ERNEST HOPE Acrobat

[maddys52]

I recall looking at the fibis website when Samuel FRANCIS was first mentioned - there are a number of entries for that name, so perhaps not uncommon in India, even if of Britain originally.

https://www.fibis.org

[haney]

Hi maddys I will follow up on that, now that a lot of information has been gathered on Samuel FRANCIS. 

From the newspaper reports etc, he has a birth region (place) as Hindostan, Madras, India Generally and described as Chingalese, and just mentioned as a Coloured Man.

At least I have a general birth year and the photo from his time/times in gaol could be very useful.  Many thanks Dianna

[mckha489]

There are also a great many Indian names that have a syllable "sam" that are often anglicised to Sam and thence Samuel.

[haney]

Thanks for that.  I just had a very quick look on fibis, I didn't see anything that popped out at me.  First tried Births, Deaths, Marriages and Orphanages etc.

That will take quite a while to go through everything.  Regards Dianna

[Neale1961]

From his prison records, we only know that Samuel Francis came to Australia when he was young. To me, that suggests he was too young to remember the year, or the name of the ship.

So who did he come with?
Maybe he was a young domestic servant for a British family who have been in India / Ceylon.
Francis may not have been his original surname.

[haney]

Hi Neale1961.  You maybe right, he could have been a servant for a family.  That would be interesting to find out1

Just another little snippet.  Ernie could have been performing with another guy named SCHOTT

 The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954) View title info Sun 12 May 1912
 Page 5
 FILM FACTS and FANCIES


The evening vaudeville scissions of.rheVeolj will bring, forward in song,' dance, and merry jest' the' following artiste: — Tom Saunders, Fredi Mi-.vrioli, Cannon and Schott (hand balancers and ' act 'bate),

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228860911?searchTerm=%22CANNON%20%2B%20SCHOTT%22

Also Wirth Brothers is advertised on this page too.  HMMM

[Jennaya]

Thanks Sue.  Also why does this man have such an Anglo/English sounding name.  Doesn't sound at all Indian to me.  Samuel James FRANCIS.

Another Alias situation OR was he brought up by English people.  (Orphanage?? perhaps). 

I know so many questions.  LOL

I wonder if he had an English father and Indian mother. I have read articles about men from England taking Indian wives when they were working there.

[haney]

Hi Jennaya
    It seems more likely that it is the opposite.  White (Irish) mother and Indian father.  Thanks Dianna

[Jennaya]

Hi Jennaya
    It seems more likely that it is the opposite.  White (Irish) mother and Indian father.  Thanks Dianna

I was referring to the parents of Ernest the acrobat. Do you know who they are?

Regards
Jennaya