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Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: CarolineCav on Saturday 22 December 07 09:02 GMT (UK)
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My first post to this board. I have 4 generations of Samwell (Samwells / Samuell) circus performers and managers - mainly equestrians, but also slack wire artists, rope dancers, dog handlers, ringmasters, acrobats, gymnasts - from early 1800s-early 1900s. Altho they travelled extensively around the world, most shows were on the English circuit but one line of the family moved to USA in 1870s. I already have a lot of info on all families, but always hopeful that more will turn up.
I would really like to find references from the 1700s. In an interview in the late 1800s, one of the Samwells commented that the family was in the industry in the 1700s, altho the earliest confirmed 'sighting' I have is from 1807 as Samwell's Circus on the road.
My earliest ancestor is William Samwell, born about 1790 - a bit young to be the head of the 1807 troupe so I suspect there was an earlier generation. If so, this puts the Samwells amongst the very early travelling circus shows.
As there were 4 generations, many well-known circus names married into (or the Samwells married 'out of') the family - Partridge (Ginnette), Lee, Julien, Bowen, Walker, Cornwall, Whiteley. As well as having their own Samwells Royal Circus (or without the Royal), they also performed with various circuses - Hengler, Cooke, Hughes, Pablo, Ginnette - too many to list here!
Happy to share info (most of my references are from The Era and from John Turner).
If you see a Samwell in passing, please holler! Thanks,
Caroline.
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you probably have these, but posting just in case:
http://libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/Circus/Cir2/images/C-141a.jpg
http://passingthrough.wetpaint.com/page/Marriages+-+Grooms?t=anon
also suspect the Tom Samuels listed might also be a Samwell...
http://www.circushistory.org/Olympians/OlympiansS1.htm
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Yes, am aware - I posted the names and events on the site, but thanks for thinking of me!
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Pretty fun family history to look into, I should imagine! ;D J.J.
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Hello Caroline,
Nice to see you here. Where else do you go to discuss circus history now that John's site and the Fairground Heritage Trust (hosting old galloper stuff) have gone so quiet?
This page is okay but I find it very cluttered with them mixing up Circus people with the Gypsey/Romany travellers. Not that I have anything against Gypsey/Romany but they have nothing to do with Circus history :) It seems that there are no circus people posting or lurking here?
www.fun-fairs.co.uk run a circus forum but that is mostly current performers in the UK and, even then, there are very few contributors. I do miss thegalloper :)
kind regards
Jim
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Caroline trying to get in touch regarding Samwells and picture in Acle , we putting together a book on the photographers life story
Brian Grint