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
