Nicolas Ferry
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Ferry (1741-1764) was a French
dwarf
who became renowned throughout Europe as the court dwarf
of King Stanisław Leszczyński.
, France
, the son of a farmer and his wife. He was unusually small at birth and continued to grow slowly, although all contemporary sources and surviving portraits agree that his limbs and features were in proportion to his height ("proportionate dwarfism"). His fame spread, and in 1746 he was visited by ladies from the court of Stanisław, who was also the Duke of Lorraine
and maintained a court at Lunéville
, although he was no longer King of Poland
. Stanisław sent his physician to examine the child, who was now five years old and approximately 24 inches (60 cm) tall, and subsequently sent for him. He offered Ferry's parents money in return for their son, who was to be maintained and educated in the Leszczyński household as the court dwarf.
, and he was spoiled and indulged by his master and the entire court. He played practical jokes on visitors and often behaved very badly, but he was the king's favourite and a great attraction. Those entertained by his antics included the Duc du Richelieu
and Voltaire
.
In 1759 the Polish dwarf Józef Boruwłaski visited the court. He was a witty, urbane young man of 20, shorter than Ferry and well versed in court manners. Unflattering comparisons were drawn, and Ferry became so angry that he attacked Boruwłaski and tried to throw him onto the fire. The indulgent Stanisław ordered Ferry beaten for this outrage, reportedly to his severe shock and mortification.
Ferry was also compared unfavourably with Boruwłaski by the aristocratic writer, scientist and physician Louis-Élisabeth de La Vergne de Tressan
, who visited the Lunéville court to receive an honour from Stanisław. De Tressan later delivered a paper to the French Academy of Sciences
likening Ferry to an animal in comparison with the intelligent, well-educated Polish dwarf.
Ferry remained at Stanisław's court throughout his life, eventually growing to a height of 34 inches (86 cm).
and had difficulty walking, and he suffered wasting
of the soft tissues and signs of premature aging. Eventually he became incontinent
and a chronic invalid, and died on 8 June 1764 aged 22. His skeleton was prepared and mounted for study, and is currently kept at the Musée de l'Homme
in Paris. The rest of his remains were buried in the church at Lunéville; when the church was destroyed during the French Revolution
, Ferry's inscribed mausoleum was preserved and is now at the Chateau de Lunéville. Some of Ferry's outfits are preserved in the historical museum at Nancy and there are a number of wax statues of him still in existence. A unique life-size porcelain statue of Ferry was kept at the Chateau de Lunéville, but was destroyed in a fire in 2003.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
who became renowned throughout Europe as the court dwarf
Court dwarf
Early dwarfs, whose histories were recorded, were sometimes employed as Court Dwarfs. They were owned, exploited, and traded amongst people of the court, and delivered as gifts to fellow kings and queens. Ancient Egypt saw dwarfs as being people with significant sacred associations, so owning a...
of King Stanisław Leszczyński.
Early life and discovery
Nicolas Ferry was born on 14 October 1741 in Plaine, Bas-RhinBas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the son of a farmer and his wife. He was unusually small at birth and continued to grow slowly, although all contemporary sources and surviving portraits agree that his limbs and features were in proportion to his height ("proportionate dwarfism"). His fame spread, and in 1746 he was visited by ladies from the court of Stanisław, who was also the Duke of Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
and maintained a court at Lunéville
Lunéville
Lunéville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and lies on the Meurthe River.-History:...
, although he was no longer King of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Stanisław sent his physician to examine the child, who was now five years old and approximately 24 inches (60 cm) tall, and subsequently sent for him. He offered Ferry's parents money in return for their son, who was to be maintained and educated in the Leszczyński household as the court dwarf.
Life at court
At court Ferry quickly acquired the nickname Bébé ("Baby"). He was given to the queen as a birthday present in 1747, and, after her death in 1748, he became the property of her cousin, the Princesse de Talmont. He had tutors, but proved to be of relatively low intelligence and is reported never to have learned to read or write. A small wooden house was built for him in one of the halls of the Chateau de LunévilleChâteau de Lunéville
The Château de Lunéville which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became...
, and he was spoiled and indulged by his master and the entire court. He played practical jokes on visitors and often behaved very badly, but he was the king's favourite and a great attraction. Those entertained by his antics included the Duc du Richelieu
Louis François Armand du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis was a French soldier, diplomat and statesman. Joining the army, he participated in three major wars and eventually rose to the rank of Marshal of France....
and Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
.
In 1759 the Polish dwarf Józef Boruwłaski visited the court. He was a witty, urbane young man of 20, shorter than Ferry and well versed in court manners. Unflattering comparisons were drawn, and Ferry became so angry that he attacked Boruwłaski and tried to throw him onto the fire. The indulgent Stanisław ordered Ferry beaten for this outrage, reportedly to his severe shock and mortification.
Ferry was also compared unfavourably with Boruwłaski by the aristocratic writer, scientist and physician Louis-Élisabeth de La Vergne de Tressan
Louis-Élisabeth de La Vergne de Tressan
Louis-Élisabeth de la Vergne, comte de Tressan was a French soldier, physician, scientist, medievalist and writer, best known for his adaptations of "romans chevaleresques" of the Middle Ages, which contributed to the rise of the Troubadour style in the French arts.- Biography :Aged...
, who visited the Lunéville court to receive an honour from Stanisław. De Tressan later delivered a paper to the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
likening Ferry to an animal in comparison with the intelligent, well-educated Polish dwarf.
Ferry remained at Stanisław's court throughout his life, eventually growing to a height of 34 inches (86 cm).
Decline and death
Ferry's health declined in his late teens. He developed a hunchbackKyphosis
Kyphosis , also called roundback or Kelso's hunchback, is a condition of over-curvature of the thoracic vertebrae...
and had difficulty walking, and he suffered wasting
Wasting
In medicine, wasting refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to "waste" away. Wasting is sometimes referred to as "acute malnutrition" because it is believed that episodes of wasting have a short duration, in contrast to stunting, which is regarded as...
of the soft tissues and signs of premature aging. Eventually he became incontinent
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is any involuntary leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence almost always results from an underlying treatable medical condition but is under-reported to medical practitioners...
and a chronic invalid, and died on 8 June 1764 aged 22. His skeleton was prepared and mounted for study, and is currently kept at the Musée de l'Homme
Musée de l'Homme
The Musée de l'Homme was created in 1937 by Paul Rivet for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. It is the descendant of the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro, founded in 1878...
in Paris. The rest of his remains were buried in the church at Lunéville; when the church was destroyed during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Ferry's inscribed mausoleum was preserved and is now at the Chateau de Lunéville. Some of Ferry's outfits are preserved in the historical museum at Nancy and there are a number of wax statues of him still in existence. A unique life-size porcelain statue of Ferry was kept at the Chateau de Lunéville, but was destroyed in a fire in 2003.
Further reading
- Bondeson, Jan, The Pig-faced Lady of Manchester Square & Other Medical Marvels (Tempus, 2000, ISBN 0 7524 2968 X)
- Granat, Jean & Peyre, Évelyne, Bébé, le nain de la cour de Stanislas Leczinski à Lunéville Actes. Société française d'histoire de l'art dentaire, 2006,11. French-language paper describing a study of Ferry's skeleton, skull and teeth, lacking an English translation but with illustrations of contemporary paintings and sculptures of Ferry.