1. Mathew Buchinger was born on 3 Jun 1674 in Nuremburg, Germany. He died in 1739 in , Cork, Ireland.
Has a daughter he refers to as Hilda.
He travelled to Ireland and some of his children settled there with their maternal grandmother. A son named John Adam Buchinger, who was born at Strasbourg on 30 December 1715, settled at Dartford, Kent, where he worked as a brazier until his death in ...
Matthew Buchinger
From The Dublin Penny Journal, Volume 1, Number 44, April 27, 1833
The following memoir of an individual, comparatively speaking obscure, whom Nature, in a freakish moment, sent into the world scarce half made up, is, we think, of value, as affording a striking instance of the triumphs which may be achieved by mental energy and perseverance over defects apparently the most insuperable, and further, as an interesting example of the power of mental worth in attracting the friendship and regard of the good and estimable portion of mankind, in defiance of the greatest repulsiveness of appearance, and even bodily deformity. It presents strong evidence, also, that, even under the most adverse circumstances, much real enjoyment of life is within the reach of every human being; while thousands, nevertheless, in every class of society, to whom Nature has been profuse of her gifts, even to prodigality, eke out, from day to day, a useless, joyless existence, and finally quit life without having obtained as much respect from their fellow-men, or possibly as large a share of true happiness as fell to the lot of the lowly subject of this notice.Matthew Buchinger was born in Germany, without hands or feet, on the 3rd of June, 1674. He came over to England, from Hanover, in the retinue of George the first, with whom he expected to have ingratiated himself, by presenting to his Majesty a musical instrument of his own invention, resembling, we believe, a flute, and on which he played with considerable skill. He hoped to have obtained some small pension, sufficient, at least, to support him without the necessity of exhibiting himself to the public gaze, to which he ever had an almost insuperable distaste. The King, however, was contented with sending Buchinger a present of twenty guineas, and so ended his hopes of court patronage. After remaining some time in England, he came over to this country, where he subsequently resided for many years, and finally died at Cork, at an advanced age, in easy circumstances, and much respected.
It would not seem that his body was of very diminutive size; he is stated to have been about two feet and a half high, although he wanted legs altogether from the thighs. His arms appear to have been short, and terminated each in a round muscular process. These knobs were the sole substitutes nature had given him for hands," and his dexterity in using them was most surprising, not only in writing, and drawing, and in making the pens which he used for these purposes, but also in playing at nine-pins, cup-and-ball, and in performing many sleight-of-hand or conjuring tricks. His musical talents must have been considerable. In one of his hand-bills, which we have seen, he advertised that he would perform on the dulcimer, hautboy, trumpet, and flute. He was exhibited in Dublin, in 1720, at the Crown and Anchor, in Sycamore Alley. In 1722, we find him in Belfast, and in 1737, again in Dublin. These dates we have taken from some very beautiful specimens of his drawing and writing, many of which have been preserved by the curious. One is to be found in the museum of the Royal Dublin Society. It purports to be a portrait of Jesus Christ, from an antique gem, sent as a present from the Great Turk to Pope Innocent VIII., and underneath is a translation of the well-known letter of Pub-lius Lentulus, Governor of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius Caesar, which assumes to have been written in the life-time of Christ, and in which his personal appearance and demeanour are described with interesting minuteness. The genuineness of this letter has always been questioned; indeed, it is generally supposed by the learned to be spurious.
Buchinger appears to have possessed a more cultivated and enlarged mind than might have been expected in an individual separated, in some degree, as he was by the untoward circumstances of his deformed shape, from ordinary social intercourse with mankind.
Notwithstanding, too, his reluctance to the manner of life from which he was compelled to seek his subsistence, he was rather of a sportive humour, and had great liveliness of spirits. He was much patronized by Dr. Peter Brown, Provost of Trinity College, and many other distinguished persons. A Mr. Francis Smith, a young gentleman then about nineteen or twenty, a student at the University, formed an acquaintance with Buchinger, and attracted by his intelligence and amiable disposition, used frequently to visit him. By a nephew of Mr. Smith's we have been obligingly supplied with most of the facts in this notice. The evident sympathy and regard of this young gentleman were very gratifying to Buchinger, who much enjoyed his society, and frequently related to him anecdotes of his early life. His parents, he said, were of humble rank in Germany, and, during his childhood, being distressed at his unnatural form, concealed him as much as possible; but at length, as he grew older, finding him an incumbrance, they bethought themselves of providing him with some employment, which should necessarily be a sedentary one, and, as he said, had at one time an intention of apprenticing him to a tailor; this, however, was possibly told by him in jest, as he added, jocosely, "they were forced to abandon this plan, as they could find no place for the thimble." He was thrice married, and had children by all his wives, in number fifteen. At one time, he showed Mr. Smith a tree of consanguinity he had amused himself in drawing, of which he formed the trunk, and his three wives the branches, and from these his children depended like fruit.
Possessed of a vigorous mind, he was so far from being reluctant to contemplate the idea of posthumous dissection, that he even enjoined Mr. Smith to claim his body, if his death should occur in Dublin, for the School of anatomy there , and, finally, Dr. Barry, of Cork, obtained his body after he died, and his skeleton is said to be preserved in that city.
We have heard that some of Buchinger's descendants were settled at Wexford some few years ago, but who did not bear his name, being descended from him in the female line; and that, not long since, one of them died, who was deformed exactly in the same manner as their ancestor, having been born without hands or feet--a fact of rather singular nature, as all the immediate children of Buchinger were as perfect as usual in their form.
O'G.
DUBLIN
Matthias Buchinger, the youngest of nine children, was born in Anspach, Germany, in 1674, "without hands, feet, legs, or thighs". For arms he had "two excresences which grew from his shoulder-blades, like fingers without nails" (Thompson). Some accounts claim he had phocomelic feet attached directly to his body, like Eli Bowen, while others say he was completely without lower extremities. Some period drawings show him with normal-length arms that merely lack hands. In any case, Buchinger was but 29 inches tall when fully grown.
Around the turn of the eighteenth century, Bunchinger moved to England and Anglicized his name to Matthew. There, he held exhibitions of his extraordinary skills - he played the hautbois (a woodwind instrument), dulcimer, trumpet and bagpipe, wrote beautifully with a pen, drew excellent portraits, shuffled and dealt cards, played skittles, juggled, and did magic tricks with cups and balls. He could even "dance a Hornpipe in Highland Dress, as well as any man - without legs!" (Fiedler). Most notable of Matthew's artistic pursuits were his exquisite ships in bottles, still widely sought-after by collectors.
Matthew was married no fewer than four times and was a father of eleven. His second wife, it is said, spent all of Matthew's money on fine clothes and food and was abusive of him. Once, after she had beaten him publicly, he knocked her to the ground and hit her with his deformed arms until she agreed to treat him with respect, and for the remainder of their marriage she kept her promise.
During his career, Matthew appeared before "three successive Emperors of Germany, the most of the Kings and Princes of Europe and in particular, several times before his late Majesty King George." (Thompson) He died in Cork, Ireland, in 1732.Factotum page 17
Sadleir has found the Little Man's will, executed at Dublin in and proved by his
relict in the Prerogative Court of Ireland on the 4th of October. ...See Gallants, wonder and behold
This German, of imperfect Mold.
No Feet, no Leggs, no Thighs, no Hands,
Yet all that Arts can do commands.
First Thing he does, he makes a Pen,
Is that a Wonder! Well what then?
. . .
Fix'd in his Stumps, directs the Quill
With wondrous Gravity and Skill;
Upward, downward, backward, forward,
Eastward, Westward, Southward, Northward.
In Short to every Compass point,
Tho' shortened at the Elbow Joint.
. . .
No, she's not worthy, my poor muse,
I cannot say to wipe your Shooes;
But had you Shooes to wipe, I Swear
It shou'd be thine great BUCKINGER,
Great Trunk of Man be not asham'd,
That Nature has thy Body maim'd.Poem on Mathew Buckinger, The greatest GERMAN living. 1726
Number Thirty-Two, described as " A Man Without Hands or Leggs," is the portrait of the celebrated Matthew Buckinger, whose history I have read elsewhere, more to his disadvantage than J. P. relates it. He was a German, " who had Married two Wives, one after the Other" (therefore no bigamist) " he got a Great deal of Àlony, but his Last Wife was a very Perverse Woman, who Would Spend all his Mony very Prodigally and Luxuriously, in Nice Eating, Drinking and Clothes ; and would not Permit him to Eat nor Drink as she dhl, and did Beat him Cruelly, which he had Bore very Patiently but one Day, she having Beat him before Company that so Provoked him that he flew at her with such force that he Threw her down ; and did so Beat her with His Stumps that he almost Killed her, Threatening to treat her in the Same Manner if she Ever did so Any More ; and she Became Ever after a very Dutifull and Loving Wife." Matthew Buckinger was full of accomplishments. " He did with his Stumps what Many Could not doe with their Hands and Feet, so well as he, as Playing at Cards, Dice, Ninepins Shuffel Board, Rollypolly, &e., he Plade of Several Musikal Instruments, as the Trumpet, Hauthois, Flute, Flageolet, Drum, Kettle-drum, £e." — which et cœtera probably means " lute, harp, duleimer, sackbur," and all the instruments which constituted the private band of Kmg Nebuchadnezzar. Matthew Buckinger did "many other strange things," and though he was said to have died at Cork in 1722, he was seen by J. P. in London in 1731.
All the Year Round By Charles Dickens 1862
An Elegy on the much lamented Death of Matthew Buckinger,
the famous little Man (without Arms or Legs,)
who departed this life at Edinburgh. (after 1733?)Poor Buckinger, at last is dead and gone!
A lifeless Trunk, who was a living one:
Trunk did I say, wherein all Virtues met?
I should ha' call'd him a rich Cabinet.
No wonder in Life's Warfare he should die,
Who wanted Hands to fight, and Feet to flie.
Nature to form so great a Life to come,
Wisely took care to maim him in the Womb.
So when we take young Eagles, 'tis thought best
To clip their Wings and Talons in the Nest,
For lop the Limbs, and then the Soul confin'd,
Collects it self, and double mans the mind.
So Suckors prun'd, and Fibres from the Root,
Make the tree not die, but flourish in their Fruit.
He was, altho' he had not e'er Limb,
A Man, I'll prove it, every Inch of him:
No huge two handed Man! but when he dy'd,
'Twas a good Body, ev'ry mortal cry'd.
Pious he was, as holiest Devotees;
For sure he always was upon his knees;
And that he us'd to pray, his Widow knows,
As often as he Fingers had and Toes.
So blameless, he defy'd the World to rail,
Or any Man to say, Black was his Nail.
He never made one False Step all his Life,
Except, in marrying his second Wife:
And, tho' they went together in pure Love,
They did not hit it, nor were Hand-and-Glove:
Altho' he suffer'd from her many Ills,
A Clog he could not call her at his Heels;
But sure he might have quitted her in haste,
If Spitting in his Hand was holding fast.
Some call'd him Vagabond, and said they knew't.
How could he strole, who never stirr'd a Foot?
He of his Pen had very great Command;
If he wrote any, 'twas no running Hand.
He play'd all Games with Skill, but was most nice,Tho' without Slight of Hand, at Cards and Dice;
And tho' he won at Play, yet no one can
Say, That he made a Hand of any Man.
He practis'd Musick too; it did appear,
Tho' he no Finger had, he had an Ear.
He visited most Places in the Land,
And rode, but never kept a Bridle-Hand.
Nor Galls on either Side his Horse did feel
His Spur was in his Head, not in his Heel.
He was a Manager, we may believe,
For he was ne'er thurst his Arm beyond his Sleeve.
And tho' his Bread was but of daily Growth,
No Man cou'd say, He liv'd from Hand to Mouth.
Not spiteful, for, altho' provok'd a-deal,
He ne'er oppos'd a Man both Tooth and Nail.
He wou'd be reconcil'd with small Amends,
And, tho' he shook not Hands, he would be-friends.
Some envious Men thought him dishonest, but
He was not light of Finger or of Foot.
He never pick'd Mens Pockets or their Locks;
Or, if he had, he might defy the Stocks.
The Papist wont believe his Pardon seal'd;
Because he liv'd, and dy'd too, unanneal'd.
He was no Flatterer, nor apt t'applaud,
Spoke civilly to all Men, never claw'd.
Kind in his Actions too, as well as Speech,
And ne'er gave Box o'th'Ear, or Kick o'th'Breech;
Courteous to all, up to the highest Peg;
If you would kiss his hand, he'd make y'a Leg.
Inimitable both Alive and Dead,
No man could ever in his Footsteps tread.
Compliance with all Humours he has shown,
Any Man's Shoe would fit him as his own.
And yet not to reflect upon his Dust,
He knew not where his own Shoe pinch'd him most.
No Confidence in cunning Men he put,
No Man could get the Measure of his Foot.
And yet some Men did with him grow so bold,
He could not keep 'em at Arms length, I'm told.
Bookish he was, I speak it to his Praise,
But yet he ne'er thumb'd a Book in all his Days;
And that which very much his sense commends.
His learning was not at his Finger's Ends.
He could n't do a Hand's Turn with Ease,
But what he did was all with Elbow-grease.
As his old Grannam bid him do, he'd cry,
I always with my Elbow scratch my Eye.
He was no Rambler he, but kept the House,
And wealthy grew, but never scrap'd a sous,
Nor was close-fisted more than you or I.
Nor had his Hand upon his Ha'penny;
And yet for fear of debt, or being dipt,
His Money never thro' his Fingers slipt.
'Thus safe to trust him, for he never show'd,
A Pair of Heels for what he justly ow'd;
Nor could it welll be said, with any Face,
That being on his last legs was his Case.
Sincere he was, and void of Care and Art;
But never laid his Hand upon his Heart.
And was so little mov'd with Lies or Tales,
He never, for Vexation, bit his Nails.
Some Men, who did not love him, us'd to think,
That, till he cou'd not stand on's Legs, he'd drink.
But tho' he never palm'd his Glass, yet some,
Can prove he never drank Supernaculam.
And tho' in Liquor he some Money spent,
His Legs ne'er cut Indentures as he went.
Some that he lov'd his Gut, for Reason gave,
He only with his Teeth could dig his Grave.
In short time little Failings well might pass,
Since he, ad Unguem, factus Homo, was.
The EpitaphHere sleeps among good Christians dead,
One. who vi'lent Hand ne'er laid
Upon himself, nor any other;
But was a peaceful harmless Brother:
He neither injur'd Life nor Limb.
Why then should Death lay Hands on him,
But I mistake, Death took no Grip
Of him, nor up his Heels did trip;
But at a Distance shot a Rover,
And tipp'd him (like his Nine pin) over.
One poor Escutcheon in his Due,
Who in his Time so many drew:
Thus, more than when alive he'll have
Arms and Supporters to his Grave.
MATTHEW BUCHINGER
THE LITTLE MAN OF NUREMBERGOf all the imperfect beings brought into the world, few can challenge, for mental and acquired endowments, anything like a comparison to vie with this extraordinary little man. Matthew Buchinger was a native of Nuremberg, in Germany, where he was born June 2nd, 1674, without hands, feet, legs or thighs; in short, he was little more than the trunk of a man, saving two exrescences growing from the shoulder-blades, more resembling fins of a fish than arms of a man. He was the last of nine children, by one father and mother, viz., eight sons and one daughter. After arriving at the age of maturity, from the singularity of his case, and the extraordinary abilities he possessed, he attracted the notice and attentions of all persons, of whatever rank in life, to whom he was occasionally introduced.
It does not appear, by any account extant, that his parents exhibited him at any time for the purpose of emolument, but that the whole of his time must have been employed in study and practice, to attain the wonderful perfection he arrived at in drawing, and his performance on various musical instruments; he played the flute, the bagpipe, dulcimer, and trumpet, not in the manner of general amateurs, but in the style of a finished master. He likewise possessed great mechanical powers, and conceived the design of constructing machines to play on all sort of musical instruments.
If nature played the niggard in one respect with him, she amply repaid the deficiency by endowments that those blessed with perfect limbs could seldom achieve. He greatly distinguished himself by beautiful writing, drawing coats of arms, sketches of portraits, history, landscapes, etc., most of which were executed in Indian ink, with a pen, emulating in perfection the finest and most finished engraving. He was well skilled in most games of chance, nor could the most experienced gamester or juggler obtain the least advantage at any tricks, or game, with cards or dice.
He used to perform before company, to whom he was exhibited, various tricks with cups and balls, corn, and living birds; and could play at skittles and nine-pins with great dexterity; shave himself with perfect ease and do many other things equally surprising in a person so deficient, and mutilated by nature. His writings and sketches of figures, landscapes, etc., were by no means uncommon, though curious; it being customary, with most persons who went to see him, to purchase something or other of his performance; and as he was always employed in writing or drawing, he carried on a successful trade, which, together with the money he obtained by exhibiting himself, enabled him to support himself and family in a very genteel manner. Mr. Herbert, of Cheshunt, editor of Ame's History of Printing, had many curious specimens of Buchinger's writing and drawing, the most extraordinary of which was his own portrait, exquisitely done on vellum, in which he most ingeniously contrived to insert, in the flowing curls of the wig, the 27th, 121st, 128th, 140th, 149th, and 150th Psalms, together with the Lord's Prayer, most beautifully and fairly written. Mr. Issac Herbert, son of the former, while carrying on the business of a bookseller in Pall Mall, cause this portrait to be engraved, for which he paid Mr. Harding fifty guineas. Buchinger was married four times, and had eleven children, viz., one by his first wife, three by his second, six by his third, and one by his last. One of his wives was in the habit of treating him extremely ill, frequently beating him and otherwise insulting him, which for a long time he very patiently put up with; but once his anger was so much roused, that he sprang upon her like a fury, got her down, and buffeted her with his stumps within an inch of her life; nor would he suffer her to rise until she promised amendment in the future, which it seems she prudently adopted, through fear of another thrashing.
Mr. Buchinger was but twenty-nine inches in height. He died in 1722.
Matthias Buchinger – The Little Man of Nuremberg – was a magician with no hands or legs. He was born in Germany in 1674, grew to be 29 inches high and was known affectionately as ‘Flipper’. He would perform tricks with cups and balls and make birds appear from nowhere. He came to England in the retinue of George I but failed to find much favour and so traveled on to Ireland. He was an accomplished artist and engraver and played several musical instruments (Flute, Hautboy (=Oboe), Dulcimer and bagpipes). One appendage clearly worked; he is variously credited with three or four wives and ten to fifteen children. His skeleton was kept for science in a museum in Cork and his descendants now live in Wexford.Buckinger (MATTHEW) born in the Marquisate of Brandenburgh, near Nuremberg, without hands, feet or thighs, June 2nd, 1674; exhibited in England—died 1722. Collection of engravings formed between the years 1860-68: annotated ...
By Alfred Morrison, M. HollowayMatthew Buchinoer, The Dwarf Of NÜrnBerg (6th S. i. 136, 282).—There is a portrait and some account of Matthew Buchinger at p. 53 of Ten Thousand Wonderful Things, edited by my old friend Edmund F. King. Notwithstanding the dwarfs own assertion (see " N. & Q.," rupra, p. 136) that he was born "at Ánspack 1674 the 3 Jan?," his birthplace is set down as being Nürnberg, and his birthday as June 2. For this, I dare say, there is good authority. It is a wise child that remembers its own nativity.
" Buckinger was married four timei and had eleven children, viz.. one by his first wife, three by his second, six by his third, and one by hie last. One of his wives was in the habit of treating him extremely ill, frequently beating ami other ways insulting him, whii-h for a long time he patiently put up with ; but once his anger was su much aroused that he sprung upon her like a fury, got her down, and buffeted her with bis stumps within an inch of her life ; nor would he Buffer her to ri* • until she promised amendment in future, which it seems she prudently adopted, through fear of another thrashing."
One wonders if this was the tall handsome woman mentioned by Ccthbert Bede. Buchinger himself was only twenty-nine inches high.
" The late Mr. Herbert, of Cheehunt, in Hertfordshire, editor of Ames's Hittory of Printing, had many curious specimens of Buckinger's writing and drawing, the most extraordinary of which was his own portrait, exquisitely done on vellum, in which he most ingeniously contrived to insert in the flowing curls of the wig the 27th. 121st, 12Sth, 140th, 14uth, and the 150th Psalms, together with the Lord's Prayer, most beautifully and fairly written.'1
Buchinger died in 1722. St. Swithin.
Mathew married Elsebe Shoomaker on 1 Mar 1701 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Elsebe was born on 15 Jul 1685 in Rensborg, Holstein, Germany. She died on 28 Jun 1703 in Rotterdan, Holland.
They had the following children.
2 F i Charlota Buckinger was born on 22 Dec 1702 in Hees Cassele, Germany.
Mathew also married Margeth Afsawein on 3 Dec 1706 in Germany. Margeth was born on 1 May 1687 in Herfourth, Westfalia, Germany. She died on 19 Mar 1710 in Strasburg, Elsab, Germany.
They had the following children.
Mathew also married Ann Catharin Kelmelmeyer on 24 Jul 1710 in Hildesheim, Lunenburgh, Germany. Ann was born in Dornhaufsen, Ansbak, Germany. She died on 21 Jan 1722 in Galway, Ireland.
They had the following children.
6 F v Sibilla Buchinger was born on 31 Jan 1712 in Halle, Saxony, Germany. She died before 1734. 7 F vi Rahel Buchinger was born on 2 Dec 1714 in Kempten, Swaben, Germany. She was buried on 7 Nov 1749 in St Martin In The Fields, Middlesex, England. + 8 M vii John Adam Buchinger was born on 30 Dec 1715. He died on 8 Nov 1781. + 9 M viii Matthias Buchinger was born on 17 Dec 1717. 10 M ix William Buchinger was born on 26 Aug 1719 in Nottingham, England. He died before 1734. 11 M x George Buchinger was born on 4 Jun 1721 in Cork, Ireland. He died before 1734.
Mathew also married Anna Elizabeth Tyse, daughter of Mathias Tyse and Anna Margareta, on 17 Jul 1722 in Belfast, Ireland. Anna was born on 16 Jan 1700 in Hebron, Nassau, Germany. She was christened on 19 Feb 1699.
They had the following children.
12 F xi Elizabeth Buchinger was born on 20 Dec 1723 in St. Giles, London, England. 13 F xii Sarah Buchinger was born on 20 Sep 1725 in Dublin, Ireland. She died before 1734. + 14 F xiii Anne Cathrin Buckinger was born on 3 Jun 1727. 15 M xiv Christopher Buckinger was born on 28 May 1729 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died before 1734.