19th C – early 20th C
Sanger’s Circus was formed in 1821. There are many snippets about the circus in the Fenwick Scrapbooks. In them Arthur Fenwick tells of the beginning of the circus with “with an old horse and little grey pony” and how George Sanger took the title of Lord so as not to be out done by Buffalo Bill who called himself the Honorable William Cody. He tells of how a big newspaper told the government that they should learn form the circus because they could put tents up and down so quickly. “So high Army officials were sent down to learn to see their methods”. In 1911 there are several about the murder of “Lord” George Sanger, in Finchley. While in 1914 there was an incident in Wallsend when a curious boy put his hand in the mouth of a leopard. In 1924 Sanger’s was reputed as “The greatest collection of circus people and animals in existence.” The tour included: Alnwick Recreation Ground, Morpeth’s Wauk Mill Field, Ashington’s Hirst Farm, Whitley Bay Links, Gosforth Park and Town Moor. The show included football playing elephants, and Pimpo the clown, who in a clipping from the Chronicle, is described thus – “The children will love Pimpo, the clever clown, whose act with the horse “Sport” is exceptionally well done; and the will shout with delight at the boxing kangaroo…“
