A woman who claimed to have given birth to rabbits. Housewife Mary Toft emerged out of obscurity in April 1726 in Godalming, Surrey, England. She told a curious story of having been working in the held on St. George’s Day when a very large rabbit suddenly appeared and sexually assaulted her. The bizarre nature of the tale was offset by her reputation in the village as a level-headed woman who was not prone to telling such stories. Villagers speculated that the rabbit was some kind of Demon released for a few hours on St. George’s Day.
The story apparently ended at that point, but five months later Toft became ill. The physician who examined her reported feeling what appeared to be something alive in her. He saw her regularly during the next month until, he later reported, she gave birth to five rabbits. His account was published far and wide. A short time later, the physician announced that seven more baby rabbits had been born. Two London physicians who had denounced the whole affair then went to Godalming and observed (or thought they observed) two further rabbits born. Another prominent physician came to Godalming soon afterward and was there for the birth of a 15th rabbit.