James Norman was my great grandfather and on the censuses I have found he states he was born in Swansea in 1841. I have not found any birth records for him. At the end of his life he was a travelling showman and over the years had been involved with a company called Sequah and had travelling freak shows. He was greatly involved with the Showman's Guild and they erected a large monument to him in CHadderton cemetery and there are several obituaries in the Worlds Fair of 1914 to him and the details of a large funeral. His children did not continue as travelling showpeople. I am not convinced that he began life as a showman but I think he had brothers and sisters and that his nieces and nephews were showmen and women. If anyone can give me any details of his family I would be very grateful as all his children are now dead and as often is the case I have no-one to ask about him. I have plenty of information about his second wife with whome he had the children James Norman, Patrick Norman (died 1921 in Oldham and was engaged to a Granelli) Leonora Norman, Matilda Norman and Florence norman.
