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| 614 Old Highway 601, Mt Airy, NC 27030, USA (Mt. Airy, North Carolina)
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White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery
The land upon which White Plains Baptist Church and its cemetery stand were donated by the famous conjoined twins, Chang and Eng Bunker. The twins were been born in Siam (now known as Thailand). They were billed as the "Siamese Twins" in exhibitions and stage appearances due to their country of origin. The term "Siamese twins" remains common slang for conjoined twins in modern day. Besides donating the land, the twin brothers also helped to build the original wooden church. The original church still stands, despite a new brick one having been built since. Chang and Eng are buried together in the cemetery in a coffin specially built to hold both of them. Their wives and some of their other relatives are also interred in the cemetery.
Chang and Eng's Early Years
Originally named In-Jan (Earth-Moon), the twins were born in Lad Yai, along the banks of the Mae Klong River, the sons of a fisherman and his wife. Legend has it that King Rama II ordered the twins put to death as youths, fearing them to be bad luck for their country. There doesn't appear to be any evidence to back this claim. There are also tales of them being named diplomats by King Rama III and of the king showering the boys with gifts. The hard lives their family lived in Siam suggests otherwise.
When the boys were only eight years old, cholera took the lives of their father and five of their siblings. The boys supported their mother and remaining brother and sister by selling duck eggs. In 1829, Scottish merchant Robert Hunter met the conjoined twins while traveling through their area. Hunter convinced the boys to come with him to start a career in show business. It is said that Hunter promised their mother $3,000 for allowing them to leave with him, but ultimately gave her less than $500. While the boys were to be paid, the arrangement was basically one of slavery, with Chang and Eng having to work for Hunter until the age of 21 years.
Their names were changed to Chang and Eng when the brothers entered the entertainment industry. Chang and Eng learned English and developed new talents such as tumbling and playing flutes to entertain crowds. Hunter put Captain Abel Coffin in charge of the twins for their new career. During their time with Coffin they were bringing in roughly $1,000 per month but were being paid anywhere from $10 to $50 each month. While not abused, the young men were well aware of how they were being used and noticed that Abel Coffin always had better accommodations than they did during their constant traveling.
Chang and Eng on Their Own
As agreed upon, Chang and Eng were released at the age of 21 and were free men. The young men began representing themselves and continued in show business. The twins fortune changed and the two amassed a small fortune in the years that followed. They traveled to many countries and their fame continued to increase.
The twins changed their names legally to Chang and Eng Bunker. There are a couple of different stories as to how they came upon choosing this name. One story has them naming themselves after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The other story (and the most likely one) is that they took the name from a family that they befriended in New York and whom they were very close with.
In 1839, Chang and Eng decided to settle down in North Carolina. They bought a store there initially, but eventually sold it and bought a tobacco plantation and slaves to work it. They became respected members of the community, and eventually married a pair of sisters in 1843. While there was some objection over the marriage due to both ethnicity and the twins being conjoined, the girl's parents consented eventually. Chang fathered 10 children with his wife and Eng 11 with his. While they initially all lived in the same home, fighting between the sisters caused them to break the household into two separate homes in 1852, which Chang and Eng would take turns living in.
In 1865, the Union Army attempted to draft North Carolina citizens by means of a lottery. Eng was apparently chosen by lottery, but Chang refused to go. The Union had no choice but to leave them be. Each of the twins had a son fight for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Their sons survived the war, though both suffered war injuries. Chang's son spent the latter part of the war as a prisoner of the Union Army.
The twins would return to show business on occasion to further support their large families. It wasn't until these shows later in life that they would come to work with showman P.T. Barnum. Barnum had displayed life-sized wax figurines of the two in his museum in the decades prior. This has led to some to mistakenly believe that Barnum had been involved in their early show business careers.
The Deaths of Chang and Eng
Chang, known for his heavy drinking (Eng was a non-drinker), suffered a stroke while the twins were playing poker with the president of Liberia (Eng was known for his fondness for the game) in 1870 while the twins were touring overseas. The incident greatly weakened the health of Chang. On January 17, 1874, Eng awoke to find that his twin had died. A terrified Eng lay attached to his dead brother while his family desperately sought a doctor to separate the living brother from the dead one. Within two and a half hours Eng joined his brother in death.
A double coffin was built for the twins, and they were kept initially in the family basement for fear that someone might disturb their remains in pursuit of gruesome souvenirs. Chang and Eng were then briefly buried in the front yard of Chang's house. They were removed when their wives agreed to allow the College of Physicians of Philadelphia to examine the bodies. On February 18, the bodies were briefly exhibited to medicine practitioners at the college's Mutter Museum.
The findings of the autopsy were revealed at that time. Chang's death has alternately been attributed to a blood clot in his brain, pneumonia or pulmonary edema. The cause of Eng's death was said to have been caused either by the extreme fright and shock he experienced during his final hours or sepsis from his dead brother's stagnant blood making its way into his system. Eng had been in good health and no other cause was found for his death. It had been observed that when Chang was drunk, Eng appeared not to experience the effects of alcohol. This evidence of separate circulatory systems, combined with other findings leads to fright and shock being the more likely cause of death.
It was also revealed that the twins had been conjoined mainly by ligaments, skin and a tiny bit of their livers. The two could have successfully been separated in life had the technology been available to safely determine how exactly the twins were connected. If a doctor had arrived in time after Chang's death, it is likely he could have saved Eng through separation.
The twins were then interred once again in Chang's yard. They remained there until 1917, when they were relocated to the White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery. Their conjoined livers and a death cast remain on display at the Mutter Museum.
Chang and Eng in Media
The story of Chang and Eng has inspired stories, books, and a musical. Mark Twain wrote a short story about them titled The Siamese Twins around about 1868 when the twins were still alive. It is also said that author Herman Melville saw one of their performances and may have been influenced by them.
A book about the twins titled The Two: The Story of the Original Siamese Twins by Amy and Irving Wallace was published in 1978. This was followed by David R. Collins book Eng & Chang: The Original Siamese Twins in 1994.
BBC Radio produced and broadcast a radio play about the brothers titled United States on June 17, 1996. In 1997, a musical titled Chang & Eng premiered on the stage in Singapore. The musical shows the lives of the twins from the age of eight up through shortly before they died. Chang & Eng ran in Singapore until 2002, when it went on the road. It continues to play throughout Asia. Author Darin Strauss wrote a novel based on their lives titled Chang and Eng. There have been rumors about a movie being produced based on Strauss's novel for years but nothing seems to have come from it.
The Church and Cemetery Today
As mentioned previously, the church that Chang and Eng helped build still stands. However, an expanding congregation necessitated the construction of a new larger church building in the 1950s. New land was purchased adjacent to the original property and a larger brick church was constructed. A Christian school was added in 1971.
The shared grave of Chang and Eng lies under a large gravestone that also serves as a marker for both of their wives. A historical marker in front of the churchyard informs passerby of this being the final resting place of the famous twins.
The Bunkers have a huge number of descendants still residing in the local area; a thousand or more depending on some estimates. |
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| Related Sites |
Wikipedia: Chang and Eng Bunker
Wikipedia entry for famous conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. |
White Plains Baptist Church, Mt. Airy, NC
Web site for the church in North Carlina where "Siamese twins" Chang and Eng are buried. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Demise of Chang and Eng (01/17/09) |
| Blog: The Siamese Twins of the Mutter Museum (05/11/09) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Chang and Eng |
Eng & Chang: The Original Siamese Twins |
Eng and Chang: the Original Siamese Twins (People in Focus) |
The Two: The Story of the Original Siamese Twins |
Pudd'nhead Wilson ;: And, Those extraordinary twins |
Eng-Chang (Reprint 15" x 24") |
I Love Chang and Eng Bunker Long Sleeve T-shirt |
I Love Chang and Eng Bunker Sweatshirt |
I Love Chang and Eng Bunker Mug |
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