When the circus came to town

MEMORIES OF THE BIG TOP IN BOURNE

The magic of the circus is among the treasured memories of childhood for people of a certain age although we have since learned that cruelty in training the animals was often involved and so this form of entertainment has slowly declined with the passing years.

During the 19th century particularly, travelling circuses were an annual delight for children and the posters that appeared announcing a forthcoming visit sent a ripple of excitement through the streets and usually resulted in many children skipping school to watch what was going on down at the big top site and then if possible, attend one of the performances.

In April 1879, so few children turned up for lessons at the council board school in Star Lane [now Abbey Road] on the day the circus arrived in town that everyone was sent home and a holiday declared. Then on 24th May 1881, the headmaster recorded in his log book: "Wombwell's Wild Beast Show in the town today. Causes low attendance."

There were more absentees in November 1902 when the headmaster noted: "On Wednesday afternoon, a circus in the town caused a fall of fifty in the attendance. In every case, save one, written notes were sent to me by parents. In the exception, the boy's father had inflicted punishment for truancy." Absence on such occasions was now so commonplace that the school began to accept the situation and on 1st March 1912, classes were dismissed at 3.40 pm "to allow children to attend a large menagerie where the manager gave a description of the animals".

One of the regular travelling circuses to visit Bourne was that owned by French-born Jean Pierre Ginnett who founded the Ginnett circus dynasty, later carried on by his son and three grandsons and still in business today. He died in 1861 and is buried in Kensal Green cemetery in London. His mammoth circus and equestrian troop came here for two performances in April 1858 and paraded through the streets at midday to advertise the event while a tub containing a clown and drawn by four geese floated its way erratically along the Bourne Eau in South Street. The publicity was a great success because there were an estimated 2,000 people in the audience for the evening performance at a time when the population of the town was only 3,730 (1861 census).

There was a return visit in the summer of 1875 when the Grantham Journal reported that “a travelling circus always causes a considerable amount of stir and bustle in the town” and this was no exception although that performance did not quite live up to expectations. “A large audience witnessed several really clever feats, amongst others of an ordinary nature”, said the report. “The bare-back riding, training of horses and dogs and the performances of several acrobats were praiseworthy but we were greatly deceived with the Russian Skaters.”

Circuses remained popular until the late 20th century, making regular visits to towns and cities and appearing at seaside resorts during the summer months. The last circus to visit Bourne was twenty-five years ago when the big top was erected in a field at the fen end of Mill Drove but attendance was poor, a portent of what was to come. The appeal of this form of travelling entertainment as a major attraction was already in serious decline and the number of those circuses with animals now operating in Britain has since dropped from twenty to just two while a bill to ban them drawn up in 2013 is soon expected to become law.

Animal Defenders International (ADI) which has campaigned against such cruelty for the past twenty years, welcomed the proposed legislation. Chief executive Jan Creamer said: “A ban on the use of wild animals in circuses is long overdue. There is no place in a civilised society for animals to be forced to endure a lifetime of cruelty and confinement for entertainment.”

Nevertheless, the arrival of the circus in town was an extremely popular event in times past and here are some descriptions of these occasions culled from the newspaper archives.

¬ MONSTER AMERICAN CIRCUS: The troupe of equestrians known as the Star Riders of the World will exhibit in Bourne on the 14th October. The procession will enter the town in the following order: band carriage drawn by eight horses, pony carriage, elegant picture chariot, ladies on horseback, Tom Thumb's carriage and the miniature dog cart drawn by the two smallest ponies in England. The procession will be brought up with the magnificent globe carriage used at the Lord Mayor of London's Show of 9th November 1850 and purchased by the proprietor at great expense.
The band is led by Mr Richard Holt and the performances will be enlivened by the drolleries and witticisms of the two best clowns of the day, Harry Adrian from Astley's, London, and Lenton, the India-rubber clown.
There will be two performances, the first at 2 pm and the second at 7.30 pm.
First class seats 2s., second class seats 1s. Promenade 6d. Children under ten and schools admitted at half-price to first and second class seats. No half-price to promenade.
Sole proprietor Mr Macarte. Agent in advance Mr D Hutchinson.
N B: Mr Macarte presumes the public will not see any similarity to those extravagant announcements which have been made on former occasions by managers in the equestrian profession, but trusts, from the reputation he has gained, together with the highly flattering encomiums [glowing praises] of the press bestowed on his pre-eminent Troop of Equestrians in all the principal cites and towns of the United States of America, Great Britain, etc., he will fully substantiate his claim to public patronage. - notice in the Stamford Mercury, Friday 3rd October 1851.

¬ Ginnett's equestrian troop visited Bourne on Wednesday last and paraded the streets at 12 o'clock. There were two performances, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening. At 1 o'clock, a vast number of persons assembled on the banks of the Bourne Eau navigation to witness an exemplification of "A Tale of a Tub", or in other words, to see a clown upon the water in a washtub, to which four geese were attached; but to say that the geese draw the tub, the clown, and the two half-hundredweights which are placed in the tub, is the very reverse of the truth. There is a pole attached to the tub about the centre of the front end, to which the geese are literally bound fast and made secure. At the sides of the tub are fixed paddles, by which the occupant propels it along and forces the geese forward "whether they are willing or not". - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 30th April 1858.

¬ Ginnett's Mammoth Circus visited this place on Wednesday the 16th ult., and gave two entertainments, afternoon and evening, when it was very thinly attended in the afternoon, but in the evening there could not be less than 2,000 to witness the extraordinary feats performed by some of the company. - news item from the Grantham Journal, Saturday 1st May 1858.

¬ The visit of a travelling circus is now a rare occurrence and always causes a considerable amount of stir and bustle in the town. On Wednesday last, Ginnett's Circus was erected in this town and a large audience witnessed several really clever feats, amongst others of an ordinary nature. The continuous rain prevented the procession parading the streets as advertised. The bare-back riding, training of horses and dogs and the performances of several acrobats were praiseworthy but we were greatly deceived with "The Russian Skaters". - news item from the Grantham Journal, Saturday 3rd July 1875.

¬ CIRCUS: On Tuesday last, Messrs Hutchinson and Tayleure's circus visited Bourne. Soon after noon they paraded the town with their stud of fine horses and vans which presented a very magnificent appearance. In the afternoon, a special performance was given for children, which was thinly attended, but in the evening there was a large gathering present to witness the very creditable performance of the company. During the entertainment an accident, which fortunately did not turn out very serious, happened to one of the acrobats. He and his companion were performing on the suspended trapeze and while passing from the cross-bar down, so as to hang from the hands of the other acrobat, his fingers slipped and he fell with a crash amongst the lamps and lights of the arena. There was a commotion in the circus for a few minutes but it was found that he had escaped with a slight cut or two, and burn, caused by the lamps, and a general shaking. - news report from the Grantham Journal, Saturday 4th October 1879.

¬ On Tuesday night, Joseph Edward Dallywater, the town crier, chimney sweep, bill-poster and landlord of the Red Lion in South Street, entered the lion's cage of the Spanish travelling menagerie that was visiting Bourne and, facing the lion, remained while he smoked a cigarette, after which he emerged unscathed amid the cheers of a crowded audience. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 1st December 1899.

REVISED APRIL 2013