An 18th century biscuit made to commemorate the philanthropy of a set of conjoined twins is to be sold at auction.
Biddenden Cakes were rectangular hard biscuits moulded with an image of Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, known as the Biddenden Maids.
The twins were born in the village of Biddenden in Kent in 1100 and lived until the age of 34.
Tradition has it that when one of the twins died the other refused to be separated from her twin, saying ‘As we came together we will go together’, and died six hours later.
The sisters are reputed to have bequeathed land to the village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands, the rent from which was used to pay an annual dole of food and drink to the poor at Easter.