Daniel Lambert was known as ‘Britain’s fattest man". People paid good money to see the enormous man and he even achieved celebrity status because of his weight. Visitors were obliged to remove their hats on meeting the man and were expected to engage in polite and intellectual conversation.
One Morning in 1809, Daniel Lambert woke up and had a shave but he began feeling short of breath and within minutes he collapsed. By 8.30am that morning, he died.
Daniel’s 52-stone body proved a problem. They couldn't carry him through the door so a wall and a window had to be demolished to remove his body. The undertaker had to build a custom made coffin six feet four inches long, four feet four inches wide, looking almost like a square case. The Stamford Mercury described a box crafted from “112 superficial feet of elm, built upon two axle trees and four clog-wheels and upon these, the remains of the fat man were rolled into his grave
