So far as can be gathered, the honour of being the mother of the biggest family in this country belongs to the late Mrs. Mary Jonas, of Chester, who had 33 children—15 pair of twins and three singly born.
Every child was born alive, and the record is inscribed on a headstone in Chester Cemetery. where this champion mother is buried. Thirty-four children were born to Mr, William Bon-nett, of York, but in this case they were divided between three mothers. Of the first marriage four children were born; of the second, 26, including triplets and twins; and of the third, four.
These records, however, are completely outclassed by that of an Italian woman, Signora Gionetta, of Nocera, Naples, who, in 19 years of married life, gave birth to 59 boys and three girls. In nine years she had 11 sets of tr{plets, three times she had four at a birth, and on one occasion she gave birth to five boys and a'girl.
The case is quite authentic, and 17 years ago a petition was presented to the Italian Government asking for an annual pension for the woman who hai established the world's birth re. cord.
The foregoing should restore your reputation for truth "Veritas," and here is another heavy one also cut cut from "Tit Bits" and pasted in my scrap book.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.