manx heritage foundation

Born in 1824 in Sulby, Isle of Man, Arthur Caley eventually grew to 711”, and was probably the tallest man in the world during his life. He left the Island to seek his fortune and eventually found his way to Paris where he was a popular figure in the salons. The story might have ended there after his death in 1852, if it werent for the fact that a few years later he appeared in New York, and joined Barnum and Baileys Circus as one of their star attractions! No one really knows what happened in Paris. Was his death an insurance fraud, and was it true that a giant tree trunk was buried in the coffin instead of him? New research brings together, for the first time, all the known facts and sheds a fascinating light on one of the most enigmatic Manxmen ever to have lived.