RootsChat.Com
Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: JStockley on Friday 02 January 09 07:36 GMT (UK)
-
Has anyone come across Henry Luigi Boswell ?
All I have is the information from Dr John Turner's book 'Victorian Arena - the Performers' and can find no other information on Henry Luigi Boswell or his family ........
BOSWELL, Henry Luigi
Equestrian juggler. Son of James C Boswell (circus proprietor), and Rebecca Cooke (the daughter of Thomas Taplin Cooke). Brother of James Clements Boswell, jr. First noted as "Master H. Boswell", at Hengler's, Bath, in 1865. With the same company, at provincial venues, in 1866-7, and as "Henry Boswell" in 1888-9 and in 1891. He was with Thomas Batty's London Circus in 1875 at Burton on Trent, in a juggling act on a bare backed horse, and with the same company in 1876.
Proprietor, in opposition to his brother and Alfred Whitmee, in Oxford in 1893, in a tent. He ran a circus in Oxford, in his brother's building1894/5/6/7.
His wife was "Edith ??"a circus artiste.
He was father of Ernest Boswell.
He died 1902 ? (Ref: Victorian Arena by Dr John Turner)
I'd appreciate any info on Henry Luigi Boswell - we can't figure out where the "Luigi" comes from ;-)
-
Hello
HENRY LUIGI BOSWELL married EDITH WALTON
6B 408 Burton (Staffs)September quarter 1879
Debz
-
Thanks very much !
very kind
Jim
-
a by Dr John Turner)
I'd appreciate any info on Henry Luigi Boswell - we can't figure out where the "Luigi" comes from ;-)
There was also the marriage of a Henry Luigi Boswell in 1904 to either Nellie Goode or Florence Stone. (Sept qtr, Burton 6b 623)
-
Thanks again for the info. I'm in South Africa on a slow internet connection so it is difficult to browse and find these things ;-) I previously looked for Henry Luigi on http://freebmd.rootsweb.com and it turned up two entries for him (but never one for Edith). Any idea how he could be entered as 1879 and 1904? The name is unusual? Shouldn't be two different HL Boswells? I thought he was dead by 1902 (according to John Turner) ....... any ideas ?
Marriages Sep 1879
Boswell Henry Luigi Burton 6b 408
Marriages Sep 1904
Boswell Henry Luigi Burton 6b 623
-
Thanks for that Dave, our postings crossed in cyberspace !
I've been looking for him for a while and now suddenly there are two of them getting married in the same place 25 years apart ........... maybe a previously unknown namesake son?
Suggestions on how to take this forward would be appreciated?
many thanks
Jim
-
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 Jim
if Henry L Boswell married in 1879 to Edith and they had a child immediately within the following year then that child would have been 22 ish by 1904 and could have married and named the child after it's grandfather ??
i would order the 1879 married cert and see what info is on it.
Have you got the cert for Ernest's birth ?
i was very interested by this as my family is from Oxford/Oxon and there was a wonderful fair at St Giles for years and still there when i was a child.
I suppose we could guess that henry was born around 1858 give or take 10 years ;)
have you found his parents marriage record at all ?
Debz
-
hey Dave...that's interesting stuff :)
Debz
-
there is a death for EDITH BOSWELL in 1902
6b 285 Burton on Trent Q4 , Derbyshire Staffs age 41 ....
So maybe Henry Luigi remarried :D
Debz
-
Marriage:
James Clements Boswell
Dec qtr 1850, Bristol 11 217
Matching reference:
Rebecca Woolford [sic]
1851 Census of Lady Wood, Birmingham, Warwickshire
HO 107/2051 folio 81 page 42
Address: Sheepgate Street
James Boswell, head, mar, 26, equestrian, Halifax
Rebeca Boswell, wife, mar, 34, Dumfries
Rebecca Woodford [sic], daur, 14, Glasgow
-
i have found this ...it may be very wrong but !!!
Burton on Trent District 8
66 Union Street
Harry L Boswell born Paris france British Subject married age 43 occ.... Foreman (?) horsekeeper
Edith Boswell born Edingdale Derbyshire age 38 married
Elizabeth Wetton Visitor
Sabina wallis servant
various lodgers all of the Smart family
Class: RG13 Piece: 2642 Folio: 88 Page: 4.
Debz ....
-
1861 Census of Lambeth St Mary (Lambeth Church First), Surrey
RG 9/351 folio 164 page 31
Address: 6 Palace New Road
Recorded as a visitor in the household of Myer and Rebecca Harris:
Rebecca Boswell, widow, 44, Scotland
-
that was 1901 census... ::)
-
1861 census
st peters st.
henry Boswell at a school , pupil St Albans , born France (english parents ) age 7
james Boswell age 8 pupil born lambeth Surrey
RG9 Piece 829 Folio: 38 Page: 21; GSU roll 542707.
Debz
-
hey dave...the picture is getting better by the minute !
what do you reckon to the 1901 census... Harry could be Henry ?
Dj
-
hey dave...the picture is getting better by the minute !
what do you reckon to the 1901 census... Harry could be Henry ?
Dj
Almost certainly - have just found him and his Mum in the 1871 Census. Transcribing now...
-
1871 RESULT FOR SURE ;D ;D
24 angel hill/bull inn
Living also at the BULL INN Bury st Edmonds
Alfred E G COOKE proprietor of Circus married age 25born LONDON
helena Cooke married 23 born LONDON equestrian Performer
Julia bowen age 9 equstrian performer
Rebecca Boswell lodger widow age 54 equstrian performer born scotland
Henry L Boswell unmarried age 17 born paris
various other equestrian performers
including a George Cooke age 19 born Plymouth
herbert cooke age 17 born london
-
just to say that in the 1851 census the address is SHEEPCOTE Street in Birmingham.
it is very central and i used to work in that street.
Signing off now for the day..
all the best jim.... what a result ? i'll be back tomorrow. i have looked on a French site to find henry's birth but no joy. Should you ever find it ..i speak fluent french...if you need help
Debz
-
Hi, just thought I'd add this, REBECCA COOKE = GEORGE ROBERT WOOLFORD 15th Sept 1835, Glasgow, Lanark. ( IGI ext ). Didn't notice a birth for daughter Rebecca.
Val
-
GOODNESS me but you are all so good at this !!! ;-)
Many thanks, apologies for the delay in reply ........... you have given me a lot to read and digest. I can explain most of what you have found but some of it is new and very interesting. This is the line of circus proprietor Thomas Taplin Cooke, then the circus Boswells .......... thanks very much, I need to absorb what you have posted and would like to come back to chat with you all very soon.
kindest regards, Jim
-
Hi Debz,
Thanks so much for this 1871 census.
That is certainly Henry Luigi and his Mum, Rebecca Boswell. They are with Rebecca's nephew Alfred Eugene Cooke and Alfred's brothers George and Hubert Cooke.
I'll post more info later on how this all ties together, in the meantime I'd be grateful for the full list of Cookes at the Bull Inn in 1871?
many thanks
Jim
-
Dear Dave, Debz and Val ..........
I really appreciate the help, it's very kind.
When I posted earlier about how "I'll post more info later on how this all ties together" .... that was a bit presumptuous of me ;-) What I meant to say was.... would be of interest to you to know more about these circus people that I'm looking for?
I suppose it's quite easy to get carried away with enthusiasm about ancestors who are of no interest to anyone but yourself ! I could do with the help.
very best
Jim
-
go for it Jim - i can imagine my oxford ancestors visiting Henry's circus act !
I really enjoyed getting the results !
Debz
-
Not the Boswells .............. this is my Grandfather, Richard Chipperfield at Oxford St Giles (I think?) I like the face of the child looking up at him, he could always tell a good story! I'll post the Cooke/Boswell story later
-
Thanks Debz ........... I do want to thank you all again for the help with Henry Luigi. My family have been in circus in England since the early 1800s. My eldest sister is married to Brian Boswell and runs a circus here in South Africa. The Boswell's are descended from the Cookes, who were a circus dynasty from 1750 or so.
COOKE, Thomas Taplin (1780 - 30 Nov.1866) born in Warwick - actor, equestrian, rope-walker and strongman. Appeared as an actor & equestrian in Lisbon in 1816, lost 40 horses in a bad storm in the Bay of Biscay on the return journey. In 1830 he erected his first permanent circus buildings at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Sunderland and Hull.In 1836 he chartered the 3000 ton 'Roger Stuart' of Greenock and on 8 September sailed to New York with 120 artistes (40 were family members including his SEVEN sons and FIVE daughters), 42 horses and 14 ponies. ........In 1839 he returned to Scotland and built various large wooden circus buildings in places including Manchester and Glasgow. He died in London in 1866 at the age of 86. (Ref: Victorian Arena by Dr John Turner)
COOKE, Rebecca (1814/1898) daughter of Thomas Taplin Cooke. As VAL kindly posted, Rebecca married George Robert Woolford (of Bristol) in Glasgow, 15 Sept 1835. We know they performed in America with Thomas T Cooke and they had a daughter (Rebecca Marianna Woolford 1838/1907).
LOOSE END # 1: we don't know much about George Robert Woolford. His father was probably also George Woolford. His sister was the most famous circus performer of her time = Louisa Woolford (she partnered/married Andrew Ducrow of Astley's). We don't know what happened to George Woolford (did he die in America?) but on 7 Dec 1850 (widow) Rebecca married James Clement BOSWELL
BOSWELL, James Clements. Acrobatic and Shakespearian clown. Born 4th January 1826 in Halifax, Yorkshire. Noted at Astley's, 1843, Hughes'circus 1845, and Hengler's, in Dover, 1845, as clown contortionist. At Cooke's, 1850-1, and again at Hengler's, Cheltenham, in 1851, providing mirth and Shakespearian jests with rival clown Knight. At Astley's in the 1850s. Became all the rage in Paris, establishing the English school of clowning. Also performed daring aerial acts and the 'broken ladder' stunt. Married Rebecca Cooke (1814-1898). Father of James Clements II, Henry Luigi, Nellie, Rebecca (Woolford) and Lily, All riders. Died lst May 1859, of heart failure during a performance at the Cirque Napoleon, Paris.(Ref: Victorian Arena by Dr John Turner). The building is now Cirque d'Hiver and is still in daily use as a circus.
LOOSE END # 2: We have nothing on LILLY BOSWELL at all. We hear she married an "Alfred Whitmee" ?
BOSWELL, James Clements II
Jockey act and character act rider. Born c1853, at Lambeth, Surrey. Later a circus proprietor.
Brother of Nellie Boswell (Mrs Cattle). Jimmy Boswell married the equestrienne Louisa Powell (born 1858, at Edinburgh, Scotland, daughter of James Powell), in 1879. Father of James, Alfred, Sidney, Rebecca (born c1880, in Germany, who married George Lockhart) and Doretta.
Proprietor of Boswell's Circus by 1883, in Blackpool, going to Whitehaven, Carlisle, etc. For a number of years had a wooden circus building at Oxford, with seasons commencing there on 24th April 1889, for seventeen weeks, 5th April 1890, for a short season, 20th July 1891, for fifteen weeks, and in 1893. After this he ran a show at Swindon, with his eldest son James. Later ran the Boswell Stage Circus, managed by son James. The family then went to South Africa, where they remained for many years, with a circus and menagerie combined. 'Victorian Arena; the Performers', Dr John Turner volume 1 (Lingdales, 1995)
LOOSE END # 3: There has always been confusion as to whether Walter was a son or a nephew of James C Boswell II.
DAVE's discovery of Walter LUIGI Boswell seems to support the idea that Walter was Henry's son, not James C's so I'll have to send for the certificate ;-)
Well, that's all for the moment........ would love to have more on the 1971 census when you have time ;-)
kind regards
Jim
-
So Jim, you are the grand son of Chipperfield Circus family ??
wow, they are really famous aren't they ? i used to go to Their Circus in Oxford when i was little (in the 50's/60's)
I would bet my last bar of chocolate that the photo is St Giles....a little further down from the fork in the road in the direction away from the centre. I can see at the back of the photo the helter skelter which is exactly the same as it was when i went to St Giles fair...it was fantastic ...i loved it , it was at the end of August and the beginning of Sept. Such VERY happy memories. It was so traditional for so many years.
I have included all the Cooke family in the 1871 census but there are 23 "performers "lodging there so it will take me some as i type slowly :-[
I will send you a pm .
Debz
-
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.
-
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 :D
deb
Hi Debzzzzzz long time no see xxx
-
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 :)
-
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 :)
-
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 :D
deb
-
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
-
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
-
Hope you don't mind......just tagging out of interest.......mab :)
-
:) Hi Deb i'd have you tag along any time - your experience of finding stuff is invaluable !
Catch you later - debzzz
-
sorry Mab i put Deb :-)
Not awake properly- now you what the "z's" are for at the end of my name ! Dozey woman that i am ! - how are you too ? Happy new year.
Doesn't Jim have a fascinating tree ?
Back later
debzzz
-
how do we know that Lilly is not Lyle Boswell ?
Debz
-
how do we know that Lilly is not Lyle Boswell ?
Debz
Hi Debz ..... Because Lyle Boswell (Walter 's wife) is Lyle Marr. she was the 'common-law' wife of Texas Jack who ran a circus in South Africa in the early 1900s. When Texas Jack died in 1905, Lyle (nee Marr) married Walter Boswell.
;-)
-
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 :D
Hi everyone
just noticed that the Circus Historical Soc. has ALFRED as a s/o John Clement Boswell ...
The CHS mentions all the children Jim has stated except they have an 'extra' son and no mention of Lily
deb
-
On Lily's side, Google Books does mention in 1918 an "Alfred Whitmee", manager of a portable theatre.
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/
- if you search for Whitmee, Alfred in the phrase box, you'll find a bankruptcy case from 1888 - listing him as clerk to a circus proprietor, late coffee house keeper, 22 Kenilworth-road, Bootle, Lancashire/Alexandra Coffee Tavern, George-street, Luton, Bedfordshire.
However, this Alfred seems to have married Clara Buckmaster Chambers, and she didn't die until 1912. They're in 1881 as "Whitmel".
-
hi Jorose
Thanks for that! Alfred and Clara are also in the 1871 under Whitmer...you can actually follow them right through to 1901 where he is a theatre proprietor/arts.
If James Clement Boswell married Rebecca Cooke in 1850 and died 1859 then Lilly had to have been born sometime between those dates or was JC Boswell married prior? At this stage we have not spotted Lilly anywhere!
Alfred Whitmee is bc 1852, Bedfordshire, Cranfield.
from the first post we have this;
" Henry Luigi Boswell, Proprietor, in opposition to his brother and Alfred Whitmee, in Oxford in 1893, in a tent. He ran a circus in Oxford, in his brother's building1894/5/6/7."
In 1891 Alfred Whitmee is in Derbyshire as a Business manager circus
1901 = Theatre Proprietor in Fenny Stratford, Bucks
He is with his grandparents in 1861 ..it seems they were farmers.
Where is Lily ...did she even exist?
deb
-
well done Deb !
I had a feeling that Whitmee was going to be found under something else but i couldn't find it.
It does make you wonder about Lily ! Where is the woman , i wonder if Lily was her second name but all knew her as Lily ?
Debz . .
-
Regarding Lilly Boswell ......... I am beginning to wonder myself if she even existed ;-) Here is one of the many anecddotal pieces of evidence that I have, it's from an old circus book and lists Lilly as a daughter of J.C.Boswell (1826/59) and brother to J.C.Boswell II (1853/1926) ........ some of the Cooke Family tree has been re-arranged since the discovery of WWCole's will. The late Dr John Turner also obviously believed she existed, he has her listed as a daughter of J.C.Boswell (1826/59) in his book "Victorian Arena - the Performers"
-
Hi
I wonder if Lilly could be NELLIE..... the tree mentions JC Boswell II as being brother to Rebecca (woolford?) and Lily ...it makes no mention of Nellie.
deb :-\
-
Morning deb.... not a long chalk of Lilly is Nellie.... have we found her on any census.... ...hmmmmm ???
what year was that Circus Historical Society referring to when they refer to Nellie as a rider in your previous post ?
Altho Nellie is Eleanor and Lilly is Lilian ???
Debz
-
Hiya Deb....
check out 1871 census Melley Boswell born Paris 1860 living in Suffolk with John Wells RIDING MASTER....i can't read the other details..i saw this the other day but foolishly dismissed it :-[
some of the Boswells were at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk in 71 ...not that far away.
What do you reckon Deb .....???
Got to dash to work...back soon... when get up ;)
Debzzzzzzz...need caffeine
-
Hi Debz
That would have been Nellie, born Paris 1858, where her Dad was 'all the rage' as a clown. The late John Turner had entries for both Nellie and Lilly so I don't think they are the same person. Various anecdotal sources have her mentioned as married to Alf Whitmee but I have never found Lily (Lilly) in any official record :'(
Ellen (Nellie) Clara Boswell (Mrs Cattle)
Equestrienne and character act rider. Daughter of James Clements Boswell and Rebecca Cooke. Married Frederick Cattle. First noted at Hengler's, in Hull, in 1874, but continued to appear with Hengler's until 1892. Famous for her deliniation. on horseback, of first a Newhaven Fishwife,, then a Jolly Young Waterrman and thirdly a Highland Laddie, changing her costumes with great rapidity, dancing a hornpipe and a Scottish reel with as much ease and grace as if she were on terra firma, to the music of old airs.
When in Liverpool, in 1876, it was written that, 'The easily recognised somewhat stolid- looking animal which is specially used for feats of ~ kind, is led to the side of the ring. Immediately following appears a good-looking and unpretentious young lady, appropriately clad in a tunic and trousers of crimson silk, who from the ring makes her salute to the audience. Without further delay, she is on the broad, flat saddle, sitting in an easy posture with the most perfect composure as the canter round the ring commences. This quiescent state is not of long duration; soon she is standing where she sat, now on one foot, now on the other, in a series of attitudes which, besides exhibiting her complete mastery of the equestrian difficulties of the situation are eminently graceful in themselves. Then she rides from the ring and there comes an interval of 'clown' whilst a second scene is in preperation. Another scene on horseback was 'The daughter of the regiment'
Mother of William Frederick Cattle (known as Du Calion) Walter and Claude
Died May 1938 aged 80 yrs .(Ref: Victorian Arena by Dr John Turner)
-
oh sorry ...i haven't been paying enough attention have i !!!
sorry..i've been really busy organising a party for my dad's 80th birthday on saturday... and my eldest son is coming home to live with us again for year :o and so my brain cells are frazzled !!
Debz...it's certainly a history which is fascinating :)
-
oh sorry ...i haven't been paying enough attention have i !!
Oh I don't know. Seems like you have your priorities in the correct order to me :)
kind regards and good luck with the Party (and the returning Son)
Jim
-
Hi Jim, Debz and everyone
i found this snippet of info re The Chipperfields
James Chipperfield, travelling showman, at Llangefni for passing through a turnpike gate without paying a toll. Ordered to pay £1 plus 14/- costs forthwith or be imprisoned at H.M.P. Carnarvon for one month hard labour (Summary Conviction: May 28, 1888: Anglesey Quarter Sessions)
http://members.shaw.ca/pauline777/Misc.html
Thanks to Tiggi for the link
deb
-
Thanks Deb.
I already had that one before (and the one below). It's hard to tell if this is my Great Grandfather or his father (my GGreat Grandfather) as the were both on the road and both called James. No relationship to the Boswells (until my sister Jane married Brian) ;D
Shropshire archives Ref QR576/211
In the County of Salop - Petty Sessional Divison of Newport
Before the Court of Summary Jurisdiction sitting at Newport the 17th Day of January 1888 ............
James Chipperfield hereinafter called the defendant is this day convicted for that he on the twenty seventy day of December last at the parish of Newport with the County aforesaid unlawfully and wilfully did obstruct the free passage of a certain highway there situate by then and there placing five vans, a show and a stall thereon and suffering the same to be and remain thereon for a long and unreasonable time to wit ten hours and without just cause contrary to the statute in such case made and provided. And it is adjudged that he defendant for his said offence do forfit and pay the sum of six pence and do also pay the further sum of ten shillings for costs forthwith. And that in default of payment it is so adjudged that the sum due under this adudication be levied by distress and sale of the defendants goods and in default of sufficient disgress that the defendant be imprisoned in Her Majesty's prison at Stafford for the space of seven days unless the said sums and all costs and charges of the said distress and commitment and of his conveyance to the said prison by soonest paid
-
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.
Lyle Marr is in my genealogy. My records show she was the eldest sibling and had at least six brothers and two sisters: Nellie and Lilly. Lyle had a daughter Thelma by Walter Boswell.
Lyle apparently was the circus sharpshooter in Texas Jack's show. She had met him in England, where she was born. Her daughter Thelma became a tightrope walker. Lyle got religious in later life when she lived in Johannesburg and later Durban.
I couldn't find a way to send a PM to JStockley, so I made my first post here. Please let JStockley know. Thanks.
-
Hello rram,
That is fascinating stuff! I would love to chat with you some more about this? I would really like to know more about all of this side of the family and look forward to hearing from you.
I have sent you a PM with my email address (you get to send PMs by clicking on the little squiggle under the posters name, on the left, next to the little icon that takes you to their profile? hold your cursor over it and it should say "send PM")
What Country are you in?
kindest regards
Jim
-
Hi all
Welcome to Rootschat, rram! :)
I looked back on the thread : ;D ;D will recheck as Thelma is down as a typist 8)
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
proposed address; Crows Nest, Essex rd, Leicester
It's great to have more details, rram.
Also rram may only use the PM system after having made 3 posts.
deb
-
Thanks for that Deb. I didn't know about the '3 posts' rule for PMs .... hope rram comes back ;-)
I'm really interested in those two sisters of Lyle Marr's "Nellie and Lilly" .... it is just too much of a coincidence that Lyle's husband Walter Boswell also has an Aunt Nellie and an (illusive) Aunt Lilly !!
I also look forward to any information on their daughter Thelma. Nobody here in South Africa was aware of her.
The address in Leicester that Walter gave in 1924 and 1939 would have been for his brother Claude Boswell who had left circus and returned to England.
very best
Jim
-
Thanks for the info. I'll try to get that post count incremented! The stupid system won't even let me read the PM that was sent to me.
-
Hi Jim and rram
I have rechecked the passenger list re; Thelma and her dad, Walter Luigi ...
Thelma is a TypistE ... is that a word for tightrope walker? ::)
I also notice the names "Nellie and Lilly" .... where was Lyle born?
deb :)
added where was Thelma when Lyle and walter Boswell entered the UK in 1924?
-
Lyle was born in Lancashire, sometime before 1892.
I uploaded a picture I have, as my avatar, obtained I forget or know not where, of Lyle Marr in some wild-west type of show, probably Texas Jack's. She is second from the left.
I think that Lyle and Thelma returned sometime around 1930, give or take a few years, very vague, because they were living in Johannesburg and Durban in the 1930s.
[Added on edit] I found this caption for the picture: Texas Jack, his common-law wife, (Lil or) Lyle Marr, Clarence Cook and Will Rodgers. "... Dr Jack Boswell, son of the eldest of the four Boswell brothers who founded Boswell's Circus and whose uncle, Walter, married Jack's widow. During the long tedious journey of the circus train from dorp to dorp (before he was sent to King Edward's School in Johannesburg ), she would reminisce to the bored boy about Jack and Rogers." ZA Sunday Times
-
Great avatar!!!
now you have 3 posts ...woohooo ;D
according to the passenger list of 1924, Lyle states her age as 47 ..so bc 1877.
deb
-
hello all....
what a great update! Welcome Rram.
Debs ...hope all is well with you...sorry i have nothing to contribute. :(
-
The picture in your avatar is indeed Texas Jack with Lyle, Clarence Welby Cooke (ggrandson of Thomas Taplin Cooke, whom I mentioned earlier) and Will Rogers [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers].
They say the picture was taken the day they caught and rode a wild zebra at Craddock, Cape Province for a 100 pound bet with local farmers. Rogers fell and cracked his head on a rock and carried the scar the rest of his life. :)
Regarding "where was Thelma in 1924" ....... I would guess at school? One of the Boswells went to Europe most years to look for circus acts etc. Usually Walter's brother Sydney Boswell. I'm guessing that this was a regular business trip with Lyle visiting family and Walter seeing his brother ?
I'm looking forward to some details from rram :)
-
I can't find Lyle in the censuses .... :-\ Do you know who her parents were?
deb
-
I can't find Lyle in the censuses .... :-\ Do you know who her parents were?
Father was John Henry Marr. Mother was named "Mort" or similar; not sure if that is a surname or a given name or a nickname.
She had a brother also named John Henry Marr. She was the first born in a large family, so probably the father was born roughly 20 years earlier (just guessing). Other siblings: Thomas, Albert, Herbert?, Nellie, William, Lilly, Frank, possibly others, some others died in childhood. Most or all were born in England (Lancashire/Cheshire), many emigrated to South Africa around 1905 give or take a few years.
That's as far back as I have. I'd love to trace more. Thanks for looking!
-
Boswell-Wilkie Circus, don't know when or where.
-
Thanks for the extra info on Lyle's family ...I will have a look around.
re; The poster ..could be in South Africa as the price is 10c = 10 cents.
I remember going to the BW circus when I lived in Cape Town, South Africa ;D
-
I shouldn't be spending time this way right now, but found this:
The Boswell Wilkie Circus, run by the respondent, is the product of an amalgamation in 1963 of two circus businesses called respectively "Boswell's Circus" and "Wilkie's Circus". Boswell's Circus has quite a long history. In about 1911 four Boswell brothers, Jim, Walter, Sidney and Alfred, the sons of James Boswell, a circus and menagerie proprietor in Britain, came to South Africa to work for the circus of a Madame Frank Fillis. When the Fillis circus broke up in 1913 the Boswell brothers started their own circus under the name and style of "Boswell Brothers Circus". This circus thereafter continued to operate in South Africa in association with the name Boswell. In 1948 a company, Boswell Brothers Circus (Pty) Limited, was incorporated to run what was then styled the "Boswell Circus" or, sometimes it would seem,"Boswell's Circus". This company was "owned" by the Boswell family.
-- from http://www.saflii.org.za/za/cases/ZASCA/1985/64.html
Biography of Brian Boswell: http://freddevries.co.za/archive/2006/11/23/Brian-Boswell.aspx
There was a Boswell Bros. Circus operating in 1962 in the USA, headquartered in North Carolina. [on edit: nothing to do with S.A. Boswells.]
-
Thanks for that rram ...I should be doing laundry ;D ::) :-X
just found this ...could he be yours?
Frank Marr
proposed address; Performer Office, 18 Charing Cross Rd
occupation; Music Hall artiste
age 50, bc 1877
Port of Departure: Durban, S.A.
Arrival Date: 21 Mar 1927
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ports of Voyage: Algoa Bay [Port Elizabeth], Cape Town, Madeira, East London
Ship Name: Edinburgh Castle
Can't find anything on the Marr family .... do you have any other details rram. Do you have Lyle's marriage certs ...if so what info/details are there?
deb
-
Thanks. Could be, but the birth date seems too young. I think my Frank was the youngest of the brood and thus born no earlier than about 1894. However, Frank Marr was in Pretoria in the late 1930s and was employed at times as a tin-smith and a mechanical handyman. His wife was Lena.
Sorry, I have no documents.
-
God, you lot are so quick.......... it's hard to keep up with you all ;-)
Boswell Bros USA=nothing to do with us at all, ever. The circuses in america are 'framed' around whatever name the management think will do some good.
Boswell-Wilkie [www.circus.co.za] no longer run a travelling circus. It came about when Boswell Bros sold to African Theatres in the 1960s and then amalgamated with WH Wilkie's circus (from England). The case at http://www.saflii.org.za/za/cases/ZASCA/1985/64.html was when we went out as Brian Boswell's Circus in 1982 and Wilkie took us to court to stop us using the name Boswell. We traded as 'Brians Circus' until 2004 when we reverted to Brian Boswell's Circus and Wilkie's heirs didn't have the wherewithall to stop us. The case is still used as precedent in SA Law.
The picture in your avatar was probably taken April 27 to May 2 1903 (the larger version has a zebra in it ;-) so Lyle was in SA by then, did her family follow later? Walter and Lyle were together in the UK in 1939 but you reckon she and Thelma had left to go back to live there during the 1930s?
When you say "She had a brother also named John Henry Marr. She was the first born in a large family, so probably the father was born roughly 20 years earlier (just guessing). Other siblings: Thomas, Albert, Herbert?, Nellie, William, Lilly, Frank, possibly others, some others died in childhood." from where do you draw this information? For her and her husband Walter to both have relatives Nellie and Lilly is a coincidence (but not impossible ;-)
very best
Jim
-
I have some autobiographical notes from my father (deceased) but little if any genealogical info from the 1900s-1930s era (or any previous era) other than what I've posted. I'd rather not post his notes in a public forum.
It is possible that Lyle came to South Africa first, and the other family members followed. By process of elimination, I surmise that they all came to S.A. from England except William Marr, who must have remained behind.
-
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
I was talking to circus proprietor Brian Boswell today, he says he never heard of Walter Luigi Boswell having a daughter 'Thelma Boswell' but that Uncle Walter was famous for having girlfriends ;-) Was Thelma his daughter or "travelling companion"?
-
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.[/quote]
Lyle Marr is in my genealogy. My records show she was the eldest sibling and had at least six brothers and two sisters: Nellie and Lilly. Lyle had a daughter Thelma by Walter Boswell.
Lyle apparently was the circus sharpshooter in Texas Jack's show. She had met him in England, where she was born. Her daughter Thelma became a tightrope walker. Lyle got religious in later life when she lived in Johannesburg and later Durban.
I couldn't find a way to send a PM to JStockley, so I made my first post here. Please let JStockley know. Thanks.
Hi again :)
On the Passenger list there is no relation to each other :-\ however it has 2 columns:
Accompanied by husband or wife OR Not accompanied by husband or wife
Both Walter L Boswell 55 and Thelma Boswell 24 are under the column: NOT accompanied by husband/wife.
hope this helps
deb :)
Ps Nice to be back at the circus and with the Boswells ;D
-
Hi new to this site but hey here goes !
I am looking for information on Vincent Alvarez who performed with firstly the Alvarez Circus (which was his fathers circus) in 1866 in South Africa. He then joined the Fillis' Circus which ultimately came to an end and reformed under the Boswells.
My interest is in that Vincent or Joseph Alvarez. Joseph was my great grandfather, however I cannot find who he was married to in the Cape. He had 3 sons - Vincent, Louis, and Charles.
Vincent was an equestrian, gymnast and acrobat. Any ideas would be a great help. The pic below is of his father Joseph Alvarez.
And this from the newspaper on Joseph's death in Port Elizabeth.
A CIRCUS RING PIONEER
THE TRAGIC DEATH OF JOSEPH ALVAREZ
HIS WANDERINGS UP AND DOWN THE GLOBE
An echo of what were perhaps the most romantic days of the circus in South Africa faded and became stilled when Joseph Desire Alvarez lost his life in a fire in his room at the rear of the St. Joseph’s Nursing Home last week-end. Joseph Alvarez was one of the pioneers of the circus in this country.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal in the year 1854, he literally became a member of a circus troupe when his father established Alvarez’s Circus in 1857 with which he toured throughout Spain. In 1864 Alvarez senior packed up his circus and transported it to South America. Here they toured extensively and two years later took ship for South Africa, arriving in this country in 1866. Senor Alvarez had a partner named Sanata – he also became very well known in South Africa. The partnership was dissolved in Cape Town, Alvarez continuing on his own.
In the same year Alvarez took his show to Mauritius, where he did well till he became involved in a law suit which swallowed up a full half of all he possessed. However, he kept his circus together and made a tour of the Indian Ocean islands, including Reunion. They reached the island of Bourbon in 1871, but owing to the Franco-Prussian War they were not allowed to show. Boat was accordingly taken for the Seychelles.
BACK TO SOUTH AFRICA
Roaming far and wide, Joseph Alvarez in time took a full part in his father’s circus. But in 1880 he decided to cut adrift and venture forth on his own. He chose South Africa, where he joined Frank Fillis’s famous circus as an all-round performer – tumbler, trapezist, rider and clown. Two years later he was joined by his brother Edward (the only surviving member of the family, who now lives here in Port Elizabeth). Edward became property manages to Frank Fillis. With Fillis, they toured every part of South Africa, and there are not a few of the older generation who cherish enjoyable memories of Fillis’s circus in general and of Joseph Alvarez in particular
Eventually Joseph left Fillis to throw in his lot first with Cook’s circus and then with Williamson’s circus; but in the end he rejoined Frank Fillis. Soon after this, however, Fillis left for India and the two Alvarez brothers decided not to accompany him but to settle down in South Africa.
When the Anglo-Boer War broke out Joseph enlisted in Nesbit’s Horse as a trooper. He was taken prisoner by General De Wet, but managed to escape. He was present when General Hertzog’s house was burned down during the war.
In private life Joseph Alvarez was always of a quiet, reserved nature. For the last 30 he has been associated with St. Joseph’s Nursing Home, and as such became well known and widely liked by patients and friends. Next to his gardens he liked nothing better than to talk in reminiscent vein of his circus days up and down the globe.
TWO OLD FRIENDS
One of his great friends was His Grace Archbishop MacSherry.
“We are both growing old together, Joseph” would say His Lordship.
“Yes my lord; we will soon reach the old men stage,” would reply Joseph.
Although he had passed his 80th year, he preserved good health till last year, when he began to fail. At the time of his unhappy death he was very poorly, a circumstance which probably contributed to his death when his room became on fire.
Joseph Alvarez is survived by his brother Edward, who is resident here, and three sons, who are resident in Johannesburg. Sincere sympathy is extended to them in their great loss.
-
Hello, I'm researching Lyle Marr, particularly her time in South Africa with Texas Jack. I've enjoyed this thread of messages but may have happened on it a few years too late. Can anyone tell me how to contact rram?
thanks to all for any assistance you might be able to give.
Randy
-
Woolfords in the Circus
Hello all, I am posting here as I thought your collective knowledge may help.
I am descended from Robert Woolford 1774-1832 who seems to have been involved with Thomas Taplin Cooke and probably his father too. His children were all involved in the circus and many married into circus families. They are George Robert 1801-c1842, Robert 1802-1847, Thomas Robert 1806-1858, Charles Robert 1808-1893, Edward Robert 1810-, Henry Robert 1811-, Louisa 1816-1900 and Amelia 1818-1885.
George Robert Woolford 1801-c1840 has previously been identified as the father of Louisa, this is incorrect. George married Charlotte Stanfield 1809-1833, then Rebecca Cooke 1814-1898. Looking at the 1836 manifest for the Cooke circus trip to the US Rebecca appears to be called Mary Ann Cooke and their daughter Rebecca Marianna had already been born. But by the 1841 census Rebecca Marianna Woolford appears to be in the care of Thomas and Mary Cook. So I presume George has died, most likely in the US, although I can find no record of this.
Oddly, a Richard Woolford c1821- is recorded on this census. I do not know how this fellow fits in as I don't think he is one of Robert Woolford's 1774-1832 children (we have a list from a family bible). It does leave the possibility that this is George Robert's son from his first marriage.
Edward Robert 1810- also travelled to the US with the Cooke circus but I can find no record of him beyond his wife likely being named Ellen.
Louisa Woolford 1816-1900 married Andrew Ducrow and after his untimely death married again to a well off brewer.
I have an issue with Amelia Woolford as there are two. Amelia Woolford 1818-1885 was the daughter of Robert Woolford 1774-1832, Amelia Woolford 1831- was the granddaughter of Robert Woolford 1774-1832 and daughter of Robert Woolford 1802-1847. Amelia Woolford is recorded as marrying John Bridges 1810-1879 and Andrew Gulig/Gullig. I suspect that the two Amelias may have each married one of these men and the story became conflated. However, I can find very little on Andrew Gulig so it is hard to tease it all apart.
Henry Robert Woolford 1811- married Caroline Nash and was variously a painter, cop, gardner etc. He ended up living with the widow of Thomas Robert as an older man.
Thomas Robert Woolford 1806-1858 was an equestrian like most in the family but also held other jobs as well. He married Eleanor Jamieson 1808-1899 who appears to have been from a Traveller family in Scotland. She apparently thought little of the life and all her sons had professions (watchmaker, goldsmith, lawyer). Part of the family came to Australia and that is where I come in :).
Charles Robert Woolford 1808-1893 was also brought up in the circus but was injured and stopped performing (I have heard). He emigrated to Australia as well.
We connect into the Loyals, Ducrows, Bridges, Carlos, Loyals, Gautiers, and of course Cookes. There are no doubt more, that is from memory.
If anyone has any info on the Amelias of what happened to George Robert or Edward Robert I would love to hear more.
Nathan Woolford
-
I'm very interested in the info posted by Rram and Ramer2001, among others, on Lyle Marr.
I am coming at this from the English side, so have info on the Marrs / Morts (Lyle's paternal grandmother was Harriet Mort).
Unfortunately, the posts are quite old now - if anyone reading knows anything about the Marrs after their arrival in South Africa and/or would like the information I have on the family tree on the Mort side, please do get in touch.
-
My grandfather is Harry Lee Pope, my Grandmother is Edna Hancock. I know they were circus performers in the US around 1910. He was a slack wire walker, she rode bareback. They met at the circus and married in 1911 in Tennessee. I have never been able to find out anything about them. After the kids started coming they eventually dropped from the circus to a carnival circuit in the tri-state area of IN., ILL., and OH.
-
Hi Nathan,
I have seen that George Robert Woolford b 26 Sept 1801 had another middle name "Augustus", s/o Robert and Joan.
I found mention of him on the Find A Grave site:
Birth: unknown
Death: Jun. 4, 1840
Inscription:
39 years 9 months
Burial:
DeRonde Cemetery
Hillcrest (Rockland County)
Rockland County
New York, USA
link: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57482468
I am trying to figure out the two Amelias. The last sighting of Amelia b 1831 is in Shropshire where she is 10 and living with her parents Robert and Jane.
deb
-
Hi again
Just found an interesting marriage :
Edward Robert Woolford = Elizabeth Dwyer
25 August 1834, by banns
Manchester, St Mary, St Denys and St George
They both signed.
His details:
Bachelor, equestrian
Witnesses:
Mary Ann Dwyer and Thomas Parry
Found this snippet: http://www.circushistory.org/History/Clown2.htm
The “Miss Woolford” was Louisa Woolford, daughter of Robert Woolford and sister of George, who in 1828, at age 14, had made her debut with Ducrow’s company. She was described at that time as “a very attractive and promising young lady.” Within the next ten years, she developed into a popular arenic attraction, second only to Ducrow himself. 84 The death of Ducrow’s wife, Margaret, in January of 1837, opened the way for the marriage of Louisa and Andrew, an event which occurred on June 10, 1838.
deb
-
Thanks Deb USA, I have found a great deal since I started but your information is very useful, especially the grave of George Robert Augustus Woolford! Are you related?
Nathan
-
Quote from earlier page
That would have been Nellie, born Paris 1858, where her Dad was 'all the rage' as a clown. The late John Turner had entries for both Nellie and Lilly so I don't think they are the same person. Various anecdotal sources have her mentioned as married to Alf Whitmee but I have never found Lily (Lilly) in any official record :'(
Ellen (Nellie) Clara Boswell (Mrs Cattle)
Equestrienne and character act rider. Daughter of James Clements Boswell and Rebecca Cooke. Married Frederick Cattle. First noted at Hengler's, in Hull, in 1874, but continued to appear with Hengler's until 1892. Famous for her deliniation. on horseback, of first a Newhaven Fishwife,, then a Jolly Young Waterrman and thirdly a Highland Laddie, changing her costumes with great rapidity, dancing a hornpipe and a Scottish reel with as much ease and grace as if she were on terra firma, to the music of old airs.
When in Liverpool, in 1876, it was written that, 'The easily recognised somewhat stolid- looking animal which is specially used for feats of ~ kind, is led to the side of the ring. Immediately following appears a good-looking and unpretentious young lady, appropriately clad in a tunic and trousers of crimson silk, who from the ring makes her salute to the audience. Without further delay, she is on the broad, flat saddle, sitting in an easy posture with the most perfect composure as the canter round the ring commences. This quiescent state is not of long duration; soon she is standing where she sat, now on one foot, now on the other, in a series of attitudes which, besides exhibiting her complete mastery of the equestrian difficulties of the situation are eminently graceful in themselves. Then she rides from the ring and there comes an interval of 'clown' whilst a second scene is in preperation. Another scene on horseback was 'The daughter of the regiment'
Mother of William Frederick Cattle (known as Du Calion) Walter and Claude
Died May 1938 aged 80 yrs .(Ref: Victorian Arena by Dr John Turner)
i am looking for the buriel place of ellen clara cattle nee boswell.she died in 1938 in blackburn lancashire.but would love to know exactly where she is buried.
can anyone help please??
-
hi, iv noticed your post about nellie cattle/boswell. she was my great grandmother and i am awaiting a map of her grave/cemetary in lancs to arrive. i can share the info with you when it arrives . donna marshall nee cattle. e mail (*)
(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.
-
got it she is in leyton cemetary section K/CE number 816 if you visit could you send me a pic please thank you donna
-
Hi guys my name is Memory FETOUH, the Boswells are family of mine i'm trying to find my Mom's family Brian was my Mom's cousin my mom passed away 21 years ago we lived in Durban South Africa my mom had a sister named Sarah so from Durban can u maybe help me
Regards
-
Regarding Lilly Boswell ......... I am beginning to wonder myself if she even existed ;-) Here is one of the many anecddotal pieces of evidence that I have, it's from an old circus book and lists Lilly as a daughter of J.C.Boswell (1826/59) and brother to J.C.Boswell II (1853/1926) ........ some of the Cooke Family tree has been re-arranged since the discovery of WWCole's will. The late Dr John Turner also obviously believed she existed, he has her listed as a daughter of J.C.Boswell (1826/59) in his book "Victorian Arena - the Performers"
I am trying to find Frederick Cooke, who was performing in Schumann Circus in Norway 1880-1881. A baby girl was born in 1881 in Oslo and he was registred as the father, 35 years old. Can this be the Fred Cooke, son of Alfred?
-
Fred was in Manchester in 1881, so he has an alibi ;-)
1881 Census:
34 Queens Rd, Hastings St Mary In The Castle, Sussex
PRO Ref RG11 Piece 1024 Folio 55 Page 36
Frederick COOKE M 31 M Manchester, Head, Equestrian Performer
Kate COOKE M 31 F London, Middlesex, Wife
Emily COOKE 7 F Cardiff, Wales, Daur
Daisy COOKE 6 F Cardiff, Wales, Daur
Paulina COOKE 5 F Hastings, Sussex, Daur
Eugenie SULLY U 27 M Ipswich, Bro In Law, Equestrian
COOKE, James Frederick. Equestrian and equestrian manager. Son of Alfred Cooke (1821- 1854), brother of George Ernest and Hubert Cooke. Noted at Tom Batty's Great London Circus, 1876, as equestrian manager and riding as the Eclipse Jockey.
-
The baby girl was born 12th of May 1881, this means the baby was made fall 1880. At that time an equestrian named Frederick Cooke was in Kristiania (Oslo) and performed with Circus Schumann. Attached is article in Norwegian newspaper on his amazing performance. In all birth registration, baptism, confirmation papers, the father is named Frederick Cooke, living in England and equestrian. The article of is amazing performance is here: https://www.nb.no/items/2cee564e5fd2d9f4efe3facb9608d1fc (in Norwegian"