Jugglers and circus people

[Aurel Sercu]

Once in a while I post requests on behalf of friends and acquaintances in Flanders (Ypres). And to their amazement their questions were answered, though some were very unusual. This time, however, it may be different ...

Recently I was approached by an acquaintance who is - she and her husband - an active memeber of an Ypres circus club. Later this year they will be welcoming friends and other people with the same interest, in the Ypres Salient, and make a tour of cemeteries. For this they would like to focus on ... soldiers (all nationalities) who in civilian life were jugglers, acrobats or circus people in general.

And she asked me if I knew ... No, I didn't ... But maybe some Forum members ?...

I know, this is a needle in a haystack. For even Talbot House has been approached (the item being related to their Concert Hall), but unsuccessfully.

But let's have a try, and maybe once again this Forum will turn out to be an amazing collective of specialists who knows the answers to all Great War questions.

So : Does anyone know of or have information about British (or other) soldiers fallen in the Salient (or Flanders), and with a known grave, who had a career in the world of circus and variety show and theatre, as jugglers, acrobats, clowns etc. ? And if possible, with a story.

I fear that the response to this will be rather scarce, but I thought it was worth giving it a chance.

Aurel

[Simon Jones]

There is of course Captain Basil Hallam Radford RFC, music hall entertainer, although he is not buried in Flanders (Couin British Cemetery).

Simon

[Dragon]

Hello Aurel

Some years ago I was investigating the history of mask and make-up in circuses for something I wanted to write and produce. I made contact with a locally based circus company and interviewed a clown, who demonstrated his art. Then finally I wrote a piece for a newspaper about it.

I still have some of the contact information, and I could try writing to them, if you liked.

I also have my references for performing arts sources (as this is one of my specialist areas) but I would need a little while to look through to see what is relevant to your quest. I only know about UK performing arts, though.

Initially, you might try visiting these sources and contacting them:

http://www.circusfriends.co.uk/main.html (Their publication, King Pole, is indexed and archived and might have a relevant article, but I haven't looked.)

http://www.musee-du-cirque.com/

http://www.shef.ac.uk/nfa/ - all sorts of travelling arts including circuses and fairs.

I’ve also sent you a PM with a link to someone’s information.

I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can find. In the meantime, try posting a request on this Forum:

http://www.thegalloper.com/

Or you'll find that many UK universities have faculties or individual staff whose work touches on circuses. And many have circus societies. I can't recommend particular ones.

Gwyn

[gporta]

Though it is a book not dealing with circus* , L.J. Collins' "Theatre at War 1914-18" is a thoroughly researched, and very interesting publication on british entertaiment during the Great War (in the Uk and in the fighting fronts, prisoner camps, etc...). I certainly enjoyed reading it.

It was originally published by Macmillan, but you may find this printing hard to find. There's a more recent (2004) paperback edition by Jade Publishing Ltd.

Gloria

*Still, there are 6 entries in the index for "pierrot troupes"

[BeppoSapone]

Clowns have an annual Church Service, held each year in the London area.

I am sure that, if you contacted the church in question the vicar would be able to help you with your enquiries.

[ianw]

Of course, Picasso's paintings from the Great War period often featured clowns and Chaplin served in the British Army.

[BeppoSapone]

Clowns have an annual Church Service, held each year in the London area.

I am sure that, if you contacted the church in question the vicar would be able to help you with your enquiries.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have just phoned a relative who has been to several of these services in order to take photos.

The "Grimaldi Service" is held every February in Holy Trinity, Dalston. This years was the 59th, although it is an older ceremony - it was "bombed out" of its original Soho home in WW2. This service is packed out with both clowns in "uniform" and members of the public. Contact would be Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin on 0207 254 5062.

There is also a "Clowns Gallery", which sounds to me like a Museum. This is housed in the All Saints Centre in Haggerston Road. This is open the first Friday in every month between 12 and 5. The contact is the Director - "Mattie the Clown" (honest!) on 0870 1284 336.

There is also said to be a "Clowns Newspaper" - not sure of the name, but not the 'Sun' (probably).

If neither of the two contacts given above can help/point you in the direction of someone who can help, you can try writing to the newspaper. No doubt either Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin or "Mattie the Clown" will have full contact details.

[Dragon]

More suggestions:

You could talk to the Arts and Humanities Data Service:

http://ahds.ac.uk/performingarts/

Click on About us for their email contact address.

I did a quick search on their archives but I didn’t find anything that is specifically relevant to you. That doesn’t mean anything except that I didn’t have time to look at everything.

The Arts and Humanities Research Board may be aware of research areas or researchers who are engaged with Circus history.

http://www.ahrb.ac.uk/

There is a Contact button on their index page.

There is a traditional fair coming to my town at the end of next week, as it has done every year for generations, ready for the May Day celebrations. I might wander over there in a quiet time and make inquiries of the fair owner.

Beppo’s leads sound fascinating!

Gwyn

[Aurel Sercu]

Simon, Gwyn, Gloria, Beppo and Ian,

Thanks !

I was realistic and did not expect that names of fallen jugglers or circus people would be instantaneously available, but the directions you all pointed out no doubt will help. I will contact the sources you mention, esp. Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, and try to find 'Theatre at War' in the Ypres Documentation Centre.

Thanks. Much appreciated, also on behalf of Mia, the acquaintance I started this thread for in the first place.

Aurel

[Kate Wills]

Wouldn't it be apt to find someone who was fired from a canon in civilian life!!

I have come across ventrilquists who served, but not (so far as I can remember) acrobats and jugglers.

By the way, Basil Hallam dressed as a dandy man-about-town and sang. He wore a metal plate in his leg due to an accident. He could quite likely have evaded active service.

[TD60]

hello,

Maybe another track...

Not a circus but orchestra for entertainment was the Lena Ashwell Concert party with several members died during GW1;

exemple: drowned in the Somme after a car accident.

Here is the grave of the orchestra leader:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/tanneguy.desplanqu...s/civillena.htm

I do not know exactly what they did and played during their tours.

Regards

[Kate Wills]

TD60,

Thankyou for posting that link; however Lena Ashwell did not organise an orchestra, but small parties of entertainers, perhaps 6 - 8 in each group, who would perform a variety show of music, song, comedy etc.

George Riley was a tenor singer, but not one of the ones whose car fell in the Somme. That accident occurred at St Valery in February 1918. I imagine George Riley died of influenza, but do not know for sure.

[TD60]

TD60,

Thankyou for posting that link; however Lena Ashwell did not organise an orchestra, but small parties of entertainers, perhaps 6 - 8 in each group, who would perform a variety show of music, song, comedy etc.

George Riley was a tenor singer, but not one of the ones whose car fell in the Somme. That accident occurred at St Valery in February 1918. I imagine George Riley died of influenza, but do not know for sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello

Thank you for the precision.

Maybe my english words are unperfect.

But I would have meant / thought:

that "concert" are given by "orchestras" even if they are few.

But group is certainly a better word.

My sentence was unclear.

I did not intend to say that George Riley was in the car which felt in the Somme river but that some of the Lena Ashwell members died because of this accident.

I fully agree G.Riley probably died beause of influenza.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Kate, As you will know I am researching WW1 serving female casualties and I have Emily Ada Pickford as being a member of the YMCA who died on the 7th February 1919 as a member of Lena Ashwell's Concert Party. CWGC gives her as "drowned in the Somme near Abbeville". Could this have been in the accident that you mention (your 1918, my 1919) ? Have you more details about the accident ?

[Kate Wills]

That's her Jim! I'll post more details soon. Do you have a picture of her?

[Jim Strawbridge]

That's her Jim! I'll post more details soon. Do you have a picture of her?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if I have a picture of her or not. I have a photograph of the Lena Ashwell Concert Party taken in Malta 1916 but I don't know if Emily Pickford is one of them.

[ianw]

Emily is shown as aged . All the ladies in the picture could be of that age.

How many drowned in river following the car accident ?

[Boreenatra]

Dear Ian,Jim & Kate.

Check out http://www.powell76.freeserve.co.uk/mrsemilypickford.htm

Also check the home page for lots of interesting stuff.

Regards Steve.

[Kate Wills]

Ian,

Three died in the river accident. Emily, and another singer Vincent Taylor, who was pleased to do the work as he had been declared medically unfit by the army. The third was the driver. I do not know his name, but imagine he was engaged by the YMCA.

Jim,

I cannot identify the members of the party at present, but one of the men (possibly wearing white flannels) is pianist Theodore Flint. One of the ladies is cellist Adeline Leon.

[chris basey]

This is rather a tenuous link to this thread about circus performers in WW1.

It is said that Nurse Edith Cavell cared for a young English girl named Pauline Randall. At about thirteen years old Pauline went to Brussels with her family shortly before the outbreak of war. Her father was a travelling showman with a small circus that used to tour over the continent.

Pauline disliked the life so much that, when they reached Brussels, she determined to run away. She found an English woman who kept a paper shop who, in turn, passed her on to a member of the English church. Through its chaplain Nurse Cavell became aware of this girl who wanted to find a situation with an English family.

Admiring her pluck in leaving the circus life, Edith Cavell took the girl into her personal service (some say she adopted her).

At the time of the Quien trial in Paris she was simply referred to as 'Miss Pauline' but in September 1919 the Daily Mirror discovered her working as a nursemaid with a doctor's family on holiday in Southend. They then revealed her identity in issue Friday 5th September 1919.

[Dragon]

Hello Aurel

Reverting to your query...

I walked over to the fair in my town today and talked to the owner. He knew immediately a person who would be able to help you and has given me her name. He is sure that if she doesn’t have the information herself, she will be able to suggest where you can find it.

I have emailed the name and details to you via the Forum email system, rather than putting it on the Internet.

I hope this helps and that the person he suggested has the information you need.

Gwyn

[john w.]

Aurel

Have had a scout out today and she has been to Dalston and the church mentioned earlier

She also came up with clowns -international.co.uk... and I have emailed them with this longshot.. will let you know if there is a result

John

[Aurel Sercu]

Thanks, John !

Meanwhile I have contacted IWM, for it seems that they have compiled an inventory of UK War Memorials, and who knows there might be one for circus people fallen in the Great War ?

http://collections.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00g00c

However no response so far. (After two weeks)

We have also contacted http://www.circusfriends.co.uk

And also the author of Victoria Arena, The Performers (John Turner), of a project Dictionary Circus People Biography. (The book cannot be found in Belgium)

And ... Mia (my acquaintance) has already found one fallen juggler ! Henry Wallser, from Jersey, C.I., 2/Devonshire Regt., 13/03/15, fallen in Neuve Chapelle, name on Le Touret Memorial. Well, that 's a beginning, we hope.

Aurel

[john w.]

Have had a reply to my email and they are sending it on to see if they can find out any more information

Watch this space

John

[ianw]

Wallser is reported to be the first "showman" casualty of the Great War. The Wallser surname when searched on Google gives access to a number of traveller/showman webpages inc. a listing of showman entries from the 1891 census. Could be worth follwing these names up.