The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-17 00:00:00

THE OLD SHOTVMAN.

(From Anson's Dramatic Almanack.)
The hamlet of Highgate is some what altered since the
days of Matthew Paris who, speaking of it in his curious life
of the Twelfth Abbot of St. Albans, says " that the Forest
of Middlesex was the harbour, not only of thieves and
robbers, outlaws and fugitives, but of several sorts of wild
beasts, as wolves, wild boars, stags, and wild bulls, so
that the good Pilgrims were in imminent danger of their
lives and property. The rapid progress of civilisation has
entirelyremoved all this, and that despotic monarch King
Rail seems inclined to sweep all the remnants of antiquity
entirely away. With Highgate, all we have at present to
say about it is connected with the "Old Showman," who
lays peacefully there. In the beautifully diversified grounds
of its cemetery rest the remains of the " Travelling Zoo-
logist" George Wombwell, surrounded by the ashes of the
great lawyer and orator, Chancellor Lyndhurst, Gilbert
A'Beckett the punster, and Tout Sayers the lion-hearted
pugilist.
Wombwell was, in his day, quite as renowned as "Mus-
ter Richardson" (whose fair fame is annually kept alive at
the Fancy Fair of that excellent and well-managed charity
the Dramatic College. Long may it flourish.) Womb-
well was born at Malden, in Essex, and when a boy de-
voted much of his time to the breeding and rearing of
birds, pigeons, rabbits, dogs, and other domestic animals.
In this ho followed the example of Bisset. The first trace
of the showman which we have was as a cordwainer in
Compton-street, Soho, where, in addition to the making
and repairing the understandings of his customers, he car-
ried on the rearing, breeding, and teaching the various
animals before mentioned. But "there is a tide in the
affairs of man," and it so happened that Wombwell, being
at a publichouse in the neighbourhood, purchased of a
sailor a pair of boa constrictors; he abandoned soles and
upper leathers, and carried into execution a plan he had
long been forming, that of becoming a "Professional Show-
man." Bisset commenced his career by training a horse
and dog to exhibit wonderful feats. Ho brought out the
celebrated and amusing " Cat's Concert" in the Haymar-
ket, and died after having brought his "learned pig"
to a fine market. Wombwell commenced his career by
exhibiting in a small way his " Wonderful Boa Constric-
tors" at Camberwell, Croydon, Bow, and Stepney fairs
(three out of the four, no more), and, rapidly accumulating
money, became the largest proprietor of wild animals in
this country. At one time the cost of his establishment
was, upon the average, £35 per day. He possessed 30
caravans full of rare beasts and birds. His stud of horses
was of the finest breed, varying in number from 110 to
120. His band cost him at the rate of £4O per week, while
the amount he paid for turnpikes in the course of the year
formed a prominent item in his expenditure. The ele-
phants were amongst his most expeasive animals, for they
not only consumed loaves of bread, hay, and grass at the
rate of 1681bs. per say, but all this weight of food was
washed down by copious draughts of old ale, and that of
the best quality, for the elephantine tribe are good judges
of old, mild, and bitter. In spite of all the heavy ex-
penses of travelling, keeping a largo staff of persons, the
wear and tear of vans, carriages, harness, horses, &c., he
became a man of wealth and a great traveller, for there
was not a town of any consequence in England, Ireland,
Scotland, or Wales but Wombwell and his travelling
menagerie visited it ; but the greatest exhibition that
brought his name more prominently before the public was
the lion and dog fight at Warwick, on Tuesday, July 26,
1825. It was a fearful, wonderful, and, in many respects,
a disgusting sight, for iu the first combat with the lion
Nero, the once noble monarch of the forest was as playful
and harmless as a cat, so mild and docile as to follow
Wombwell out of his den into the fighting arena with
all the docility of a Newfoundland dog ; when tho
combatants (dogs), Captain, Tiger, and Turk, were
brought before the lion ho crouched down before
them, and seemed rather disposed for a game at play than
mischief ; when they flew at him he shook them off with-
out attempting to hurt them, but when they fastened upon
his nose and lips he sprang up roaring round his den,
until his natural instinct returned, and he tore them off
with his claws, mangling two of them fearfully in the ope-
ration, btu still not attempting to act on the offensive•
At last, however, he was left with one dog (Turk)
who showed a courage of the highest order. It was a
most extraordinary scene ; the dog, left alone with an
animal more than twenty times its weight, continued the
unequal combat with unabated fury, and, although bleed-
ing all over front the effect of the lion's claws, seized and
pinned him by the nose at least half a dozen times,
when, at length the lion by a desperate effort re-
leased himself, and flinging his whole weight upon the
dog held him down upon his fore paws for more
than a minute, during which time he could have
bitten his head off a dozen times, but, on the contrary, he
made not the slightest effort to hurt him ; at last Turk
was got away in a dying state, but, the moment he was
released, he courageously seized the lion again, but was
ultimately borne off a terribly mangled Turk.
The second fight was with Wombwell's lion Wallace, 6
different affair to that of Nero ; the Scotch lion's temper
was not quite so mild, he would very seldom let his keeper
approach to feed him, and was extremely disinclined to be
upon friendly terms with any one but those of his own
species, and even then, at times, family-jars broke out.
Wallace was turned into the same don that Nero fought
in ; the dogs were to be handed to the stage once only,
Tinker, Ball, Billy, S weep,Turpin, and Turk. In the first
round Tinker and Ball were let loose, and both made a
gallant attack, the lion calmly waiting for them ; he clapped
his paw upon poor Ball, took Tinker in his teeth and de-
liberately walked round the stage with him as a oat would
a mouse, treating Ball with a kick now and then ; he at
last dropped Tinker, who crawled off maimed and with
bellows to mend. Ball would have been swallowed like
his force-meat namesake, but his second rescued hiin
through the bars—rather a dangerous game. Then fol-
lowed Turpin and Sweep, who were treated in a like man-
ner; Turpin, like his great namesake, bolted as soon as lie
got out of Wallace's grasp ; Sweep brushed off the first
opportunity ; and the Scotch lion, like his great and glo-
rious namesake on many occasions, came off victorious.
Wombwell was sharply censured for exposing Nero
to be baited by dogs, because of his extreme do-
cility and tameness. The showman, however, always
after displayed a large
painted cloth in front of
his shows at all the fairs illustrative of the
"great dogs and lions fight." Wombwell was short in
stature, with a sharp face, somewhat rubicund in appear-
anee. When ho was not travelling he resided in a hand-
some van, surrounded by his menagerie, in Commercial'
road East, close by the Regent's-canal ; there he bought
and sold, or exchanged, all sorts and sizes of foreign
animals, birds, monkey, &c. He possessed unusual ability
and energy in his peculiar calling, and spared neither pada°
nor expense in rendering his collection perfect. Its great
feature, in 1830, was the Elephant of Siam, a theatrical
performer in the grand spectacle of the "Fire Fiend,'
wherein it uncorked bottles and various other feats, and
ended by placing "the rightful heir upon the throne of
his ancestors." On each side of his show he placed tW°
miniature elephants, " the smallest in the World." 11:1
spite of his heavy expenses, and, sometimes failures at
some of the fairs he attended, he amassed a large fortune.
On the 16th of November, 1850, he died at Northaller-
ton, in Yorkshire, at the good old age of 72, leaving, in
addition to a largo sum of money, three monstre travelling
menageries, with a collection of birds, wild animals, and
reptiles, unrivalled in the world. On the 26th of Novem-
ber his remains were placed in a brick vault in the cone"
tary at Highgate. They ware first deposited in a highly"
polished oak coffin, manufactured from timber recovered
from the Royal George ; the wood was presented to bid
by the late lamented Prince Consort, the Showman having
been eminently successful in saving the Prince's harriers
~
when many celebrated veterinary surgeons had f
The coffin, highly polished, formed one of the most co:
es
spicuous pieces of furniture in Wombwell's van and pia.° €
of dwelling, until it was required for the long, long rest Of
the Lion Showman. Peace to his manes.—W. T. T.

The weather at Paris continues exceedingly mild
for the season. Rain fell yesterday during part 01
the day. The ice has not yet broken up on al
Seine, but it is expected every hour to do so. 111,
precautions have been taken to prevent accident
when the movement occurs. The thermometer at
three in the afternoon marked 7 above zero centi-
grade (44 3-5 Fahrenheit).

Births.
BRISTOWE—On the 16th inst., at 4, Charles-street, Lowndee
square, the wife of S. B. Bristowe, Esq., of a daughter-
DALKEITIL—On the 15th inst., at Bowhill, Selkirk, N•l3''

the Countess of Dalkeith, of a son.
ROUTLEDGE —On the 16th inst., at Kingwater, li r
ornSo
lane, the wife of Robert W. Routledge, of a son.

Marriages.
BEDFORD —DARRINGTON —On the 15th inst., at ROXt°,,ii
Bedfordshire, Thomas Bedford, Esq., of Horsham, Su,
sex, to Jane, third daughter of Samuel Darrington,
of Chawson House, Roxton. ,
DUCKETT —MoRoNY—On the 16th inst., at St. Jamosfl
Church, Piccadilly, Wm. Duckett, Esq., of Duckett's;
grove, county Carlow, to Anna, third daughter of.A,,
late Thomas 11. Morouv, Esq., of Miltown House, .311
. town Malbay, county Clare.
Deaths.
CREIT.INS —On the 14th inst., at 7, Bloornsbury-Pl3c6
Bloomsbury-square, Richard Cheffius, Esq., aged 92.
CLARE —On the 15th inst., at Grasiendale Park, Aigport
Thomas Clare, Esq., of Wavertree, near Livorpo"
aged 92.
Nottlits—On the 16th inst., at Lower Tooting, SurroYl l‘tt

Daniel Norris, aged 80.
READE—On the 14th inst., at Shipton Court, Sir Jolla (J.
11,4ade, Bart., aged 83.
SMITH —On the 15th inst., at Richmond-hill, lienrietls'
relict of the late Capt. M. Smith, R.N., aged 92. of
T YNDALE— n the 15th inst., Thomas Tyndale, EA,..,"
the Vicarage-road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, aged 84'
WOODBRIDGE —On the 1 th inst., at 31, Upper Brixtom•
road, Brixton, Henry 'W. Woodbridge7 .1 sc Laj. aged 26>

London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDI ilg,
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tuts SUN Office, N°
Strand, in the Precinct of the SF voy, in tho CO92'
Joutary_l7,