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Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: danjake on Thursday 22 March 12 20:10 GMT (UK)
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A number of old photos have recently come into my possession and a long lost brother of my Dad features in all of them. His name was Robert Crook, born in Bath in 1909 and possibly using his mothers married name of Cryer.
I am desperately trying to identify the other men on these photos who worked for and travelled with Bertram Mills Circus in the 1930's. Robert is the young man on the far right of the first one and is easily spotted on the others while the man in the middle with the glasses and holding the cigarette has been identified to me as Charles Leighton who was the Advance Booking Manager and he died in 1947.
Any scrap of information, however small, would be very gratefully received.
With thanks to all.
Brian
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Apologies i am trying to upload the other 4 photos !
Brian
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This was meant to be the original first photo with Robert Crook on the right and Charles Leighton in the centre with the glasses.
Thank you !
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These are the final two photos.
Once again thanks to all.
Brian
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Good evening,
I think the chap in the 2nd picture wearing an overcoat may be Bertram Mills himself. The two young lads on the right sans hats could be his sons, Cyril and can't remember the other name off hand . will have to google that one.
John915
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2 sons - Cyril Bertram Mills and Bernard Notley Mills
Dawn
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Thank you Dawn and John for your interest. These are obviously photos of the management and hierarchy of the circus and certainly not ordinary workers or performers.
With this in mind I've studied a couple of archive photos of Bertram and his two sons Cyril and Bernard, born in 1902 and 1905 respectively, but I have to say that I couldn't be sure one way or the other.
Thanks again !
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Good evening,
Whilst I agree that it looks like shots of the management, the chap in 2 of the shots with the flat cap is the odd one out. He looks strangely at odds with all the others for him to be management. I had thought he could be Nikolia Poliakoff, Coco the Clown, but why would he be with such a grouping. I had the great fortune to meet him twice in person during the fifties after winning colouring competitions. The winners all got free family tickets for Olympia where B M s circus appeared during the winter months. I often wonder where my signed pictures went.
John915
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Hi John
I'm useless at facial recognition of photos but do you think with his square jaw and short stature that he's the same man wearing smart suits in pic 1 (far right), pic 3 (centre), pic 4 (bottom left) and pic (second right) ?
The interesting thing for me is that despite his flat cap and scarf in pics 2 and 6 it seems that he is still important enough to be in the centre of the picture.
Coco the Clown was born in 1900 and I do not know when he joined Bertram Mills but it would be wonderful if he were one of the young men in these photos which I can accurately date between 1928 and 1937 because of my uncle who was born in 1909. He is in every photo, seated front centre in pic 1 and to flat cap mans left in pic 2.
I hope that one day you discover your signed pictures !
Regards
Brian
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Good evening Brian,
I've had a look and can't decide one way or the other.BM saw him in Berlin at circus Busch and persuaded him to come to England. He and his wife arrived in 1929 and the rest is history as they say. The other person who appears in every photo but one is the chap with glasses and watch chain, so again might be fairly important.
I hav'nt seen those pictures since before I left home at 15 1/2 yrs. A lot has happened in the intervening 45 yrs, and I didn't find them when I cleared my mothers house.
John915
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John the man you mention has been identified to me as Charles Leighton.
I did some research and discovered that he joined Bertram Mills as their Advance Booking Manager in 1930. During the war he served with E.N.S.A. and rejoined Bertram Mills in early 1946 but died in London later that year on the 27th November 1946 aged 70. An obituary for him in The Billboard dated 28th December 1946 said that he started his career as a vaudeville comedian before becoming best known as an advance agent for the dancer Pavlova.
I have received a few more photos , the first was taken at Newcastle in July 1932 and the second is stamped on the back with the name of an Edinburgh company.
Regards
Brian
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These are 2 more of my uncle Robert Crook as a very young man. Anybody recognise the make and model of the vehicles ?
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Finally an unidentified couple, bottles of stout in hands ha ha, and one of the white horses being put through his paces.
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Good evening Brian,
Well, flat cap is not Coco, thats him again in the first of this lot. Sitting on the steps at front and now dressed like the rest. Circus and fairground workers usually had several jobs, perhaps one of his was as a driver when on the move hence the clothing previously.
I will have a look at the vehicles but not good on commercials.
John915
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I can't give you any information sadly,
but I would like to say what fabulous photographs,
and such history attached to them.
regards
Bennett
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Thanks once again John and your comments much appreciated Bennett.
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Hi - its definitely not Nicolai / Coco - the white horse will likely be one of the Liberty Horses and I think that will be Tony Holt training it. His partner Peggy rode them in the shows.
regards
Mark
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Thank you Mark I'm very grateful for your interest. I'm still searching the globe for an answer to this family mystery and if you ever come across anything remotely connected to pre war Bertram Mills will you please remember me ?
Kind regards
Brian
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Bertam Mills died in 1938 age 65, I don't think any of the men look like the photos I've found of him.
Son Bernard was born 1905 so would have been around 30 years old in the photo, brother Cyril was born 1902
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Looking at a later photo of the brothers, I think they are in the photo.
http://www.circopedia.org/index.php/File:Bernard_and_Cyril_Mills_.jpg
Photo 1 Bernard is far left with the raincoat and brother Cyril is 3rd from the right standing with an overcoat.
Photo 2 Cyril is far left and Bernard far right
Photo 5 they are both standing at the rear of the group.
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I think one of my Ancestors worked for Bertram Mills Circus. Known as Ihonart, the Worlds Strongest Man. Grateful for any info :)
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Hi, I just wanted to thank you for posting the photo's on this site. I can tell you that the chap wearing the lighter coloured jackets in photos 3 & 4 is my grandfather. This is the 1st photo I have ever seen of him! You have also made my mother (his daughter) a very happy lady. As she never thought she would get the chance to see a photo of him. His name is Larry or Percy Lawrenson. I wish I could help you with some names for the other chaps in the photo, but I hope this helps you a little. I'm only now just trying to track down his story. Thank you once again
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Hi, my Great Grandfather (Colin Bennett) & Grandmother worked for Bertram Circus.
I am aware that my Grandfather was working with the animals (Big Cats and Elephants), my Great grandmother was involved with the wall of death performance.