RootsChat.Com
Some Special Interests => Travelling People => Topic started by: Brummie on Exmoor on Tuesday 19 May 15 14:01 BST (UK)
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My very ordinary Brummie 2xGreat Grandmother's older half sister, Mary Spender MOLESWORTH (b Birmingham 1810), married William SAVAGE, an Innkeeper from Stratford on Avon. They had a family of 8, and most of the girls married into Circus families (despite there being no history of this in the family). They were particularly linked with the GINNETTs and SANGERs, two famous 19th Century Circus-owning and Equestrian families, and the LLOYDs, who were Gymnasts. Two of the girls became Equestrians themselves.
Mary Ann, the youngest daughter (b Stratford Oct-Dec 1849) married Henry Cowper HOPKINS in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast on 17 July 1870. Henry, an Irishman, worked as a Circus Agent, Advance Man and Manager, for GINNETT's Circus, Batty's Circus and Powell and Clark's. They had 3 children, but tragically, Henry died in Cork in June 1876.
In 1881, Mary Ann was working as an Equestrian for GINNETT's Circus, at Trinity Marsh Circus Tents, Woolwich. The GINNETT in question was her nephew, Jean Pierre Claude Frederick GINNETT, who later married her own oldest daughter, Emily Mary.
After 1881, Mary Ann disappeared without trace.
It has been tricky, tracing the family, because inevitably they moved around all the time, and travelled regularly to Ireland. I found quite a lot of marriages there (largely Protestant ones despite the GINNETT's French origins), and a lot of the children were born there. I found the 1901 and 1911 Irish Censuses a great help when they appeared. I have even found traces of the family in Europe and, the LLOYDs especially, in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. But I can find no trace of Mary Ann. Did she remarry? Did she die abroad?
I would be really grateful for any hints or help anyone can give me on this. They were a remarkable family, and I hate loose ends!
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Have you thought about contacting Ginnets Circus to see if there is any family there that may know what happened to Mary Ann?
They have a page on facebook which has a phone number https://www.facebook.com/pages/Circus-Ginnett/153935441303996?sk=info&tab=page_info
Or you could contact them via this page. http://www.circusginnett.com/
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Have you tried the National Fairground Archive to see if they have any info that may help. Their collection includes Circuses as well as Fairs.
Their public reading room has a wonderful collection of books, magazines etc and it's easy to get to - a tram ride from Sheffield railway station.
Take a look at their website for information https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/nfa
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Thank you very much to both of you for your really helpful suggestions. I will post anything substantive that I discover.
Best wishes,
Jane