Thomas Hills Everitt was born in February 1779, the son of the manager of a paper mill by the River Lea at Enfield, Middlesex. The image caption states that Thomas had been normal sized at birth. An article in the Gentleman’s Magazine in 1780 informed readers that it was the father’s idea, and not the mother’s, to exhibit their unusually large son in London. Thomas was exhibited daily from 11 am until 4 pm at Mr Owen’s, a confectioner at 66 Cornhill. Thomas died in 1780. At this time, more than one in five babies died before reaching their first birthday. Perhaps Thomas would not have survived childhood, but it is likely that his sojourn in London and constant contact with the public contributed to cutting short his brief life.