![]() The coming of the Civil War and the dissolution of the courtīy 1640 the relationship between King Charles and the Parliament had deteriorated to the point of plots and attempted arrests. This is explicitly acknowledged in one of several adulatory poems. However, despite his wit and intelligence, it was the novelty of his shortness that was most prized and all understood that if he had been of normal height he would have had no place at court. He was celebrated in a variety of poems and narratives of the day. ![]() He learned to ride a horse and shoot a pistol. He was brought up in the Roman Catholic Church of her household. Hudson was educated in the Queen's household and learned the manners of the court. Hudson's second trip across the Channel occurred in 1637, at age 18, when a group of courtiers travelled to the Netherlands to observe the siege of Breda, as the Dutch were attempting to expel the Spanish army. On the return journey across the channel their ship was captured by Dunkirk pirates, who plundered the ship but eventually released them to return to England. Although the principal purpose of the mission was to return with a midwife for the Queen's first pregnancy, it is likely that Hudson was sent for the appreciation of the French court. In 1630, at about 10 years of age, Hudson was included in a mission to France. ![]() He was often cast in picturesque roles in the elaborate costumed masques which were staged by Inigo Jones for the amusement of the court. His size was repeatedly described as 18 or 19 inches and he is reported to have grown little between 7 and 30 years of age. Dwarfs were not rare in the courts of Europe but Hudson's fine proportions and tiny size made him uniquely famous. As he "grew up" in years, if not in inches, Hudson learned to amuse and entertain with his wit and courtly behaviour as well as his appearance. He later developed a routine with Evans in which the porter pulled Hudson out of his pocket along with a loaf of bread, and proceeded to make a sandwich. He was one of several natural curiosities and pets, among whom were a giant Welsh porter named William Evans, two disproportionate dwarfs, and a monkey called Pug. Hudson moved into Denmark House in London in late 1626, where the Queen maintained her royal household, with its many French attendants and Catholic priests. The Queen was delighted and the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham offered Hudson to her as an amusing gift. When the pie was placed in front of the Queen, Hudson arose from the crust, 18 inches (460 millimetres) tall and dressed in a miniature suit of armour. The climax of the lavish banquet was the presentation of Jeffrey to the Queen, served in a large pie. A few months later, the Duke and Duchess entertained King Charles I and his young French wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, in London. On his seventh birthday, in 1626, Jeffrey Hudson was presented to the Duchess of Buckingham as a "rarity of nature" and she invited him to join the household. Various theories existed for his size, including that his mother choked on a gherkin while pregnant, but he probably suffered from a growth hormone deficiency caused by a pituitary gland disorder. ![]() Hudson's marvellous smallness and normal proportions became apparent in early childhood. Hudson's father John was keeper of the baiting bulls for George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. His parents, three brothers, and a half-sister were all of typical size. Hudson was baptised in Oakham in Rutland on 14 June 1619. 5 Slavery and redemption, poverty and death.3 The coming of the Civil War and the dissolution of the court. ![]()
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