JACOB, SARAH (1857 - 1869), the fasting girl
Date of birth: 1857
Date of death: 1869
Parent: Hannah Jacob (née Williams)
Parent: Evan Jacob
Gender: Female
Occupation: fasting girl
Area of activity: Medicine
Author: David Jenkins
Born 12 May 1857, third daughter of Evan and Hannah Jacob, Llether-neuadd-uchaf, Llanfihangel Iorath, Carmarthenshire. In February 1867, during an illness, she became unconscious and did not recover for a whole month, whereupon she refused all but a little milk food. By 10 October 1867 it was stated that she had ceased to eat and drink, and it was claimed that she lived thus until 17 December 1869, a total of 113 weeks - when she died. News of her fasting spread far and wide, and soon became a topic of discussion among eminent doctors, while visitors came to Llether-neuadd-uchaf from all parts of England and Wales, and usually presented her with gifts of flowers, books, and money. After much controversy in the press (including The Lancet) a staff of trained nursing-sisters from Guy's Hospital, London, was set to watch the case. A little over a week after their arrival the girl died. Her parents were accused of causing her death by not feeding her, and after trial both were sentenced to terms of imprisonment.
Author
- Dr David Jenkins, (1912 - 2002)
- W. M. Wilkinson, The cases of the Welsh fasting girl and her father (London 1870)
- Robert Fowler, M.D., A Complete History of the Case of the Welsh Fasting-Girl (Sara Jacob) with Comments thereon and Observations on Death from Starvation (London 1871)
- The Welsh Fasting Girl being a complete history of the remarkable case of Sarah Jacob, as revealed by authentic sources of information of absorbing general, medical and legal interest (Pencader 1904)
Sources
- NLW Archives: NLW MS 23137E: Sarah Jacob, the 'Welsh fasting girl'
- D. G. Lloyd Hughes, Hanes hynod Sarah Jacob, y ferch a lwgwyd i farwolaeth, Y Casglwr pob peth printiedig, Rhif 51, Gaeaf 1993
- Richard W. Ireland, Sanctity, superstition and the death of Sarah Jacob, in Making legal history (Cambridge 2012), pp.284-302
- The Sarah Jacob Case, 1869, Welsh Legal History Society
- John Cule, Wreath on the crown: the story of Sarah Jacob, the Welsh fasting girl (Llandysul 1967)
- Narberth Museum WOWW: 'Sarah Jacob'
- Wikipedia Article: Sarah Jacob
Further Reading
- NLW Archives: D. Roy Evans Collection A/10: A vol. of newspaper cuttings (12 Dec. 1869-18 Jan. 1870) relating to the death of, and the inquest upon, Sarah Jacobs
- VIAF: 38952351
- Wikidata: Q13131210
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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