Waddington's Funfairs (Initiated c1860 - 1899)
Dates
- Existence: Initiated c1860 - 1899
Biography
The Waddington family business started with Abraham Waddington Senior, a roundabout proprietor and innovator, who took out several patents in the late nineteenth century for improvements to fairground machinery. Amongst his earliest machines was a set of bikes which were travelled with a chain-drive traction engine. Later he bought a Sea on Land, built in King's Lynn by Frederick Savage. The ride was powered by a McLaren Traction Centre Engine which had been driven onto an 18 foot gantry.
When Abraham Senior died, the business was continued by his widow, Mrs Hannah Waddington, and their son John William Senior (1874-1928). Mrs Waddington travelled her Gondola Switchback and later a Tunnel Railway. Visitors to a fairground in Yorkshire in the 1900s would have had their first sight of a motorcar when they took a ride on her Motorcar Switchback. John Willie Senior, who continued the ride after the death of his parents, married Susannah Lee and had two sons; John William Junior (1898-1932) and Abraham Junior in (1900-1918).
By the turn of the century Waddington had a set of 4-abreast Ostriches, his own Switchback, joined in 1901 by the first set of Steam Yachts and later a Bioscope show. In 1905 he had eight replicas made of his De Dion motor car and those replaced the Gondolas on his Switchback. Much of the equipment was sold by the outbreak of the Great War and just the Yachts were kept, although the sons bought their own set in 1914. John Willie Senior's youngest son Abraham Junior wrote a diary in 1916 which provides us a graphic account of life for the showpeople during the First World War.
Abraham Junior died in the great influenza epidemic of 1918 age 18. His father John Willie Senior continued to travel his yachts throughout Yorkshire until his death at the age of fifty four in 1928. His remaining son, John Willie Junior, married Margaret Shufflebottom of the Wild West Shows and they continued to travel the yachts in the Eastern Counties. John Willie Junior died in 1932 age thirty four, after his death, his widow Margaret continued travelling the Yachts in the Norwich area and later remarried her foreman Arthur Bird.
The original Savage Yachts new to Waddingtons in 1901 still survive. On Mr Waddington's death they passed to Walter Waddington's son, Herbert, and on his death to his daughter Priscilla, who married Harry Lee. For many years they were the only set of Steam Yachts travelling and later they were owned by a private collector in Lincolnshire.
Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:
Audio Material, 1993
Brian Steptoe interview with Margaret Bird (nee) Shufflebottom.
Brian Steptoe Collection
An audio cassette recording of a conversation between Maggie Bird (formerly Mrs. Margaret Waddington and nee Shufflebottom) and Brian Steptoe on 15th June, 1993 at Bramerton, Norfolk. There is a ten page transcript to accompany the recording.
Charles Taylor Collection
The Charles Taylor collection is a fine example of Taylor’s of Wombwell printers’ posters, which highlight changes in printing techniques, fashion and taste within the popular entertainment industry. Included are examples of posters for pantomimes, fairs and circuses. The collection also contains handbills and other advertising material.
Hunslet Feast Poster, 29 July - 7 August c1975
Middleton Grove. Marshall Waddington. Speedway, Twist, Trabant, Octopus, Waltzer, Dodgems. Blue and white type on red background.
Hunslet Feast Poster, 31 July - 9 August c1975
Middleton Grove. Marshall Waddington. Speedway, Twist, Trabant, Octopus, Waltzer, Dodgems. Multicoloured.
Interview with Margaret Bird (nee) Shufflebottom, 15 June 1993
Interview with Margaret Bird, formerly Mrs Margaret Waddington (nee) Shufflebottom. Interview conducted by Brian Steptoe at Bramerton, Norfolk. Audio casette recording and ten pages typed transcript. Copy of original. Digitised as part of the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project led by the British Library 2021.
Oversize Fairground Posters Printed by Taylor's of Wombwell, c1974 - 1977
Fairground posters printed by Taylor's of Wombwell, mainly for fairgrounds in Yorkshire, some presented by the Showmen's Guild Yorkshire Section.
Photographic Album, 1937 - 1956
Photographic Album, 1948 - 1954
Photographic album containing black and white photographs of fairgrounds, fairground rides, steam engines, living wagons, boxing, fairground shows, circus and showpeople, including Silcock, Manning, Holland, Waddington, Ling, Butlin, Farrar, Marshall and Pat Collins at Nottingham Goose Fair, Chorley Fair and Southport and other locations and showmen with notes. Photographs taken and collected by Rowland Scott, 16p.p.
Photographic Album, 1905 - 1954
Photographic album containing black and white photographs of fairgrounds, fairground rides, steam engines, living wagons, globe of death, fairground shows, circus and showpeople, including Holland, Pat Collins, Cox, Proctor, Corrigan, Shufflebottom, Shaw, Marshall, Waddington, Ling and Pullen at Nottingham Goose Fair, Hull Fair, Lincoln, Huddersfield and other locations and showmen with notes. Photographs taken and collected by Rowland Scott, 19p.p.
Photographic Album, 1899 - 1955
Photographs and Postcards, c1899 - 1969
Photographs, postcards and negatives of fairgrounds taken by Rowland Scott and other fairground enthusiasts.
Posters, c1937 - 1989
A collection of posters printed by Taylor's of Wombwell for music hall and variety, circus, pantomime and fairgrounds.
Rowland Scott Collection
Photographs related to all aspects of British travelling fairgrounds including; rides, transport, living wagons, showpeople, fairground shows, circuses and organs by Rowland Scott and other authors, a selection of manuscripts by Rowland Scott and a small amount of correspondence.