Mary Jane (Potterton) Merrick: Joseph’s Mother was named Mary Jane Potterton before she married into the Merrick Family and in turn became a Merrick. Mary Jane was born in a place called Evington, Leicestershire in 1836 to William Potterton and Elizabeth Robinson. Now Mary herself was, according to family accounts “crippled” and at the age of 25 years old. She married a local cab Driver by the name of Joseph Rockley Merrick. Joseph Carey Merrick was born on 5th August 1862 at 50 Lee Street in the City of Leicester and was in turn named after his father Joseph Merrick and William Carey, who was a Baptist Minister. Mary Jane Potterton Merrick passed away from Bronchial pneumonia on May 29th 1873, at the age of just 36, when Joseph was only 11 years old. Mary Jane showed unfailing gentleness and love towards her son, in turn teaching him to read and write. When Joseph Merrick went on tour as the “Elephant Man” he wrote in his show pamphlet “Peace to her, she was a good mother to me Proteus Syndrome: When Joseph moved to London in 1886 after being rescued from Europe. He was admitted to the London Hospital and placed under the care of Dr Frederick Treves. After a successful crowd funding exercise in the Times Newspaper, enough money was raised to convert part of the hospital into a flat for Joseph and where he could and did live permanently until his death at the tender age of just 27 years old. Dr Treves at the time diagnosed Joseph to be suffering from a medical condition known as Neurofibromatosis, however it was proven subsequently in 1986 by the Canadian Geneticists Tibbles and Cohen that Joseph Merrick was actually afflicted by the much rarer condition known as Proteus Syndrome. To give you an idea as to how rare this condition is, it affects less than 1 per million people and there have only ever been 200 cases ever recorded of this syndrome. Charles Merrick: Charles Barnabas Merrick was Joseph’s Uncle and in turn looked after Joseph when he was between the ages of 15 and 17 years old, before Joseph entered the Leicester Union Workhouse in Leicester, where he would spend a total of 4 years of his life, before moving to London. Charles was also asked and indeed did identify Joseph’s body after he had passed away at the London Hospital. Charles Barnabas Merrick was born in 1846 in Leicester and he died at the age of 79 years in 1925. Conclusion: Joseph’s Life as I am sure we would all agree was very tragic being afflicted with such a rare and debilitating condition that was subsequently diagnosed as Proteus Syndrome. He was however eventually in a place where he could feel safe and loved at the London Hospital, where he would spend the remainder of his life, before passing away at the tender age of just 27 years old. Joseph would always sign off his letters with an excerpt from the Poem by Isaac Watts entitled “False Greatness” Another interesting fact is that Joseph Merrick Lived in the same Whitechapel neighbourhood as Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols and Catherine “Kate” Eddowes, who were both Victims of Jack the Ripper in 1888. Now Joseph wanted a Christian burial and he is actually buried in the same Cemetery as the two victims which is the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium