 Hasted 's arguments were largely accepted by influential historian Robert Chambers , and the story was generally treated as a folk myth . A letter to the British Medical Journal in 1869 pointed out that <unk> were not in use in Kent in the 12th century , and that in older styles of English handwriting the 1 and 5 characters could easily be confused , and suggested a correct <unk> of 1500 . The Biddenden Maids were occasionally mentioned in pieces on conjoined twins , particularly after Chang and <unk> Bunker proved that conjoined twins could live to an advanced age and lead relatively normal lives . Notes and <unk> magazine called in 1866 for a close examination of Biddenden documents , the editors describing Hasted 's conclusions as " very obscure and unsatisfactory " and questioning why the names " Eliza and Mary Chulkhurst " should have been added to the design of cakes granted by a family named Preston , but no significant research into the tradition was carried out . 
