The Tragic Life Story of the Conjoined Hilton Sisters
One of the most famous conjoined twins in modern history.
Also referred to as Siamese Twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton were conjoined twins born in the early 20th century in England. They were connected at the hip and buttocks. The doctors at the time of their birth said that if they were separated, one or both would die.
If they were born today, I’m sure they would’ve been surgically separated because they were not like most conjoined twins. Both had their own organs and only shared blood circulation.
Daisy and Violet’s mother left them shortly after they were born. The sisters spent their early life being displayed in sideshows. They became quite famous when they moved to the United States. Then even appeared in a couple of movies.
However, before receiving emancipation, they suffered a lot at the hands of their guardians. Here’s a brief look at the tragic lives of one of the most famous conjoined twins in modern history.
‘They Will Die Within a Month’
Born in Brighton, England, in February of 1908, Daisy and Violet Hilton were conjoined twins connected at the pelvis and buttocks. The day they were born, doctors said that they will be dead within a month. However, they lived for the next sixty years.
‘I’m Not Keeping These Monsters’
Kate Skinner, Daisy and Violet’s mother, at the time of their birth wasn’t married. This was the time when children with birth defects were considered ‘monsters’ in the United Kingdom. Skinner believed that this was a punishment for her sins so she sold them to Mary Hilton.
Daisy and Violet referred to Mary as “Auntie”. Mary soon realized that she could actually capitalize off of their condition. Meanwhile, their biological mother, Skinner, had two more children, a boy named Frederick in 1910, and a girl named Ethel Kate in 1912. Skinner passed away at the of 25, just a month after Ethel’s birth.
They Were Put On Display
Mary Hilton saw the conjoined twin thing as an opportunity rather than a liability. She decided to display the girls in a British pub’s rear room in her sideshow. People could see the twins for two pennies. Some people used to lift up their shirts to see if they were really conjoined or not. The sisters wrote in their book.
“Our earliest and only recollections are the penetrating smell of brown ale, cigars and pipes and the movements of the visitors’ hands which were forever lifting our baby clothes to see just how we were attached to each other.”
The Mental & Physical Abuse
Auntie had several men in her life, all of whom the girls called “Sir.” Daisy and Violet were physically and emotionally abused and mistreated by Auntie and the various “Sirs” they encountered over the years. And Auntie made sure the twins knew they had to perform for her; their purpose was to make her money. If the girls didn’t do as they were asked, they were hit and slapped.
Auntie was very active sexually and had several men in her life. The poor twins were physically and emotionally abused by the Auntie and the men she dated over the years. Auntie wanted the girls to know that their only purpose was to make her rich. The girls were often beaten if they didn’t follow the orders.
“When we displeased her, she whipped our backs and shoulders with the buckle end of that belt.”
This is what they wrote in their memoir.
No Entry In The United States Because You Are “Medically Unfit”
When the girls were three years old, Hilton had already taken them to Germany and Australia. She had some success there but wanted more, so she set her eyes on the U.S.
In 1915, when the girls turned eight, Hilton took them to San Francisco. Initially, they were denied entry on the grounds of being “medically unfit.” Hilton was a clever woman, she involved the local media and that’s when the relevant authorities allowed them to enter America.
The Guardians Were Their “Owners”
When Hilton died, Edith, her daughter became the official guardian of the twins. She alongside her husband, Myer Myers, took care of them. Myers was an Australian salesperson. The girls referred to Edith and Myers as their owners. The couple didn’t let the twins out of their sight. They all slept in the same room because they feared that someone might abduct the twins.
Practice The Vaudeville Act Or Get Institutionalized
Staying with the Myerses was like staying in a jail cell for Daisy and Violet. The twins were forced to practice their vaudeville act, which included playing the violin and saxophone for several hours. If they didn’t listen, they were tortured. Myers also threatened to send them to a special institution if they ever tried to escape.
The Girls Earned Thousands But Never Received a Cent
In the 1920s, when the twins became teenagers, they started making good money. They worked alongside legends like Bob Hope and Charlie Chaplin. At one point, they earned more than $5000 a week which was HUGE back then. But sadly they didn’t get any of it. The Myerses took it all and the twins were not allowed near the money they earned themselves.
Illusionist Harry Houdini Change Their Lives
Harry Houdini, the renowned illusionist took a keen interest in helping the girls and told them to understand more about their situation. The twins didn’t realize how famous they were. They eventually hired attorney Martin Arnold on Houdini’s advice. Arnold helped the 21-year-old twins get free from the Myerses. In 1931, Daisy and Violet finally received emancipation and were awarded $100,000.
No Marriage Certificates Because It Would Be Immoral
The world opened up for the twins after emancipation. It meant that there was a possibility of romance and sexual relationships. But it also meant that if one sister took a lover, the other sister right by her side too. That was awkward. Violet once said,
“Why, I just turn over and read a book and eat an apple.”
At one point, both the sisters got married but at different times. Violet was denied a marriage license in 21 states when she wanted to marry a musician. It was considered “immoral and indecent.” But eventually, the twins did get married. However, their marriages weren’t successful and didn’t last long.
The Film “Freaks” And the Autobiography
The girls appeared in the 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning. The film boosted their fame. They published their autobiography The Lives and Loves of the Hilton Sisters in 1942. At one place, Daisy wrote,
We [were] lonely, rich girls who were really paupers living in practical slavery.
She further added,
I’m not a machine; I’m a woman. I should have the right to live like one.
They Suffered From Monetary Issues Later In Life
As the twins grew old, they struggled financially. In 1951, they did a film about their lives called Chained for Life. A few years later, they opened a hot dog stand. The other hot dog vendors who worked near their stand were upset because they thought that the “freaks” will take away their business. However, the twins failed.
Their tour manager quit in 1961 because their appeal was fading away. They ended working in a grocery store as cashiers. The store owner designed a counter especially for them so that they could work together.
Daisy Passed Away a Few Days Before Violet
The twins lived a long life defying all odds. One day in January 1969, they didn’t show up at work. The authorities went to their home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to check if everything was okay. They were dead. Medical reports showed that Daisy died first, and Violet a few days later. Both died of the flu. The doctors believed that Violet was too sick to call for help. The twins were sixty years old at the time of death and were buried in Forest Lawn West Cemetery in Charlotte.