Origins & Early Life

Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 – July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was an American with dwarfism who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum. Stratton was born January 4, 1838, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of a carpenter named Sherwood Edward Stratton.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Sherwood married his first cousin Cynthia Thompson, daughter of Joseph Thompson and Mary Ann Sharpe. Charles Stratton's maternal and paternal grandmothers Amy and Mary Ann Sharpe were stated to be small twin girls born on July 11, 1781 or 1783, in Oxford, Connecticut. Stratton was born a healthy, average-sized baby, weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces (4.3 kg) at birth. During the first six months of his life, he developed normally, reaching a height of 25 inches (64 cm) and weighing 15 pounds (6.8 kg). During his first year, however, his growth suddenly stopped.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After noticing that he had not grown during the following six months, his parents consulted a physician, who told them there was little chance that he would ever reach average adult height. Apart from his short stature, Stratton was a healthy child whose...

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