Lord George Sanger
Encyclopedia
"Lord" George Sanger was an English showman and circus
proprietor. Born to a showman father, he grew up working in travelling peep show
s. He successfully ran shows and circuses throughout much of the nineteenth century with his brother John
. He retired in 1905 and was murdered by an employee in 1911.
to James Sanger. James Sanger, the son of a Wiltshire
farmer, had been pressed
into the service of the Royal Navy
at a young age, where he learned conjuring tricks, and later, as a navy pensioner, became a showman. He and his wife, named Elliott, travelled the country in a caravan, showing human curiosities and a peep show
. After they began to have children, the family settled in Trowbridge
and then Newbury, where George was born. George Sanger was the sixth of ten children, and the youngest son. The children grew up helping with their father's business. As a young man, Sanger made his first start in business, independent of his father, as an animal tamer. His first "troupe" consisted of canaries, redpoles
, white mice and later, hares. He taught them to fire miniature cannons and walk tightropes. The show was a success and he exhibited at private parties, although he drew a few accusations of witchcraft from rural villagers.
. Sanger had earned the nickname "Gentleman George" from fellow showmen, and "his Lordship" from his father, for the smart way he dressed. In 1848, the three brothers took their show to Stepney Fair. Here, he renewed an acquaintance with a woman he knew form his childhood called Ellen Chapman. She was a lion tamer, known professionally as Madame Pauline de Vere. They married on 1 December 1850 in Sheffield
.
John and George Sanger decided to take their show to country fairs, believing that they would make more money than at the fairs in London. In the winter of 1850–51 they returned to London and, in addition to their conjuring show, they rented Enon Chapel
—a former charnel house
— to run a "sort of winter theatrical show". They employed actors and put on a Christmas pantomime
. After being informed that not all of the bodies improperly buried at the site had been removed, and that the authorities intended to close the building, the Sangers moved out.
In 1851, the brothers took their show to the The Great Exhibition
fair in Knightsbridge
, an event that, due to heavy rain, was a disappointment to the showmen. The fair was abandoned and the Sangers moved on to the north of England. After another successful season at Stepney Fair (with a 'tame oyster'), the brothers decided to start a circus. Their first purchase for the circus was a Welsh pony, for £7 and their assistants were two nieces, a nephew and four apprentices.
In 1871, the Sanger brothers bought Astley's Amphitheatre
for £11,000 and George Sanger ran it for 28 years until the London County Council
ordered it to be closed in 1893. Sanger ended his professional relationship with his brother John in 1884.
). In 1903, he presented a statue of Queen Victoria
to the town of Newbury, to stand in the same position occupied by his father's shop years before.
In 1905, Sanger sold off his zoo and circus effects, auctioned by circus auctioneer Tom Norman
. He retired to Park Farm in East Finchley
, London, and published an autobiography in 1910. On 28 November 1911 George Sanger was murdered with a hatchet
at his home by employee Herbert Charles Cooper, for unknown reasons. Cooper then committed suicide. Sanger was buried on 4 December next to his wife's grave in Margate.
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
proprietor. Born to a showman father, he grew up working in travelling peep show
Peep show
A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. Though historically a peep show was a form of entertainment provided by wandering showmen, nowadays it more commonly refers a presentation of a sex show or pornographic film...
s. He successfully ran shows and circuses throughout much of the nineteenth century with his brother John
John Sanger
John Sanger was an English circus proprietor.He was born at Chew Magna, Somerset, in 1816, the son of an old sailor who had turned showman. In 1845 he started with his brother George Sanger a conjuring exhibition at Birmingham...
. He retired in 1905 and was murdered by an employee in 1911.
Early life
Sanger was born 23 December, probably 1825, in Newbury, BerkshireNewbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
to James Sanger. James Sanger, the son of a Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
farmer, had been pressed
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
into the service of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at a young age, where he learned conjuring tricks, and later, as a navy pensioner, became a showman. He and his wife, named Elliott, travelled the country in a caravan, showing human curiosities and a peep show
Peep show
A peep show or peepshow is an exhibition of pictures, objects or people viewed through a small hole or magnifying glass. Though historically a peep show was a form of entertainment provided by wandering showmen, nowadays it more commonly refers a presentation of a sex show or pornographic film...
. After they began to have children, the family settled in Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
and then Newbury, where George was born. George Sanger was the sixth of ten children, and the youngest son. The children grew up helping with their father's business. As a young man, Sanger made his first start in business, independent of his father, as an animal tamer. His first "troupe" consisted of canaries, redpoles
Redpoll
The Redpolls are a group of small passerine birds in the finch family Fringillidae which have characteristic red markings on their heads. They were formerly placed into the genus Acanthis together with the linnets and the twite, but their closest relatives are actually the crossbills, that are...
, white mice and later, hares. He taught them to fire miniature cannons and walk tightropes. The show was a success and he exhibited at private parties, although he drew a few accusations of witchcraft from rural villagers.
Partnership
Sanger started a travelling conjuring show with his older brothers William and JohnJohn Sanger
John Sanger was an English circus proprietor.He was born at Chew Magna, Somerset, in 1816, the son of an old sailor who had turned showman. In 1845 he started with his brother George Sanger a conjuring exhibition at Birmingham...
. Sanger had earned the nickname "Gentleman George" from fellow showmen, and "his Lordship" from his father, for the smart way he dressed. In 1848, the three brothers took their show to Stepney Fair. Here, he renewed an acquaintance with a woman he knew form his childhood called Ellen Chapman. She was a lion tamer, known professionally as Madame Pauline de Vere. They married on 1 December 1850 in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
John and George Sanger decided to take their show to country fairs, believing that they would make more money than at the fairs in London. In the winter of 1850–51 they returned to London and, in addition to their conjuring show, they rented Enon Chapel
Enon Chapel
Enon Chapel was located on Clement's Lane near the Strand and was built around 1823. The upper part was dedicated to the worship of God, the lower part to the burial of the dead. The two parts were separated by a board floor. In 1839 the remains of thousands of bodies were found in a vault beneath...
—a former charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
— to run a "sort of winter theatrical show". They employed actors and put on a Christmas pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. After being informed that not all of the bodies improperly buried at the site had been removed, and that the authorities intended to close the building, the Sangers moved out.
In 1851, the brothers took their show to the The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
fair in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, an event that, due to heavy rain, was a disappointment to the showmen. The fair was abandoned and the Sangers moved on to the north of England. After another successful season at Stepney Fair (with a 'tame oyster'), the brothers decided to start a circus. Their first purchase for the circus was a Welsh pony, for £7 and their assistants were two nieces, a nephew and four apprentices.
In 1871, the Sanger brothers bought Astley's Amphitheatre
Astley's Amphitheatre
Philip Astley opened Astley's Amphitheatre in London in 1773. * The structure was burned in 1794, then rebuilt. With increasing prosperity and rebuilding after successive fires, it grew to become Astley's Royal Amphitheatre and this was the home of the circus...
for £11,000 and George Sanger ran it for 28 years until the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
ordered it to be closed in 1893. Sanger ended his professional relationship with his brother John in 1884.
Later life
From the 1880s, Sanger became active in defending the rights of showmen and was the president of the Van Dwellers Protection Association (which later became the Showmen's Guild of Great BritainShowmen's Guild of Great Britain
The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain exists to protect the interests of travelling showmen at funfairs in Great Britain.The Showmen's Guild was originally founded as the United Kingdom Van Dwellers Protection Association in 1889 in Salford...
). In 1903, he presented a statue of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
to the town of Newbury, to stand in the same position occupied by his father's shop years before.
In 1905, Sanger sold off his zoo and circus effects, auctioned by circus auctioneer Tom Norman
Tom Norman
Thomas Noakes, later known as Tom Norman, was an English businessman and showman. He started his working life as a butcher in Sussex and at 17 moved to London. After viewing an exhibition of an "Electric Lady" next door to his place of work, he went into business with the lady's manager and began...
. He retired to Park Farm in East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, London, and published an autobiography in 1910. On 28 November 1911 George Sanger was murdered with a hatchet
Hatchet
A hatchet is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade used to cut and split wood...
at his home by employee Herbert Charles Cooper, for unknown reasons. Cooper then committed suicide. Sanger was buried on 4 December next to his wife's grave in Margate.