Marshall, Renee, 1916 - 2000
Biography
Renee Marshall, nee Scott, was born on 26 August 1916 to John Henry Scott and Emma Scott (nee Baker). John and Emma had four other children, William John (1924-1987), George, Priscilla and Emily Rebecca.
Renee’s early life was spent travelling on the circus in England and Ireland with her brothers, sisters and cousins; the Kayes family. Renee performed in the circus from the age of six and by 1932, age sixteen, she featured in five acts in the family show: the vaultage (which opened the show), the perch, the trapeze, the breakaway ladder (with her brother Johnnie) and the double act on horseback with her father. The double act on horseback had originally been performed by Renee’s mother, before being passed on to Renee herself.
Renee’s early talent soon became a focus of attention and by 1932 she was featured by The World's Fair correspondent in Ireland.
According to her younger brother, George, Renee was the make-up girl, looked after the children, opened the show, found food when they were hungry and was a tremendous artiste.
Eventually the family left Ireland and returned to England where they appeared on fairs throughout Yorkshire and Lancashire. Renee recalls how the circus that appeared on the fairground operated in very different conditions to what they were used to, with twenty to thirty shows a day.
Renee was continuing a family tradition; the Scott family had been performers since the 1850s, and their royal circus appeared not only before Queen Victoria but also before King Edward. Scott's Royal Circus incorporated both family acts and star performers into the show (which had forty horses, clowns, trapeze and high wire acts), with members of the family appearing at the top of the bill.
Renee continued performing in the circus with her family until her marriage to Walter Marshall (1916-1970) in 1938. Renee and Walter met at Bolton New Year Fair in 1935-1936.
Renee married Walter Marshall a Yorkshire fairground showman and joined the Marshall family business travelling the Yorkshire fairgrounds.
Renee and Walter had a daughter, Sandra, born in 1940.
Renee died in 2000
Found in 7 Collections and/or Records:
Business Card, c1960 - 1970
Blue business card with golden, embossed type, for Mr W. Wright, who worked for Marshall's Modern Amusements Ltd, Amusement Caterers and members of the Showmen's Guild. This card is thought to have belonged to William Wright, son-in-law of Walter Marshall and Renee Marshall (nee Scott), 1p.
Business Records, c1921 - 1970
Business and legal records relating to the management of Marshall's Modern Amusements Ltd.
Marshall and Scott Family Collection
Marshall and Scott Family Photographs, c1880 - 1970
Photographs, c1880 - 1970
Photographs of the Marshall, Scott, Kayes Baker and Testo families, as well as various other circus personalities and performers between 1880s and 1970s. Accompanied by a photograph album, a negative album and photographs, concerning Walter Marshall's service with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Share Certificates, 1 July 1927
Two certificates issued on the purchase of shares from Keighley Division Conservative Club Buildings Ltd, by William Marshall and Goldthorpe Marshall Amusement Caterers Ltd, 1p.
Trade Agreement, 1 January 1967
Legal agreement to trade as sole individuals in their own rights and the allocation of the use of fixed assets made between William Henry Marshall, Walter Marshall and Henry Marshall of Marshall's Modern Amusements Ltd, 2pp.