My Genealogy Hound

Bridgeport, Connecticut, Charles Sherwood Stratton, General Tom Thumb, Tombstone and Grave, photos

The tombstone and grave of Charles Sherwood Statton, better known by his stage name of General Tom Thumb, in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Born as an larger than average baby at 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Stratton was born January 4, 1838 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Despite his large size at birth, Stratton made little further growth. By the age of thirteen, he measured only 29 inches tall. At age eighteen, Stratton had grown to only 32 and one half inches tall. A distant cousin of Stratton, the showman P. T. Barnum, took Stratton starting at the age of five on a series of well received tours of the United States and Europe. So well received was Stratton as General Tom Thumb that he became one of the most well known celebrities of his day. Under the management of Barnum, Stratton in time became very wealthy and attracted news headlines where ever he appeared. Twice, he appeared before Queen Victoria of England. After Stratton married the equally small of stature Lavinia Warren (born as Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump) on February 10, 1863, the couple stood atop a grand piano at the Metropolitan Hotel in New York City to greet more than 10,000 guests. After the marriage ceremony, the couple traveled to the White House to be received by President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary. A leading periodical of the day, Harper's Weekly, featured the newly married couple on their cover.

When P. T. Barnum was forced into bankruptcy due to bad business investments, Stratton came to his aid offering his assistance. In time, Barnum's financial health was restored and he was able to resume his promotional efforts which included appearances of General Tom Thumb. On July 15, 1883, while at Bridgeport, Connecticut, Stratton suffered a sudden stroke and died. He was 45 years old. At the time of his death, Stratton measured 40" tall and weighed 71 pounds. He was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, Connecticut, a short distance across the driveway from where his friend, P. T. Barnum, would be buried in 1891. A crowd estimated at over 20,000 attended his funeral. Small in stature in life, the tombstone of Charles Sherwood Statton - General Tom Thumb features a tall column topped by a life size statue of himself. Ironically, Stratton had the statue of himself sculpted in marble when he was only nineteen years old. The original statue of Stratton was destroyed by vandals in 1959. The statue was restored and again sits high above the column overseeing the large cemetery. See the additional photos below.

Charles Sherwood Statton - General Tom Thumb standing beside a normal sized chair. Many photos of Stratton show him standing either on a chair or beside a chair to provide a sense of his size. This photo is from about 1863.

Charles S. Stratton - General Tom Thumb married Lavinia Warren on February 10, 1863. It was the biggest celebrity wedding of the era. Stratton is about 33 inches tall at this time. The best man was Commodore George Washington Nutt; the bridesmaid was Minnie Warren, the sister of the bride. The best man and bridesmaid were of even smaller stature than the newly wedded couple.