Acrobats

[Shrimper19]

Hi All
I've discovered that both my great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were acrobats.  GGF was married at the age of 22 in 1893 so I imagine they were operating from ~1860 onwards and possibly before. 

GGGF was called John Williams and his son was James Henry Williams. 

I'm really struggling to find out more about the family and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about where to go next.  They seemed to have settled in the Kennington area of London but that's as much as I've been able to glean.

I've ordered JHW's birth certificate which will tell me where he was born which might help.

[heywood]

Welcome to Rootschat 

Who did James Henry marry in 1893?

Do you have them in censuses?
Do you have birthplaces?

[cath151]

Hi,
Welcome 
Did he marry Matilda Martin in Lambeth in 1893? Other on page Sarah Ann Quartley.
Have found a James Henry Williams Cragg with wife Tillie in Lambeth in1901, he is an acrobat.

Cathy

[Shrimper19]

Thank you both for the welcome .

James married Matilda Martin, but I couldn't find any info in censuses.

James Henry William Cragg is very definitely a possibility; my grandfather changed his name to Craig at some point (he's down on his marriage certificate as Williams, otherwise Craig) and that's not a huge step from Cragg. 

[cath151]

May not be him at all of course but this James' family is under surname Cragg in 1911.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW56-C1C
Cathy

[Shrimper19]

I've also found James Henry Cragg (minus the Williams altogether now) in the 1911 census.

[mckha489]

If that is them,  there are lots of newspaper notices/advertisements for THE CRAGGS

Particularly 05 March 1898 - The Era - London, London, England

One sentence of interest . “They have been seen frequently in Edinburgh in another guise

So perhaps they have reinvented themselves?

[hepburn]

 Craggs acrobats...Photo of them

[hepburn]

https://www.rootschat.com/links/01rq3/