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Messages - pegasusphil

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Friday 01 October 10 22:14 BST (UK)  »
It's actually Pablo Fanque (not Fangue) - it's immortalised in the Beatles song "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" (from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band") which has these lines in the first verse :

"The Hendersons will all be there
Late of Pablo Fanque's Fair...."

Pablo Fanque (born William Darby in 1796 in Norwich – May 4, 1871 in Stockport) was the first black circus proprietor in Britain.  A famous showman in his time, he is buried in Woodhouse Cemetery, Leeds next to his first wife Susannah Darby. In 2010, he was honoured in his birthplace of Norwich by a commemorative blue plaque.


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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Saturday 31 July 10 11:36 BST (UK)  »
And yes, "Uncle Charlie" (Charles John Josie Weight) did indeed have elephants, I think they featured in the circus throughout from the late 1940s and he certainly had some up till the mid-1980s, as I visited him and his family at their "winter quarters" in around 1984 and have a couple of photos of him posing proudly with "Nellie" (how original !), his favourite elephant.  But I doubt there were any animals furtehr back in the days of the protable theatres, that would have been dramatic actors, comedians, musicians and singers - all of which were jobs done by various Weights along the way.
Phil

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Saturday 31 July 10 11:29 BST (UK)  »
I see you also have a story of "the family came from overseas"....  ours is probably fanciful I think but I keep looking.

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Saturday 31 July 10 11:28 BST (UK)  »
It will be interesting to include the info on the Vittery family in my research - thanks for that.

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Saturday 31 July 10 11:27 BST (UK)  »
Thanks Mog - I'll zip in a couple of posts now.
Phil

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Friday 30 July 10 23:51 BST (UK)  »
PS - I forgot to add, if Albert Trino Weight Snr. was marreid to your GGG Aunt, I think that would have been Elizabeth Vittery (1844-1887) ?  I'd be interested to know your line of descent - I'm currently researching the extended family tree.

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Occupation Interests / Re: Circus Artistes and families.
« on: Friday 30 July 10 23:48 BST (UK)  »
Cheshiremog - re your comments on Weight's Circus and Albert Trino Weight :

I am a direct descendant (great grand-nephew) of Albert Trino Weight Snr. (1840-1926) who was indeed logged in censuses as a "theatrical performer", "strolling player", "travelling comedian" and "actor" at various times between 1864 and 1901 (he then took a pub).  A.T. Weight had a son also called Albert Trino Weight (1873-1957) who was merchant seaman prior to WW1, but I believe the Albert Trino you referred to is the elder.

The Weight family were heavily involved in running portable theatres in the West Country in the 19th century - indeed, Albert Trino Snr's father, William Henry Weight (1815-1864), was also a travelling actor/comedian as was his mother Sophia Weight (nee sanders).  Sophia and her son Charles (Albert Trino's brother) owned and ran "Weight's Portable Theatre" which toured the West Country and featured at Barnstaple Fair at least until 1875, possibly later. 

Other members of the family were also involved in touring theatre - and this involvement continued with well into the 20th century, down as far as my father Philip Christopher Weight (1911-1973), who was Albert Trino's grand-nephew - my father was still touring England and Ireland in the late 1930s, where he met my mother in the troupe and they married at the outbreak of WW2.

The "Famous Weight's Circus and Zoo" was started up by Charles John Josie (or Jose) Weight (1916-1985) who was the grand-nephew of Albert Trino Weight Snr.  C.J.J. Weight started the circus after he was demobbed at the end of WW2.  It grew is size and toured the summer season across southern England and up to north Wales annually for many years.  Eventually the circus was taken over by his son, Charles P Weight, until (I believe) it finally closed during the late 1990's.  (I still have some circus posters and some photo's of CJJ Weight with his animals).

Regarding the "latin" names - Trino, possibly Jose, and there was also a Rosina Weight - family legend had it that the origins of the family had been Mediterranean (Spanish ?) and that the family had migrated to England after the Armada and were originally called Costello ..... "Weight" supposedly having come from a pair of weightlifter brothers in a touring show..... sadly there's no evidence to support this at all.  But the latin names remain a mystery.

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