Wiltshire Barmaid Eaten by Tiger
In 1703 Hannah Twnnoy, 33, had the dubious honour of being the first (and last?) person in Britain killed by a tiger. Twnnoy, a barmaid in the Wiltshire town of Malmesbury, apparently teased the tiger, who was part of a travelling circus. The tiger wasn’t amused. It broke free and ate her.
Her gravestone reads:
In memory of
Hannah Twynnoy
Who died October 23rd 1703
Aged 33 Years.
In bloom of Life
She’s snatchd from hence
She had not room
To make defence;
For Tyger fierce
Took Life away
And here she lies
In a bed of Clay.
Until the Resurrection Day.