One day, his father beat him for his failures, causing Merrick to leave home. His uncle took him in, but after two years, he couldn’t afford to support his nephew. Merrick then found a job at the Leicester Union Workhouse.
For four years, he worked with men between the ages of 16 and 60. He despised the job and eventually came up with the idea of using his looks for a freak show act.
In 1884, Merrick began his new career and was advertised as “half a man, half an elephant.” He performed in Leicester, London, and Nottingham under the management of Sam Torr. Later that same year, he was taken in by Tom Norman, a shop owner in East London who displayed human oddities.
The shop was located across the street from London Hospital, where Dr. Frederick Treves worked. One day, he was driven by curiosity to check out “The Elephant Man.”
He was shocked when he caught sight of Merrick’s disfigured body and asked if he could bring him in for an examination at the hospital. Merrick soon grew tired of being studied for science, but by then, freak shows were dropping in popularity due to concerns about ethicality.
His managers shipped him off to Belgium, hoping that the laws wouldn’t be so strict over there. However, his new manager stole his money upon his arrival in Belgium and abandoned him.
Merrick eventually made his way back to London in 1886, where he drew the attention of crowds. Police detained him and contacted Dr. Treves to pick him up. The doctor brought Merrick back to the hospital and determined that the now 24-year-old suffered from a heart condition. He also declared that Merrick only had a few years left to live.
He spent the last four years of his life happily in the hospital’s care. He even met a woman who didn’t run away screaming at the sight of him. Throughout all his hardships, Merrick remained positive.
On April 11, 1890, he was found dead in his bed at just 27-years-old. He had died from asphyxia and dislocated his neck, trying to sleep while lying down. His skeleton was preserved at the Royal London Hospital.
