Searches for “Thomas Wadhouse nose” and “Thomas Wedders longest nose” spike every few months. The number most people quote is 7.5 inches, or 19 cm. But where did this come from, and how reliable is it? This evidence-first breakdown traces the figure through Victorian medical books, magazine retellings, and modern record keepers.
Where the 7.5-inch number originated
The earliest widely available reference appears in late-19th-century medical compilations. George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle’s Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine summarized the case of “Thomas Wedders (or Wadhouse),” noting that his nose measured 7.5 inches and that he was exhibited around Yorkshire. That single passage seeded later retellings and the illustration that still circulates online.
The role of Victorian magazines
Popular periodicals repeated the anecdote, adding flourish and period attitudes about “curiosities.” This media echo helped cement the number long before photography or standardized anthropometry reached mass use.
How modern record keepers treat the claim
Guinness World Records lists Thomas Wedders as the historical longest nose on a person and explains why the exact verification cannot meet modern protocol. Guinness separates historical accounts from the contemporary category that requires repeatable measurements on living individuals under controlled conditions.
So was Thomas Wedders longest nose really 7.5 inches?
Short answer: It is the most credible number we have from period sources, which are consistent across references.
Long answer: The figure is not verifiable by today’s standards. Treat it as a historically reported measurement, not a modern clinical record.
What matters for readers today
- Use both spellings when you search: Thomas Wadhouse and Thomas Wedders.
- Distinguish between historical reports and modern Guinness categories for living record holders.
- Use original or authoritative references, not recycled social posts.
