CIRCUS - Henry Luigi Boswell

[DJFRENCH]

i need to correct myself for the 1871 census.... the forementioned people on the returns and mentioned in my pm were all LODGING at the Bull Inn not living there.

[deb usa]

Hi everyone

This has been a great read....

found this .....

 The Circus historical society,
Bandwagon, Vol. 26, No. 3 (May-Jun), 1982...I wonder if this magazine has pictures?

Boswell, Alfred , performer, s/o James Clement Boswell
Boswell. Henry , equestrian
Boswell, James  performer, s/of James Clement Boswell
Boswell, James Clement , performer
Boswell, Nellie, rider
Boswell, Walter, performer, s/o James Clement Boswell

Cattle, Willie  equilibrist, s/o Comical Cattle and Nellie Boswell

there is also this re; The Cooke family
Cooke, Catherine  proprietor
Cooke, Ernestine  rider
Cooke,  Leicester  performer

I lived in South Africa foir 20 years and remember going to the Boswell-Wilkes circus 

deb

Hi Debzzzzzz long time no see xxx

[deb usa]

Hi

I hope you don't mind me butting in 

1891
Marylebone, London
83 wells Street
Lodging with the Herbert family, pub/hotel keeper
Harry L Boswell boarder 37 equestian artiste b Paris (British Subject)
Edith Boswell boarder mar 29 b Edingale Cronall
plus staff and 3 other equestrians



"LOOSE END # 2: We have nothing on LILLY BOSWELL at all. We hear she married an "Alfred Whitmee" ?"

trying to find more on Lily ...working backwards
1891
Wandsworth
Roman's Hurst
Cavendish Rd
Rebecca Boswell head wid 75 b Scotland, Dumfries
Rebecca Loyal dau married 50 b glasgow
 
In 1881 Rebecca Boswell is living in Clearen Street, lambeth aged 60 retired equestrian b Dumfrieshire, in the home of charlotte tamwell a lodging housekeeper.
Rebecca Woolford = Arsene  Loyal
Dec q 1858 lambeth
vol 1d p 422

1881
67 Suffolk st, Birmingham
lodging in the home of Charles Anderson from Prussia
Arsine LOYAL lodger mar 42 equestian, perf. b Paris France
Rebecca wife 41 equestrian b Glasgow
Arsine son 18 equestrian b itl;ay limages
George son 21   "  b germany, Dresden
Ematine dau 16  "  b France Marseilles
Alfredo son 9      "   b Spain, seville

Oh my ...they travelled a lot!!

still no sign of Lily.

deb

[DJFRENCH]

hiya Deb, how are you ?

I'm fine... hasn't this been a great story and finds... i loved St Giles fair as a child...wish we could find Lilly Boswell, such cosmopolitains...i read the story about The Astley Amphitheatre yesterday....
so amazing all they did so long ago.

kind regards to you and family

Debz 

[deb usa]

Hi Debzzzzz

Just love the way they travelled all over the place!

found this in 1841
Halifax yorkshire (where James Clement Boswell was born in 1826)
In lodgings
Thomas COOKE 55
Mary COOKE 55
Richard WOOLFORD 20
George COOKE 15
Mary Barlow 12
James Barlow 10
REBECCA WOOLFORD 5
Jane Ingram 20
Temporary equestrian Circus
all born in county , all equestrians

I wonder where Rebecca Woolford nee Cooke is? Maybe out with James C Boswell 

deb

[deb usa]

Hi Jim

There was also a Walter Luigi Boswell whose birth was registered in 1883 (December quarter, Fylde 8e 683).

He crops up in the passenger lists, arriving in Southampton in 1939 and again in 1950 (from Durban South Africa on both occasions). Any relation?

Dave

hi

Arrival in 1939 states he is 55, circus proprietor,
proposed address = 169 catherine Street, leicestershire
He is travelling with THELMA BOSWELL, 24, Typist

Arrival in 1924
Boswell, Walter L,  circus proprietor, 42
Boswell, Lyle 47................................................................. could this be Lily?
proposed address; Crows Nest, Essex rd, Leicester


deb

[JStockley]

Hello all of you, sorry for no replies, I was away.

Thanks so much for all the info, I'm so glad you really like the circus history, when you see where some of them went and how far they travelled, it is amazing.

There is a story that the US Army undertook an expedition UP the Amazon in the 1840s (supposed to be real exploration 'first white men ever' kind of thing) and they met John Noble and his circus coming DOWN the Amazon, having explored it and showed there too !!

You will find loads and loads of Cookes in this period. They are an absolute dynasty. I'm lucky to have the will of William Washinton Cole (died 1915 New York) he was the first circus millionaire and the bequests in the will go a long was to untangling who was who. WW Cole was a grandson of Thomas Taplin Cooke, his mother (Mary Ann Cooke) stayed in the USA when her father returned to Scotland with his circus in 1839. TT Cooke's son William ran a circus at Astleys for a long time, many of the Cookes ran circuses in buildings in Scotland when they weren't touring. Some ended up in circus in south America and later in Australia too. Hubert Cooke died in the Russian Revolution at the circus in St Petersburg. Some returned to the USA and helped run Buffalo Bill's show. In the 1920s some worked on RBBB (Ringling Bros,Barnum and Bailey). The Cookes are all gone now but the families they married into are still in circus today. The Loyals (France & USA), the Gautiers, the Boswells etc

Regarding Lilly Boswell ..... she is the mystery ;-)

Actually, we have very little on the origins of James Clement Boswell, only anecdotal evidence that it was 1826 Halifax. Would love to know his origins, it may be Romany .... not sure

Regarding Lyle Boswell......... she was married to Texas Jack. He ran a circus in South Africa in the early 1900s and once, assisted by Will Rogers and Clarence Cooke, roped and rode a wild zebra for a bet ! When Texas Jack died in 1905, Lyle (nee Marr) married Walter Boswell.

All of these postings are very helpful. The 1841 with old Thomas Taplin Cooke and wife Mary with a whole bunch of the younger nieces, nephews and grandchildren is nice. Many thanks

[forthefamily]

Hope you don't mind......just tagging out of interest.......mab 

[DJFRENCH]

  Hi Deb i'd have you tag along any time - your experience of finding stuff is invaluable !

Catch you later - debzzz