General Tom Thumb Wedding Party, 1863

General Tom Thumb Wedding Party, 1863

Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 - July 15, 1883), "General Tom Thumb", was an American dwarf performer. P.T. Barnum, a distant relative (half fifth cousin, twice removed), heard about Stratton and after contacting his parents, taught the boy how to sing, dance, mime, and impersonate famous people. Barnum took young Stratton on a tour of Europe, making him an international celebrity. His marriage with a little person, Lavinia Warren (October 31, 1842 - November 25, 1919), became front-page news. The wedding took place at Grace Episcopal Church and the wedding reception was held at the Metropolitan Hotel. The best man at the wedding was Commodore Nutt, another dwarf performer in Barnum's employ. Following the wedding, the couple was received by President Lincoln at the White House. Under Barnum's management, Stratton became a wealthy man. He owned houses, a steam yacht, and he had a wardrobe of fine clothes. When Barnum got into financial difficulty, Stratton bailed him out. Later, they became business partners. Stratton died unexpectedly of a stroke in 1883, at the age of 45. Over 20,000 people attended the funeral. Warren died in 1919 at the age of 77 and is buried next to her first husband with a simple gravestone that reads: "His Wife."

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