New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-07
THE LAST OF ASTLEYS.
A FAMOUS AMPHITUFATRE.

FAMOUS AMFHlTHEATkE.
Astlcys AmrhItheatre. 1t Is still calIcd-though
Philip Ashley. the rider. TO whom II owes name and
origin. has slept in Pcre In Chase these eighty years
Is soon TO come down, says writer In 'The LONDON
Globe" The fiat has gone forth. and in few weeks
| another old London institution. which has been a
landmark for century more, will have ceased TO
| exist. An interesting story is called TO mind by
this announcement. The circus has always had more
less OF fascination for children Of all ages ana
Philip Ashley. whose life had something OF romance
| In II, prince among circus proprietors Inc
| building. too, has eventful history
Philip Ashley took TO circus riding by process OF
natural selection. perhaps adaptation TO environ
ment would be correct. He was not apprentcAh
to 1t in days OF babyhood and made TO suffer terribly
torments but adopted II OF his own free Will late i'll
life. He was born at Newcastle in T42. When he
grew to wears OF discretion. not liking the trade OF
cabinet making into which he was born. he came to
London where he enlisted I'm the 18th, or EliottS
own Light Horse He was Just the man for horse
soldicr-sx feet In his stockings. Of handsome pres
ence agreeable I'm manners and imposing build lie
had too great liking for horses and soon became
so expert an equestrian that he Installed as rough
rider teacher and brcakcrin Of horses TO the reg
| ment In this way he served his seven years, and
| then left with the good will OF his comrades HIS
| commander General Elliott (afterward Lord Heath
fed) whose respect he had also won, presented h"i
with very fine horse In addition to his very best
wishes.
With this horse an exceptionally fine charger. and
| another which he bought in Smithfed. Ashley re-
solved to adopt equestrianism as a profession. IT
was not large sockin-tradc for circus proprietor
but he had plenty OF faith In his own ability. Ills
finds did not permit OF his having n buildng-they
did not even run TO tent: but vacant lana was
nentjfn on the surrey side them and he pitched his
ring of rOpcs and stakes on a waste pa'ch haro u!
where the amphhcatre awaits destruction Where
now all IS brick and mortar then 81. George 5
F;e,ds through which the New Cut ran from west
minister toward Blackfriars, and to which curious
footpath known as the Halfpcnny Hatch leu from n'
Johns Church in the Waterloo road Here MS HrS'
performances given. with the AID OF orui. ,"o
afcs and clown a modest charge OF siNpence being
made for the front standing places. irlhi''e a.
We're the ARRANGEMENTS, Ashley soon attracted eooo
| audiences and was able TO add to the programme
other performances. such As con)nrlng traispar'o',
| vaulting and tumbllng, with displays OF hre"oiH'
thrown in In course OF time he was enabled 10 hi''
an inoosed area and erect seats under substantial
roof This was in what was then a umper!"ru WI
tho site Of the present building, and here MS per
formances were given with great success There arr
two watercoor drawings in the BRUSH Museum "n'''
depict Astley's at about this period OF us eAise'
They originally formed part OF the Stowe coh'ouon
| AT first this too had but a rope ring ana 'he per
| formonces ONLY took place I'm the morning lor wan
NJ artificial illumination. Ashley, in order 10 M'S''
| M time having an evening entertainment III icc'
diuv with n trained horse and other Items. Fro'
tenant of the place at Westminster ne sooh peo'n
proprietor for what seems now the smaii sum VI go
His ACQUISITION Of this place occurred rather curl
ously Having lent his landlord G2oo on mor's"so
tho man at once disappeared, leaving Ashley 10 lore
close at his leisure This he did. and al once soiu VI
the wood remaining in the yard. Win 'h's "o,''
increased according TO limbs by G6O' the prou"''
NJ n diamond ring he picked up at the 1oo' Vi vs.
minister Bridge he in 1850 erected rooied p"iu'"r
with adequate seating accommodation anu NJ,
suitable ring This he called the "Amph'the"u. ""
ing Housen Some OF the materials OF which IT wa
hull, lao boucht cheap, IT having formed the mug
hastings built in front OF ST. Pauis' CoNei, ""'
tor q lannon's Westminster election. Inc Piaoe wa
now op the road 10 fortune. The performances g'ei
at night under favorable conditions H'Tac''" '' :
audiences In four years time he enlarged IL, anu .
cop,peto with a rival establishment when ha" Wv
advantage of dramatic entertainments stage nni
Charles Dibdin, the song writer; auu'u 1 Toroo
dramatic features also. Curously enough Ne , Io g.
get the necessary license a1 ipeh Lord Chanceo
hnrow whose daughter he taus1r 10 Lur, was a
cured both rssaI Sc, ana Ro R"S rove IN
OF the interior decorations being III MMainoic Aoile
It was here that n d hcocTos 10 mnna on
horses at full gaop with The grace bad p' 'c circus II
Relvidero, He nj The same tmr hau W ,r,i,
Paris and showed cor siderable enterprise III sinrt
theatres and crcuses in various parts oil inc cp -
ms P"ris hnding was seized during The Reyolu,o
and turned into barracks and at home his b'u i, ""
involved I'm a great fire which DESTROYER I'M d a.
hnuses in addition Unfortunately IT. was hsureu ~
u Very small amount and in rebuilding II nv r,r
"bean materials which resulted some years VI ~,
in its complete destruction in The snort 'p''' " "
hours. .,., ocourred however
Aetiev had died In Paris I'm 1914, at the age ~
enty-iwo In the house chamber III; Inv lad hoo
which his father had breathed his last iils hiu p
a busy fe Altogether he built ninetc1 , f Ci,r
and omDhitheatres, the last of when was 'r Wy r.
Pavilion in Wychst.. which was originally Heirnrc
e"ue.trlsn performances This, TOO was "es ;nS a.
Ir Are hu rot until after he had parted VIII M !,
q The Westminster building had passed 10 N'u'' d ho
crow whose father a native OF the borough h agi
engaged by Ashley years before as ~,me tba
\ Iiorcnles - II was during Ducrow's oWnerSnip n a.,
No second fire occurred to be followed ny 'n n.,
deo,h of DucrOw himself. through meh'al ,on,
ment and PARALYSIS brought on by thc c a p
since that time 1871. the amphheatre ms lnS pa,n
hronrh The hands OF Batty and ". Cooke-po'l " III
we'll known in connection with circn,es OF Row D
Ronc,canlt who turned 1t into the Ileh,rc IN H.
Westminster OF Mr. +. T. Smith: ana n,,h snne r,
Georgn Sanger in whose possession !. mas a com
p n,ained and under whose management IL reslHcI
80 i,c old Clories. Throughout these Nc, s1a,
Sasnite many rechristcnngs and no niue ,,
K 81 has always retained the name OF d rntr
Tho minds and memories OF cOckneys ana c .Ii,
consns ake-a fact which Is the besi poS,lie "'''