1934: the Dionne Quintuplets
by A glimpse at the famous Dionne quintuplets that were born in 1934.
The media is abuzz with the news of the Octuplets born a short while ago although this is rare we can still look into the past to find quintuplets that were born in 1934 that was also rare for that time. In my research I happened on this story of the Dionne quintuplets and what made these babies so different was that they were all girls and identical. They were born without the help of infertility which makes it very rare. Like the Octuplets these babies were surrounded by media and finally the government of Canada.
The Dionne quintuplets were born on May 28th, 1934. They were born just outside of Callander, Ontario, Canada by Dr. Allen Roy Defoe and the help of two midwives, the parents that had five children at home. They were the first quintuplets that had ever been born and survived. The parents were very poor and had problems taking care of the children they had at home but despite this the six babies did go home with them. The community tried to help as much as possible. The Dionne’s called their girls Annette, Cecile, Marie, Yvonne and Emilie.
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Regardless of the help of the community the government did step in and removed all six babies from the home. It is reported that Mrs. Dionne protested but the government wasn’t listening although she still had part guardianship over the girls it was on paper only and the girls were removed completely from the family. I’m assuming this happens in our world today with children, maybe not quintuplets but surely with individual children and families, there would be an outcry from the public as well as Government. Today the courts and governments goal is to keep families together if possible. The Dionne quintuplets became the ward of the government until they were 18.
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The Government built the Defoe Hospital and Nursery just across the street from the family. This building was erected especially for the children, the doctor and staff to care for the babies. An observation gallery was built so that the thousands of people that wanted to see the babies could observe the daily activities. The babies were brought outside twice daily and the people that came to see them were charged for this privilege with the money being handled by the Government. The whole set up for these babies had the atmosphere of a theme park and the government called it “Quintland”.
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Post Commentdenus
On February 9, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Interesting piece to read after the one on the mother that had them not long ago, well done!
Christine Ramsay
On February 9, 2009 at 1:22 pm
What an interesting article. I think the way the children were removed from home to be gawped by the public is dreadful. I hope that would not happen today.
Christine
Joni Keith
On February 9, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I remember watching a show about these girls. It was really quite sad the way the government made them into a circus act of sorts. This story is very different than the story of Nadya Suleman who actually has given birth to fourteen children through in vitro fertilation. I don’t think anything this tragic could happen to those children in this day and age.
Ruby Hawk
On February 9, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I have always had an interest in the Dionne quintuplets. The poor girls were raised in a labratory sitting and from what I read they never felt like part of the family after their mother got them home. They were always isolated and apart. They had a sad life.
Bren Parks
On February 9, 2009 at 8:19 pm
It is terrible what they did to these children…great read!
Catelin Hoover
On February 9, 2009 at 10:55 pm
yaffel
Very well done. I can’t begin to even comprehend the hurt this caused so many.
Mythili Kannan
On February 11, 2009 at 12:25 pm
oh no… babies should not be separted from parents, esp moms
Yovita Siswati
On February 12, 2009 at 1:49 am
Interesting read. I never knew this story before. A sad story. Great work Yaffel. I wonder what’s your next article.
nrm
On February 15, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Hi Yaffel, I can’t believe the government placed the babies across the road from their parents, that is so cruel. It is also shocking that they were marketed in such a way, as if they were animals at the circus. Once again your writing is informing, historical, contemporary and highly interesting!
Jane Anderson
On March 10, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I was only six years old when the gils were born—My what a lot of commotion this made. We all knew their names, and wanted to know everything about them. They were real celebtities! I had paper dolls of them and played with them all of the time.—The doctor, Dr. Defoe, did quite well and acted as though they were his children.-Peaple would pay, and line up to see them through the fence twice a day. They never seemed to be too happy, and I think they didn’t have much of a life.
lala
On March 11, 2009 at 5:00 pm
what happened to the mother??
Mark Allen - Los Angeles, CA
On June 30, 2009 at 12:33 am
My Mother, Gloria, and her half-sister, Patty-Ann, and their parents, Capt. Irv Clarke and his wife Marjorie, visited the “Quints” in the summer of 1936 and were able to view them very briefly in person, but were allowed to visit with the father Oliva Dionne several times. They took many photos of the surroundings which shows the fences and somewhat cold appearance of the birthplace and of the nurses home and police headquarters. My grandfather also made an 8mm movie of the trip to Callendar, Ontario, Canada, including some of the area around the Quints “compound”. My Mother is now 86 and remembers it very clearly. She said that she felt sad for the girls later on in her life; at the time her father explained to her how they lived, and that nearly every day the cars of “visitors”…spectators, lined up in rows in front of the nurses home police headquarters. She said at the time her parents reassured she and her sister, Patty-Ann who was four at the time, that the girls were well cared for and happy. Years later Mother figured out from news reports that it was not the case. But she and her sister played with the paper dolls, and the small dolls that they dressed up – she also remembers that they had cups, saucers and alot of other items her parents bought for them as gifts. My Mother married in 1943, and after that she did not really pay much attention to the “Quints” news – but remembers the death of the first one and that “stories” were circulating then about their unhappiness – Mother lived in 1936-1940 in Auburn, Fleming Township, NY. Her father was a NYS Trooper and was appointed by the NYS Attorney General as investigator of kidnapping and violent crimes – he was also assigned as one of the main body guards for Gov Al Smith and later Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt (later President), both of NYS. As a result they were allowed special – personal, private meetings with the family – but the children were behind a glass wall in a nursery most of the time, and they did not get to see them beyond that wall of glass but only a couple of times, but they did get to meet and see the father, and she has a signed photo by the father of the “Quints” Sept. 11th, 1936. She remembers that they were in Callendar for several days, but cannot recall where they stayed. I would love to hear of any other first-hand accounts and any updates of the last remaining daughter’s, Annette and Cecile. Email: MarkEAllen63@yahoo.com
bailey
On July 26, 2009 at 4:12 pm
the movie was awsome i miss the qwintuplits