Anna Haining Bates 264377 224288917 2008-07-08T04:43:27Z Ponopono 7439764 Added The Giants of Seville link. {{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}} [[Image:Anna Swan with her parents.jpg|thumb|150px|Anna Haining Bates with her parents]] '''Anna Haining Bates''', born '''Anna Haining Swan''' ([[August 6]], [[1846]] &ndash; [[August 5]], [[1888]]), was a [[Canada|Canadian]] from Mill Brook, New Annan, (near present-day [[Tatamagouche]]), [[Colchester County, Nova Scotia|Colchester County]], [[Nova Scotia]], famed for her great height, believed to be 2.27 m (7' 5½") at the peak of her stature. She reportedly weighed 8.1 kg (19 pounds) when she was born and was 69 cm (27 inches) long{{Fact|date=April 2007}}. Her parents were of average height and were [[Scottish people|Scottish]] immigrants. ===Her growth rates=== Anna was the 3rd of 13 children, all also of around average height. From birth she grew very fast. On her 4th birthday she was 4 feet 6 inches (137&nbsp;cm) tall. On her 6th birthday she was measured again, and she stood 5 foot 2 inches (157&nbsp;cm) tall, an inch or two (2.5&ndash;5cm) shorter than her mother. On her 10th birthday she measured at 6 feet 1 inches tall (186 cm) tall. By her 15th birthday Anna Swan was measured at just over seven feet (213&nbsp;cm) tall. She was discovered in the fall of [[1862]] by [[P.T. Barnum]], at which time she was 7 feet 2 and a half inches tall.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} She would reach her full height two years later, which was 7 feet 5 and a half inches tall. ===Touring and marriage=== Anna excelled at [[literature]] and [[music]] and was considered to be very intelligent. She also excelled at her studies of acting, piano and voice. She played [[Lady Macbeth]] in one play. She had to be rescued from a fire at Barnum's museum in July [[1865]]. The stairs were in flames but she was too large to escape through a window. In her fear she bowled over the men sent to help her. Employees of the museum found a loft derrick nearby, smashed the wall around a window on the third floor, and lowered Anna by block and tackle with 18 men holding the end of the rope. At the time Anna weighed 394 pounds or 28 stone 2 pounds (179&nbsp;kg). Usually however, her weight was around 25 stones or 350 pounds (159 kg). As part of her shows, Anna had a tape measure put around her waist and then had a lady from the audience put it around her waist. The tape would go around the average woman's waist three times. When visiting a circus in [[Halifax (former city), Nova Scotia|Halifax]] with which [[Martin Van Buren Bates]] &mdash; another enormously tall person &mdash; was travelling, Anna was spotted by the promoter and hired on the spot. The giant couple became a touring sensation and eventually fell in love and, on [[17 June]] [[1871]] in [[St Martin-in-the-fields]] in [[London]], they married. Rev. Rupert Cochrane, a friend of Anna's family who happened to be preaching in London at the time, agreed to conduct the ceremony. Despite his 6 foot 3 inch stature, the Reverend looked small when standing next to the giant bride and groom. ===Children=== They had two children, the first being a girl who was still-born on [[19 May]] [[1872]]. The girl was the same size as her mother was at her own birth. The Bates family moved to Seville, Ohio, in June [[1874]] on their return from the [[United Kingdom]]. They purchased 120 acres of land and had furniture made to their specifications. Martin supervised the construction of the house. The main part of the house had 14 foot high ceilings, while the doors were extra wide and were 8 and a 1/2 feet tall. The back part of the house was built an average size for servants and guests. Whilst touring in the summer of [[1878]], Anna found that she was pregnant for the second time. Anna went into labour on [[January 15]], 1879. Anna continued in the first stages of labour for 36 hours, at which time hard labour began. Dr. Beach, their physician, realized that the birth wasn't going in a normal direction and tried using forceps, but the baby's head was too large. He called another Doctor who also tried using forceps. They put a strong bandage around the baby's neck to assist with the delivery. The baby was born on 19 January, but he survived only 11 hours. He was the largest newborn ever recorded, at 10.6&nbsp;kg, or nearly 24 pounds and 30 inches (71 centimeters) tall and each of his feet was six inches long. Even today, the Bates' son remains the largest baby ever to be born.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} ===Final years=== To help take their minds off their baby's death, the Bates' rejoined touring with W.W. Cole in the [[summer]] of [[1879]], and again in the [[Spring (season)|spring]] of [[1880]], but that was to be their final ever tour and they retired after that. The remaining years of Anna's life were spent quietly on the farm that she and her husband owned, mostly away from the [[limelight]]. She had joined the local [[Baptist Church]] in [[1877]] and attended services, with her husband on a Sunday. The [[pew]] in which they sat had to be enlarged and modified so they could sit comfortably. Anna sometimes taught [[Sunday School]] there. ===Death and funeral=== Anna Bates died suddenly and unexpectedly in her sleep, at her home on [[5 August]] [[1888]] just one day before her 42nd birthday. She succumbed to [[heart failure]] after struggling with a [[goitre|thyroid goitre]] for some time previously. After his wife's [[death]], Captain Bates wired [[Cleveland]], Ohio, for a coffin. A standard size coffin was sent as they believed that the wire was a mistake. Furious about this, he contacted them again to say that his first wire was correct. The [[funeral]] had to be delayed as it took the coffin three further days to arrive. <ref>[http://www.tngenweb.org/scott/fnb_v7n2_the_house_giants_built.htm They Live In The House The Giants Built] ''The Cincinnati Post.'' April 17, 1948. Reprinted ''First National Bank Chronicle,'' Vol. 7, No. 2 – Winter 1996. Accessed 2008-7-8.</ref> Anna was finally buried on Monday [[13 August]]. Anna, Martin and their children are buried in Mound Hill Cemetery, [[Seville, Ohio]]. Nearby is Anna's sister Maggie, who died from [[tuberculosis]] in the spring of [[1875]] aged 22. ==See also== *[[Gigantism]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/aswan/index.htm The Anna Swan Digital Collection] *[http://www.geocities.com/weallcamefromsomewhere/Women/anna_swan.html ''A giant of a woman: Anna Haining Swan''] *[http://www.tngenweb.org/scott/images/bates_anna_hannon.jpg A photograph of Swan] *[http://www.villageofseville.com/history.html The Giants of Seville] Accessed 2008-7-8. {{Lifetime|1846|1888|Bates, Anna Haining}} [[Category:People from Colchester County, Nova Scotia]] [[Category:People with gigantism]] [[Category:Pre-Confederation Nova Scotia people]] [[Category:Scottish Canadians]] [[Category:Sideshow performers]]