: Melanie Klein née Reizes (30 March 1882 – 22 September 1960) was an Austrian-British author and psychoanalyst who is known for her work in child analysis. She was the primary figure in the development of object relations theory. Klein suggested that pre-verbal existential anxiety in infancy catalyzed the formation of the unconscious, resulting in the unconscious splitting of the world into good and bad idealizations. In her theory, how the child resolves that splitting depends on the constitution of the child and the character of nurturing the child experiences; the quality of resolution can inform the presence, absence, and/or type of distresses a person experiences later in life.

paragraph: Section::::Life.

paragraph: Born the fourth and final child of Jewish parents Moriz and Libussa Reizes, Klein would spend most of her early life in Vienna Austria. Educated at the Gymnasium, Klein - much like her father before her - possessed aspirations of one day entering the medical field, more specifically the study of psychiatric medicine. Unfortunately, her goal of entering medical school would be thwarted by a decline in her family's economic status.

paragraph: At the age of twenty-one she married industrial chemist Arthur Klein, and soon after gave birth to their first child Melitta. While she would go on to bear two additional children, Klein suffered from clinical depression, with these pregnancies taking quite a toll on her. This, in conjunction with an unhappy marriage, soon led Klein to seek out means of treatment. Shortly after her family moved to Budapest in 1910, Klein began a course of therapy with psychoanalyst Sándor Ferenczi. It was during their time together that Klein expressed interest in the study of psychoanalysis.

paragraph: Encouraged by Ferenczi, Klein began her studies by the simple observations of her own children. Until this point very minimal documentation existed on the topic of psychoanalysis concerning children, and Klein seized the opportunity by developing her play technique. Comparable to that of free association in adult psychoanalysis, Klein's play technique sought to interpret the unconscious meaning behind the play and interaction of children.

paragraph: During 1921, in the wake of a dissolving marriage, Klein moved to Berlin where she joined the Berlin Psycho-Analytic Society under the tutelage of Karl Abraham. Although Abraham supported her pioneering work with children, neither Klein nor her ideas received much support in Berlin. As a divorced woman whose academic qualifications did not even include a bachelor's degree, Klein was a visible iconoclast within a profession dominated by male physicians. Despite this impediment, Klein's up and coming work possessed a strong influence on the developing theories and techniques of psychoanalysis, particularly in Great Britain.

paragraph: Her theories on human development as well as defense mechanism were largely a source of controversy as they conflicted with Freud's theories on development, triggering a buzz in the world of developmental psychology. Around the same time Klein presented her ideas, Anna Freud was doing the very same. The two were unofficial rivals of sorts, amid the protracted debates between the followers of Klein and the followers of Freud. With these so-called 'controversial discussions', the British Psychoanalytical Society split into three separate training divisions: (1) Kleinian, (2) Freudian, and (3) Independent. These debates finally ceased with an agreement on dual approach to instruction in the field of child analysis.

paragraph: The school of Kleinianism was the first branch of the proverbial Freudian tree to remain part of the psychoanalytic movement.

paragraph: Section::::Contributions to psychoanalysis.

paragraph: Klein was one of the first to use traditional psychoanalysis with young children. She was innovative in both her techniques (such as working with children using toys) and her theories on infant development. Strongly opinionated, and demanding the respect of those in the academic community, Klein established a highly influential training program in psychoanalysis.

paragraph: By observing and analyzing the play and interactions of children, Klein built onto the work of Freud's unconscious mind. Her dive into the unconscious mind of the infant yielded the findings of the early Oedipus complex, as well as the developmental roots of the superego.

paragraph: Klein's theoretical work incorporates Freud's belief in the existence of the "death pulsation", reflecting the fact that all living organisms are inherently drawn toward an inorganic state, and therefore, in an unspecified sense, contain a drive towards death. In psychological terms, Eros (properly, the life pulsation), the postulated sustaining and uniting principle of life, is thereby presumed to have a companion force, Thanatos (death pulsation), which seeks to terminate and disintegrate life. Both Freud and Klein regarded these biomental forces as the foundations of the psyche. These primary unconscious forces, whose mental matrix is the id, spark the ego—the experiencing self—into activity. Id, ego and superego, to be sure, were merely shorthand terms (similar to the "instincts") referring to highly complex and mostly uncharted psychodynamic operations.

paragraph: Section::::Child analysis.

paragraph: While Freud's ideas concerning children mostly came from working with adult patients, Klein was innovative in working directly with children, often as young as two years old. Klein saw children's play as their primary mode of emotional communication. While observing children play with toys such as dolls, animals, plasticine, pencil and paper, Klein documented their activities and interactions, then attempted to interpret the unconscious meaning behind their play. Following Freud she emphasized the significant role that parental figures played in the child's fantasy life, and considered that the timing of Freud's Oedipus complex was incorrect. Contradicting Freud, she concluded that the superego was present from birth.

paragraph: After exploring ultra-aggressive fantasies of hate, envy, and greed in very young and disturbed children, Melanie Klein proposed a model of the human psyche that linked significant oscillations of state, with the postulated Eros or Thanatos pulsations. She named the state of the psyche in which the sustaining principle of life is in domination the depressive position. This is considered by many to be her great contribution to psychoanalytic thought. She later developed her ideas about an earlier developmental psychological state corresponding to the disintegrating tendency of life, which she called the paranoid-schizoid position.

paragraph: Klein's insistence on regarding aggression as an important force in its own right when analysing children brought her into conflict with Freud's daughter Anna Freud, who was one of the other prominent child psychotherapists in continental Europe but who moved to London in 1938 where Klein had been working for several years. Many controversies arose from this conflict, and these are often referred to as the controversial discussions. Battles were played out between the two sides, each presenting scientific papers, working out their respective positions and where they differed, during war-time Britain. A compromise was eventually reached whereby three distinct training groups were formed within the British Psychoanalytical Society, with Anna Freud's influence remaining largely predominant in the US.

paragraph: Section::::Object relation theory.

paragraph: Klein is known to be one of the primary founders of object relations theory. This theory of psychoanalysis is based on the assumption that all individuals have within them an internalized, and primarily unconscious realm of relationships. These relationships refer not only to the world around the individual, but more specifically to other individuals surrounding the subject. Object relation theory focuses primarily on the interaction individuals have with others, how those interactions are internalized, and how these now internalized object relations affect one's psychological framework. The term "object" refers to the potential embodiment of fear, desire, envy or other comparable emotions. The object and the subject are separated, allowing for a more simplistic approach to addressing the deprived areas of need when used in the clinical setting.

paragraph: Section::::In popular culture.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Melanie Klein was the subject of a 1988 play by Nicholas Wright, entitled "Mrs. Klein". Set in London in 1934, the play involves a conflict between Melanie Klein and her daughter Melitta Schmideberg, after the death of Melanie's son Hans Klein. The depiction of Melanie Klein is quite unfavorable: the play suggests that Hans' death was a suicide and also reveals that Klein had analysed these two children. In the original production at the Cottesloe Theatre in London, Gillian Barge played Melanie Klein, with Zoë Wanamaker and Francesca Annis playing the supporting roles. In the 1995 New York revival of the play, Melanie Klein was played by Uta Hagen, who described Melanie Klein as a role that she was meant to play. The play was broadcast on the British radio station BBC 4 in 2008 and revived at the Almeida Theatre in London in October 2009 with Clare Higgins as Melanie Klein.

paragraph: BULLET::::- The indie band Volcano Suns dedicated their first record "The Bright Orange Years" to Klein for her work on childhood aggression.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith makes extensive use of Melanie Klein and her theories in his 44 Scotland Street series. One of the characters, Irene, has an obsession with Kleinian theory, and uses it to "guide" her in the upbringing of her son, Bertie.

paragraph: Section::::Bibliography.

paragraph: Melanie Klein's works are collected in four volumes:

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Collected Writings of Melanie Klein"

paragraph: BULLET::::- Volume 1 – "Love, Guilt and Reparation: And Other Works 1921–1945", London: Hogarth Press.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Volume 2 – "The Psychoanalysis of Children", London: Hogarth Press.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Volume 3 – "Envy and Gratitude", London: Hogarth Press.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Volume 4 – "Narrative of a Child Analysis", London: Hogarth Press.

paragraph: Books on Melanie Klein:

paragraph: BULLET::::- Robert Hinshelwood, Susan Robinson, Oscar Zarate, "Introducing Melanie Klein", Icon Books UK 2003

paragraph: BULLET::::- Robert Hinshelwood, "A Dictionary of Kleinian Thought", Free Association Books UK 1989

paragraph: BULLET::::- Robert Hinshelwood, "Clinical Klein", Free Association Books UK 1993

paragraph: BULLET::::- Melanie Klein, 'The autobiography of Melanie Klein' ed. Janet Sayers with John Forrester, "Psychoanalysis and History 15.2" (2013) pp. 127–63

paragraph: BULLET::::- Mary L Jacobus, "The Poetics of Psychoanalysis: In the Wake of Klein", Oxford University Press, 2006,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Julia Kristeva, "Melanie Klein (European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism)" tr. Ross Guberman, Columbia University Press, 2004

paragraph: BULLET::::- Donald Meltzer "The Kleinian Development (New edition)", Publisher: Karnac Books; Reprint edition 1998,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Donald Meltzer : "Dream-Life: A Re-Examination of the Psycho-Analytical Theory and Technique" Publisher: Karnac Books, 1983,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Meira Likierman, "Melanie Klein, Her Work in Context" Continuum International, Paperback, 2002

paragraph: BULLET::::- Hanna Segal :

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Klein" Publisher: Karnac Books; Reprint edition (1989)

paragraph: BULLET::::- "The Work of Hanna Segal: A Kleinian Approach to Clinical Practice (Classical Psychoanalysis and Its Applications) " Publisher: Jason Aronson, 1993),

paragraph: BULLET::::- "Dream, Phantasy and Art" Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition 1990,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Transcript of a seminar titled "Motivation: the artist and the psychoanalyst"

paragraph: BULLET::::- John Steiner : "Psychic Retreats" (...) relative peace and protection from strain when meaningful contact with the analyst is experienced as(...), Publisher: Routledge; 1993,

paragraph: BULLET::::- C. Fred Alford, "Melanie Klein and Critical Social Theory: An Account of Politics, Art, and Reason Based on Her Psychoanalytic Theory", Yale UP 1990

paragraph: BULLET::::- Phyllis Grosskurth, "Melanie Klein: Her World and Her Work", Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1986,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Herbert Rosenfeld : * "Impasse and Interpretation: Therapeutic and Anti-Therapeutic Factors in the Psycho-Analytic Treatment of Psychotic, Borderline, and Neurotic Patients", Publisher: Tavistock Publications, 1987,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Julia Segal: (1992). Melanie Klein. London: Sage.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ronald Britton: "Sex, Death, and the Superego: Experiences in Psychoanalysis", Publisher: Karnac Books; 2003,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Ronald Britton: "Belief and Imagination", Publisher: Taylor & Francis LTD; 1998,

paragraph: BULLET::::- Monique Lauret et Jean-Philippe Raynaud, "Melanie Klein, une pensée vivante", Presses Universitaires de France, 2008,

paragraph: Section::::Further reading.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Rustin, Margaret; Rustin, Michael (2016). "Reading Klein - New Library of Psychoanalysis Teaching Series". Routledge, United Kingdom. .

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Melanie Klein in the "Encyclopædia Britannica"

paragraph: BULLET::::- Biography, psychoanalytic techniques, theory

paragraph: BULLET::::- Melanie Klein Trust

paragraph: BULLET::::- Biography at FeministVoices.com

description: British Austrian born psychoanalyst

enwikiquote_title: Melanie Klein

wikidata_label: Melanie Klein

wikipedia_title: Melanie Klein


text:
King of Sicily
Lecce
Roger III, Duke of Apulia
King Roger II
Achard II, Count of Lecce
Simon, Prince of Taranto
William I
Margaret
Roger IV, Duke of Apulia
Constantinople
William II
Alexandria
King Amalric I of Jerusalem
Saladin
Matthew d'Ajello
Constance
Henry VI
Roger, Count of Andria
Richard, Count of Acerra
Pope Clement III
Peter of Eboli
Richard I of England
Joan
dowry
dower
King Philip II
Messina
Arthur of Brittany
Excalibur
Rome
Pope Celestine III
Capua
Aversa
Salerno
Naples
Margaritus of Brindisi
Messina
Queen Sibylla
Castel dell'Ovo
Pope Celestine III
Saladin
excommunication
Alps
Gravina
Apulia
Palermo
Roger III
Sibylla of Acerra
William III
Roger III
duke of Apulia
William III
Elvira
Walter III of Brienne
Constance
Pietro Ziani
Doge of Venice
Valdrada
Giacomo Tello
Doge of Venice

categories: Counts of Lecce,Roman Catholic monarchs,Sicilian people of Norman descent,Hauteville family,1194 deaths,1138 births,Italo-Normans,Year of birth unknown,Kings of Sicily,Christians of the Third Crusade

paragraph: Tancred, King of Sicily

paragraph: Tancred (1138 – 20 February 1194) was King of Sicily from 1189 to 1194. He was born in Lecce an illegitimate son of Roger III, Duke of Apulia (the eldest son of King Roger II) by his mistress Emma, a daughter of Achard II, Count of Lecce. He inherited the title "Count of Lecce" from his grandfather and is consequently often referred to as "Tancred of Lecce". Due to his short stature and unhandsome visage, he was mocked by his critics as "The Monkey King".

paragraph: Section::::Early career.

paragraph: On 9 March 1161, Tancred joined his uncle Simon, Prince of Taranto, in invading the palace, detained the king and queen, William I and Margaret, and their two sons, and incited a massacre of Muslims. Originally, the older of these two sons, Roger IV, Duke of Apulia, was destined to be crowned in place of William, but soon the populace supported the accession of Simon himself. Before Simon could put himself forward as a candidate, however, the rebellion had broken down and the people were restless. The insurrectionists were forced to free the king and retreat to their castles. Pardon was given them on condition of exile and many, including Tancred, took the offer. Tancred was exiled to Constantinople and returned to Sicily in 1166 upon the accession of the new king, his cousin William II.

paragraph: In 1174 Tancred led a large fleet to Egypt on behalf of William II. The Sicilians landed near Alexandria but when they realised that their expected allies would not be coming (due to King Amalric I of Jerusalem's death) and with Saladin's army approaching they returned to their ships and sailed home.

paragraph: Section::::Kingship.

paragraph: Section::::Kingship.:Accession.

paragraph: As soon as William II died, in 1189, Tancred rebelled and seized control of the island. He was crowned early in 1190. His coup was backed by the vice chancellor Matthew d'Ajello and the official class, while the rival claims of his aunt Constance and her husband, Henry VI, King of the Romans, were supported by most of the nobles. Roger, Count of Andria, also a candidate for Sicilian throne, was among the supporters of Constance and Henry. Matthew d'Ajello managed to defame Roger, and in the same year Richard, Count of Acerra brother-in-law of Tancred tricked Roger into captivity and execution. Matthew also persuaded Pope Clement III to support Tancred, and Tancred appointed Matthew as chancellor.

paragraph: Section::::Kingship.:Treaty with Richard.

paragraph: Tancred was a good soldier, though his tiny stature earned him the nickname "Tancredulus" from the poet chronicler Peter of Eboli. Despite a measure of popular support, his rule faced daunting challenges right from the start.

paragraph: In 1190 Richard I of England arrived in Sicily at the head of a large crusading army on its way to the Holy Land. Richard immediately demanded the release of his sister, William II's wife Joan, imprisoned by Tancred in 1189, along with every penny of her dowry and dower (in response of her vocal support of Germans). He also insisted that Tancred fulfil the financial commitments made by William II to the crusade. When Tancred balked at these demands, Richard seized a monastery and the castle of La Bagnara.

paragraph: Richard was joined in Sicily by the French crusading army, led by King Philip II. The presence of two foreign armies soon caused unrest among the locals. In October the people of Messina revolted, demanding that the foreigners leave the island. Richard responded by attacking Messina, which he captured on 4 October 1190. After the city had been looted and burned, Richard established his base there and decided to stay the winter.

paragraph: Richard remained at Messina until March 1191, when Tancred finally agreed to a treaty. According to the treaty's main terms:

paragraph: BULLET::::- Joan was to be released, receiving her dower along with the dowry.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Richard and Philip recognised Tancred as King of Sicily and vowed to keep the peace between all three of their kingdoms.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Richard officially proclaimed his nephew Arthur of Brittany as his heir presumptive, and Tancred promised to marry one of his daughters to Arthur when he came of age (Arthur was four years old at the time).

paragraph: After signing the treaty Richard and Philip finally left Sicily for the Holy Land. It is rumoured that before he left, Richard gave Tancred a sword he claimed was Excalibur in order to secure their friendship.

paragraph: Section::::Kingship.:Contention with Constance.

paragraph: Having at last rid himself of the crusaders, Tancred next confronted the threat from the north. In April 1191 in Rome, Henry and Constance were crowned emperor and empress by Pope Celestine III, and now the pair turned south to claim the Kingdom of Sicily. Constance accompanied her husband at the head of a substantial imperial army that descended into the Regno. The northern towns of the kingdom opened their gates to Henry, including the earliest Norman strongholds Capua and Aversa. Salerno, once Roger II's mainland capital, sent word ahead that Henry was welcome and invited Constance to stay in her father's old palace to escape the summer heat. Naples offered the first resistance of the whole campaign, withstanding a siege with the help of Margaritus of Brindisi's fleet, until much of the army had succumbed to malaria and disease. Eventually the imperial army was forced to withdraw from the kingdom altogether. Constance remained in Salerno with a small garrison, as a sign that Henry would soon return.

paragraph: Once Henry had withdrawn with the bulk of the imperial army, the towns that had supposedly fallen to the empire immediately declared their allegiance to Tancred, for the most part now fearing his retribution. The populace of Salerno saw an opportunity to win some favour with Tancred and delivered Constance to him in Messina, an important prize given that Henry had every intention of returning. Tancred angrily blamed Constance for German invasion, but Constance, in her attire as empress, replied that she was taking back her dominion grabbed by Tancred. Despite this Tancred always treated his aunt, now detained, honourably with courtesy, which his wife Queen Sibylla strongly opposed, believing this would implicitly acknowledge the claim of the latter. Constance was sent to Palermo supervised by Sibylla, eating with her and sleeping in her bedroom. Sybilla suggested that Constance be put to death after sensing that the citizens of Palermo seemed to sympathize with her or view her as the legal heiress of Sicily, but Tancred did not agree, worrying that this would harm his popularity; instead, he suggested Sybilla to consult with Matthew d'Ajello, and after receiving a letter written by Matthew d'Ajello in presence of Sybilla, he had Constance locked in Castel dell'Ovo in Naples to be better-guarded. With the empress in his hand Tancred initially wanted to force Henry into a cease-fire and would not permit her to be ransomed unless Henry recognized him. In 1192 he created Margaritus Count of Malta, perhaps for his unexpected success in capturing the empress. However, Tancred was willing to give up his negotiation advantage, that is, his aunt, in exchange for Pope Celestine III, who compared him to Saladin in his letter, legitimizing him as King of Sicily. In turn, the Pope was hoping that by securing Constance's safe passage back to Rome, Henry would be better disposed towards the papacy, and he was still hoping to keep the empire and the kingdom from uniting. Under the Pope's threat of excommunication, Tancred was forced to do so and gave Constance gifts. However, imperial soldiers were able to intervene at the borders of the Papal States before Constance made it to Rome; and they returned her safely across the Alps in summer 1192. So both Tancred and Pope effectively gained nothing from the captivity of the Empress.

paragraph: Henry had left garrisons along the frontiers of the Regno. Tancred now sought to win over the towns by extensive grants of privileges. At Gravina (June 1192) he reinforced his papal support by surrendering the royal legateship over Sicily. In 1192 and 1193 he personally led successful campaigns against the Apulian barons. But his death at Palermo (20 February 1194) two months after that of his young son and co-king, Roger III, opened the way for Hohenstaufen rule in Sicily.

paragraph: His widow, Sibylla of Acerra, established a regency for their son, William III, but Henry returned to Italy later that year, his army financed by the lucrative ransom of Richard I. Naples surrendered in May, almost without a blow, and the rest of the Regno followed. Sybilla and the loyal Margaritus prepared to defend Palermo, but the citizens admitted the Emperor on 20 November 1194. Tancred's family fell into Henry's hands, and William III, rumoured castrated and blinded, seemed to have died in Germany in 1198.

paragraph: Section::::Family.

paragraph: Tancred's children with Sibylla were:

paragraph: BULLET::::- Roger III, duke of Apulia and king of Sicily

paragraph: BULLET::::- William III, duke of Apulia and king of Sicily

paragraph: BULLET::::- Elvira, countess of Lecce after the death of her brother; married firstly Walter III of Brienne, secondly Giacomo Sanseverino, Count of Tricario, and thirdly Tigrini Guidi, Count of Modigliano (or Count Palatine in Tuscany?)

paragraph: BULLET::::- Constance, married Pietro Ziani, later Doge of Venice

paragraph: BULLET::::- Medania

paragraph: BULLET::::- Valdrada, married Giacomo Tello, later Doge of Venice

paragraph: Section::::References.

paragraph: BULLET::::- John Julius Norwich, "The Kingdom in the Sun", reprinted as part of his "The Normans in Sicily",

paragraph: BULLET::::- Attribution

description: King of Sicily

wikidata_label: Tancred, King of Sicily

wikipedia_title: Tancred, King of Sicily


text:
Benedictine
Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Becket
Canterbury Cathedral
Roger de Pont L'Evêque
Archbishop of York
St Augustine's Abbey
Henry II of England
Alexander III
Decretal
Normandy
monk
Canterbury
Theobald of Bec
St. Martin's
Dover
Benedictine
priory
cathedral chapter
Henry the Young King
Reginald fitz Jocelin
Bishop of Bath
simony
illegitimate birth
Anagni
pallium
legatine
sees
Isle of Thanet
clergy
monastic
Joan
Provence
William II of Sicily
Flanders
canon law
Gerard la Pucelle
Peter of Blois
Council of Westminster
tonsure
Halling, Kent
A. L. Poole
Frank Barlow
Richard of Ilchester
martyr
Peterborough Abbey

categories: Archbishops of Canterbury,1184 deaths,Anglo-Norman Benedictines,12th-century Roman Catholic archbishops,Burials at Canterbury Cathedral

paragraph: Richard of Dover

paragraph: Richard (died 1184) was a medieval Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury. Employed by Thomas Becket immediately before Becket's death, Richard arranged for Becket to be buried in Canterbury Cathedral and eventually succeeded Becket at Canterbury in a contentious election. Much of Richard's time as archbishop was spent in a dispute with Roger de Pont L'Evêque, the Archbishop of York over the primacy of England, and with St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury over the archbishop's jurisdiction over the abbey. Richard had better relations with King Henry II of England than Becket had, and was employed by the king on diplomatic affairs. Richard also had the trust of the papacy, and served as a judge for the papacy. Several of his questions to Pope Alexander III were collected into the "Decretals", a collection of ecclesiastical laws, and his patronage of canon lawyers did much to advance the study of canon law in England.

paragraph: Section::::Early life.

paragraph: Richard was born in Normandy and became a monk at Canterbury, and a chaplain to Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury. At some point, he received an education, but it is not known where or who he studied with. The first notice of him in history is as a monk at Christ Church. He was a colleague of Thomas Becket while they both worked for Theobald. In 1157 he was appointed prior of St. Martin's priory in Dover. St. Martin's was a Benedictine priory and a dependent house of Christ Church Cathedral Priory in Canterbury, the cathedral chapter of the archbishops of Canterbury. Right before Becket's death Richard was employed by Becket to meet with Henry the Young King, but was unsuccessful in the attempt. After Becket's death, Richard took charge of Becket's body, and arranged for an immediate burial in Canterbury Cathedral.

paragraph: Section::::Archbishop.

paragraph: In 1173, more than two years after the murder of Becket, King Henry II of England decided to fill the vacant archbishopric of Canterbury; there were two candidates: Richard, and Odo, prior of Canterbury. Previously, Roger, the abbot of Bec Abbey, had been elected, but refused the office. On 3 June 1173, Richard was chosen, although the monks preferred Odo. Both sides appealed to Rome, and Richard journeyed to Rome with Reginald fitz Jocelin, who had recently been elected Bishop of Bath, to rebut the charges of simony, illegitimate birth, and swearing an oath to the king that had been raised. After hearing the charges, they were dismissed and the election was ratified on 2 April 1174 and on 7 April 1174 the new archbishop was consecrated at Anagni by Pope Alexander III. Richard returned to England at the close of the year bearing his pallium which he had received directly from the pope. He was also granted legatine powers by Alexander III.

paragraph: Richard clashed with Roger de Pont L'Evêque, the Archbishop of York, over the respective rights of the two sees throughout his time as archbishop. In 1175, at a council held in London, there was a fight between their supporters. King Henry II managed to secure a truce for five years between the two archbishops but Richard was soon embroiled in another dispute. This one was with Roger, abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury and revolved around whether or not the abbey depended directly on the pope or if the archbishop had jurisdictional rights over the abbey. In the end, the papacy arranged a settlement that left the abbey dependent on the pope direct, but gave the archbishop spiritual authority over the churches of the Isle of Thanet, which had previously been held by the abbey.

paragraph: Richard's time as archbishop was much less stormy than Becket's had been, and he seems to have had better relations with the king. Richard attended the royal councils, and more than once was with the king in Normandy. Richard was less dogmatic on the rights of the clergy than his great predecessor had been; but his compromises were regarded by the monastic writers and the followers of Becket as a sign of weakness. Pope Alexander III took Richard to task when Richard acquiesced in the election of bishops taking place in the royal chapel. As part of his diplomatic efforts on the king's behalf, Richard escorted Henry's daughter Joan to Provence on her journey in 1176 to marry King William II of Sicily. Richard also spent part of 1177 in Flanders on diplomatic business for King Henry.

paragraph: Section::::Patronage, death and legacy.

paragraph: Richard attracted canon lawyers to his household, including Gerard la Pucelle, Peter of Blois, and Henry Pium of Northampton, all of whom advised him on legal matters. At the Council of Westminster that Richard convened in May 1175, nineteen canons were put forth, dealing with clerical marriage, the oversupply of ordained clergy, the behaviour of the clergy and their dress and tonsure, and simony. Another canon dealt with clandestine marriages and regulated child marriages. He was also heavily involved with trying judicial cases, both in the actual judgment as well as in the execution of judgments made by others. Four of his questions to Alexander III entered the "Decretals" and the other collections of canon law of the 13th century.

paragraph: Richard died at Halling, Kent on 16 February 1184 of colic and was buried in his cathedral. A. L. Poole, the historian, felt that Richard was a "feeble and ineffective person." Frank Barlow, another historian, calls him a "blameless mediocrity". Richard of Ilchester, a fellow bishop, held that it was Richard of Dover's defects that prevented the English Church from profiting more from Becket's martyrdom. However, Richard did much to promote the use of canon law throughout England. Richard was also active in using his legatine powers to interfere in monastic affairs, deposing the abbot of Peterborough Abbey in 1175 and threatening to visit other monastic houses that were exempt from episcopal interference to regulate the monastic affairs. On a more domestic note, Richard was held to have been an able steward of the estates of Canterbury, very much interested in increasing production. He was held to be a pious and gentle man.

wikidata_label: Richard of Dover

wikipedia_title: Richard of Dover


text: House of Aragon

text: Francesco II

text: Andria

text: Isabella of Clermont

text: Ferdinand I of Naples

text: the final siege of Constantinople

text: Venosa

text: Kingdom of Naples

text: John of Anjou

text: Sarno

text: Andria

text: Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini

text: Troia

text: Ginosa

text: Grand Constable

text: Altamura

text: defense of Otranto

text: Ottoman Turks

text: Abruzzo

text: Giovanni della Rovere

text: Genzano

text: Barletta

text: Ferrante of Naples

text: Castel Nuovo

text: Frederick of Naples

text: Official website of Del Balzo family

paragraph: Pirro Del Balzo

paragraph: Pirro Del Balzo (sometimes Del Balzo Orsini; c. 1430 - 24 December 1491) was a southern Italian nobleman, a protagonist of resistance against the House of Aragon kings of Naples and Sicily.

paragraph: Section::::Biography.

paragraph: Pirro was the eldest son of Francesco II, third duke of Andria, and Sancia di Chiaramonte, the sister of Isabella of Clermont, the Aragonese king Ferdinand I of Naples's wife. In 1451 he married Maria Donata del Balzo Orsini. After her father died while fighting in the final siege of Constantinople (1453), he received from Maria Donata the fief of Venosa and other cities in the Kingdom of Naples.

paragraph: During the war between John of Anjou and the Aragonese, Pirro, along with his father, sided for the latter. When the Aragonese were routed at Sarno (7 July 1460), Pirro and his father were besieged at Andria by the main Angevine commander, Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini; both were taken prisoners, while Pirro's wife and sons were also captured at Spinazzola. However, the Aragonese obtained a decisive victory at Troia on 18 August 1462; in exchange for his loyalty, king Ferdinand gave him the fief of Ginosa and, after his father's death, named him Grand Constable of the Kingdom of Naples (1481) as well as the title of Prince of Altamura.

paragraph: In 1480 Pirro took part in the defense of Otranto against the Ottoman Turks.

paragraph: In 1485, Pirro decided to change side, and took part in the so-called "Conjure of Barons" against Ferdinand. When he received the royal order to fight against the invasion of Abruzzo by Giovanni della Rovere, he instead occupied lands for himself at Spinazzola, Genzano and Barletta. However, his conquest were soon lost to Ferrante of Naples and, after his hometown of Venosa had been captured, on 18 December 1486 Pirro was forced to submit to Ferdinand.

paragraph: The plot had not finished, and the following year Pirro was arrested along with numerous other barons and jailed at Castel Nuovo. All his lands were assigned to Frederick of Naples, who had married his daughter Isabella.

paragraph: Pirro died in prison at Naples in 1491.

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- Official website of Del Balzo family

paragraph: BULLET::::- Page at "Dizionario biografico degli italiani" website

description: father of Isabella del Balzo, Queen Consort of Naples

wikidata_label: Pirro Del Balzo

wikipedia_title: Pirro Del Balzo


text: Texas

text: oral historian

text: slave

text: Tennessee

text: plantation

text: Liberty

text: Runaway Scrape

text: Mexican

text: Battle of San Jacinto

text: Juneteenth

text: fire

text: The Hardin Collection

categories: African-American women,1917 deaths,American slaves,1822 births,Oral historians

paragraph: Harriet Evans Paine

paragraph: Harriet Evans Paine (ca. 1822-1917) was a Texas storyteller and oral historian. She was born a slave and was also known as "Aunt Harriet."

paragraph: Section::::Biography.

paragraph: Paine was born as a slave to Jim and Rebecca Evans in Tennessee, around the year 1822. They were owned by Swan and Jerusha Hardin. The Hardins followed their sons to Texas in 1828. In Texas, Paine was the "thimble girl," threading needles for Jerusha's mother. In 1834 she became a servant in Benjamin Franklin Hardin's home. Hardin lived on a plantation outside of Liberty.

paragraph: Paine participated in the Runaway Scrape; and during 1836 and 1837, served Mexican officers captured at the Battle of San Jacinto and housed at William Hardin's plantation. It is said that she treated the prisoners kindly.

paragraph: In 1839, she moved with Franklin's family to Seven Pines, a house within the town of Liberty.

paragraph: Paine had children with two other slaves, Henry Rowe and Mr. Green. Her children were named Henry Rowe Jr. and Calvin and Melinda Green. It is unknown what happened to all of her children and no marriages were recorded, although it was noted that she was "not allowed to live with her husband." She also lived with her children behind the main house.

paragraph: After Juneteenth, 1865, when slaves were freed, Paine continued to work for the Hardins, most likely having "signed a Freedmen's contract with Franklin Hardin." She worked at Seven Pines until 1916, when there was a fire that nearly destroyed the house. Paine rescued the Hardin family's letters and documents. Paine died in 1917.

paragraph: Her stories and oral histories have been preserved by the Hardin family and are housed in the Hardin Collection at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center.

paragraph: Section::::External links.

paragraph: BULLET::::- The Hardin Collection

wikidata_label: Harriet Evans Paine

wikipedia_title: Harriet Evans Paine


text: Major League Baseball

text: relief pitcher

text: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

text: Fort Lauderdale High School

text: Lincoln Memorial University

text: Anaheim Angels

text: 1997 Major League Baseball draft

text: Boise

text: saves

text: ERA

text: Cedar Rapids

text: starter

text: Lake Elsinore

text: complete game

text: shutout

text: Edmonton

text: Salt Lake Stingers

text: Tampa Bay

text: hit

text: walk

text: earned run

text: average

text: Seattle Mariners

text: striking out

text: bullpen

text: 2002 World Series

text: home run

text: American League

text: Francisco Rodríguez

text: ALDS

text: Troy Percival

text: closer

text: holds

text: disabled list

text: 2006 World Baseball Classic

text: Brian Fuentes

text: long reliever

text: middle reliever

text: fastball

text: slurve

text: Northville, Michigan

categories: Edmonton Trappers players,Erie SeaWolves players,Living people,Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim players,Baseball players from Florida,Salt Lake Stingers players,1975 births,Cedar Rapids Kernels players,Boise Hawks players,Anaheim Angels players,Salt Lake Bees players,Major League Baseball pitchers,Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters baseball players,Lake Elsinore Storm players,Fort Lauderdale High School alumni,2009 World Baseball Classic players,2006 World Baseball Classic players

paragraph: Scot Shields

paragraph: Robert Scot Shields (born July 22, 1975) is a former American Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was the last member of the Anaheim Angels' 2002 World Series Championship team remaining on the team's roster when he announced his retirement in 2011.

paragraph: Section::::Minor league career.

paragraph: He graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School and attended Lincoln Memorial University while majoring in kinesiology. He was drafted by the then-Anaheim Angels in the 38th round (1137th overall) of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft.

paragraph: He began his career as a reliever in with Low-A Boise, earning a 7-2 record with two saves and a 2.94 ERA. The next year, he moved to Single-A Cedar Rapids, compiling a 6-5 record, seven saves and a 3.65 ERA. In , he split his time as a starter and a reliever at High-A Lake Elsinore, gaining a 10-3 record with a 2.52 ERA and one save. In nine starts, he pitched two complete games and one shutout. For his efforts that year, he was named Angels Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He was promoted to Triple-A Edmonton in , where he struggled with a 7-13 record and a 5.41 ERA.

paragraph: Section::::Major league career.

paragraph: Though he started the season with the Triple-A Salt Lake Stingers, Shields was called up to the major leagues on May 25, making his debut against Tampa Bay on May 26, pitching one-plus innings and allowing one hit and one walk. He was optioned back to Salt Lake, but was recalled on June 27. In eight relief appearances with the Angels, Shields allowed eight hits and seven walks before being optioned back to Salt Lake, where he stayed for the remainder of the season.

paragraph: Though he began with the Stingers, Shields was recalled to the major leagues on June 14, this time for good. In his final 38 relief appearances, he allowed only seven earned runs, only allowing opponents a .176 average, the best in the league. He also started for the club on September 27 against the Seattle Mariners, receiving a no-decision and allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out two.

paragraph: Shields was a fixture in the Angels bullpen after the 2002 campaign. He was a member of the 2002 World Series Championship team, but did not fare well in the postseason—he allowed 2 home runs in 1 innings in Game 5 of the Series, his only appearance in the playoffs that year.

paragraph: Shields began , his first full year in the majors, in the bullpen. He posted a 1.68 ERA, working at least three innings twelve times. He led the American League with 69.2 innings of relief before moving into the Angels' starting rotation to end the season in August. As a starter, Shields was 4-6 with a 3.89 ERA, pitching at least seven innings in six of his thirteen starts. He ended the season with a 5-6 record and a 2.85 ERA.

paragraph: For the campaign, Shields returned to the Angels bullpen. He pitched 22 consecutive shutout innings from May 9 to June 11, and worked three scoreless innings five times during the season. With fellow reliever Francisco Rodríguez, he was part of the first pair of relievers to post 100 strikeouts in one season since , and was third in the American League in strikeouts with 109. In the post-season that year, he struggled in two appearances during the ALDS, pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs with a 6.00 ERA.

paragraph: When Rodríguez replaced veteran Troy Percival as the Angels' closer in , Shields emerged as the club's trusted setup man, pitching the eighth inning as the bridge to Francisco. In this capacity, he led the American League with 91.2 innings of relief pitching, and ranked second with 98 strikeouts and 32 holds. When Francisco was placed on the disabled list from May 15 to May 31, Shields stood in as the club's closer, earning five saves in six save opportunities. Overall, Shields posted a 10-11 record with a 2.75 ERA.

paragraph: Shields represented the United States in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, the only member of the Angels to play for the USA squad. Shields finished the season with a 7-7 record, an ERA of 2.87 and 84 strikeouts. He led the league in holds with 31, and was second among American League relief pitchers in innings pitched with 87.2 innings.

paragraph: Shields' 2007 season saw his ERA rise to 3.86 as he also failed to surpass 80 innings. He finished 4-5 in 71 games.

paragraph: In 2008, Shields had a career low 2.70 ERA in 64 games.

paragraph: Throughout his career, Shields dominated in his setup role and was named by Sports Illustrated as the "Setup Man of the Decade."

paragraph: Early in the 2009 season, he had to receive surgery on his left leg which forced him onto the disabled list for the remainder of the season. He finished with only 20 appearances on the season.

paragraph: Shields was the team's setup man for the Angels prior to his surgery, holding the lead if necessary in the 8th and sometimes both 7th and 8th innings until the Angels go to closer Brian Fuentes.

paragraph: After the surgery, Shields was not the same for the 2010 season. He pitched in 43 games while also starting a game for the first time since 2003. His ERA rose to 5.28 while also walking 34 in only 46 innings. His control issues were due to the injury he sustained in the previous year.

paragraph: Shields retired after the end of the 2010 season.

paragraph: Section::::Pitches and abilities.

paragraph: He is highly praised not only for the quality of his performance, but for his versatility. In his career with the Angels, he has served as a starter, long reliever, middle reliever, setup man, and closer, depending on the needs of the team at the time. Shields is known to have a "rubber arm", meaning he has excellent endurance and does not need to ice his arm after pitching. During college, he once pitched a game of 16 innings, throwing 261 pitches. He throws a hard, sinking fastball that clocks anywhere between 92 and 95 MPH, and a slurve.

paragraph: He is most famous though for throwing his 2-seam/No-seam fastball with tremendous movement.

paragraph: Section::::Personal life.

paragraph: Shields resides in Northville, Michigan, during the offseason with his wife, Jaimie McGovern Shields and two daughters, Kayla and Ella. Shields graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School, where he played as a pitcher as number 10.

paragraph: Section::::See also.

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders

paragraph: BULLET::::- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

description: American baseball player

wikidata_label: Scot Shields

wikipedia_title: Scot Shields