Madame Angelo

[kayly]

Hi all

I am researching my gg grandmother "Madame Angelo" who was an endurance walker in the 1800's. I have aquired a couple of references to her both performing in Dudley where she appears to be well known and Greater Manchester where she travelled with Shah's Temple of Wonders. The family sir names connected are Atkinson and Ashworth which I have traced in the census but wondered if anyone had come across other articles in newspapers etc with reference to her? Any help greatly appreciated.   

[Christopher]

Hello Kayly,

A belated welcome to RootsChat.

In which quarter of the 1800s was your gg grandmother doing her endurance walking?

Christopher

[kayly]

Hi Christopher

Thanks for the welcome you are the first correspondence I have had on Rootschat. Madame Angelo was active from the 1860s through to the 1890's. I have discovered more information about her since my posting, from 'The Era'' trade papers and now know that she travelled extensively throughout  Great Britains towns also visiting Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin and also a reference to her working with Barnum in America. She appears to be a champion walker or pedestrian as they were then known and was famous for walking 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours around a track. This was achieved by walking day and night with an hour or two walking and an hours rest until the fete was completed. Madame Angelo was a frequent act on the music hall stage where she walked a mile under 11 mins singing a walking song, she also had life size colour posters of herself to buy. How I wish I could come across one of them to see what she looked like! I know there is a photo card on an internet site which shows a Madame Angelo from Barnums but not exactly one hundred percent it is her. Anyway enough of me rambling thanks for getting in touch and showing an interest.

Regards Kay

[Christopher]

Hello Kay,

There's an article about "Pedestriennes: Newsworthy But Controversial Women in Sporting Entertainment" by Dahn Shaulis on www.thelizlibrary.org/undelete/woa-spotlight/02-pedestriennes.html

I see even one seven year old girl participated in endurance walking in the early 1800s.

Christopher 

[kayly]

Hi Christopher

Thanks for the link but I have already got a copy of this article which made for interesting reading and gave me an insite into the pedestrians way of life. A few of Madame Angelo's children were also trained to walk as I have newspaper evidence that her son Julius Caesar Atkinson was trained when he was ten and one of his sisters when she was seven. I intend at some point to try and visit some of the theatre and entertainment archives to see if I can trace any posters or picture cards of Madame Angelo. I know she also used to travel with 'Shah's Temple of Wonder' in which her daughters performed lifting barrels with a rope attached (containing a member of the audience) with their plaited hair and with their teeth. Julius became a tight rope walker and later was learning trapeze when he left to marry my great grandma.

Regards Kay