Sanger, George, 1825 - 1911
Biography
George was born in Newbury, a historic market town in Berkshire in 1825 and grew up on the fairground working in the family’s peep show. In 1848 George and his brother John bought some canaries and mice and trained them for exhibition. This humble beginning into animal performance within the fairground scene and their business ambition, built up to the formation of the Sanger's Allied Circus in 1854 at the King’s Lynn Charter Fair, which they operated with a few family members and friends. By 1858 Sanger’s circus boasted of presenting the largest stud of horses ever seen in the European continent and visited over two hundred towns in a nine-month season, giving two shows a day. By the 1860s the Sanger emporium owned ten permanent circuses between Plymouth and Aberdeen.
One of the brothers’ popular shows was the pantomime ‘Lady Godiva’ featuring a well-known equestrienne, Ellen Chapman (1831-1899).
George and Ellen married in 1850 in Sheffield and Ellen immediately became a key act on the family shows. She appeared in pantomimes, performing the serpentine dance in the lions' den and impersonating 'Brittannia' in the acclaimed Sanger's circus processions.
George and Ellen had three children; a son who died as a baby, Laurina (1853-1882) and Sarah Harriet (1854-1929).
In 1856, when George and John added wild animals to their circus, Ellen returned to her former profession as a lion tamer. By 1858 they had added six lions and ten elephants to the show which proved to be a big winner with the public.
The Sanger brother’s expansion into circus greatness continued with the acquisition of two of the most famous and reputable circus venues in London; the Royal Agricultural Hall at Islington in 1870 and Astley’s New Royal Amphitheatre in 1871, which they bought from William Batty’s widow.
By this point Sanger's Circus travelling road train was said to be two miles long and reputedly had around ten wagons to carry the tent and seating, a lamp wagon, eight or ten living carriages, a foal wagon, ten wild animal wagons, a harness wagon, a portable blacksmith's forge, property wagons, wardrobe and dressing wagons, a band carriage and at least six great tableau parade cars.
From 1874 Sanger also presented tenting shows on the Continent for fifteen seasons, travelling up to 160 horses, eleven elephants, a dozen camels and about 330 staff.
George and John eventually decided to go their separate ways and split their various business ventures amicably.
During his extensive and impressive career as a circus proprietor George Sanger presented two Royal performances before Queen Victoria, the first at Sandringham on 8 January 1885 and the second at Balmoral Castle on 17 June 1898.
George Sanger was a respected member of the showland community and although he spent most of his later life in the circus, he maintained a strong link to his fairground roots and was elected the first President of the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain in 1890, a post he held until 1909.
George Sanger was murdered on 28 November 1911, at Park Farm by one of his employees for unknown reasons. His circus and effects were auctioned off by showman Tom Norman aka ‘The Silver King’.
Found in 22 Collections and/or Records:
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Cyril Critchlow Collection
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on yellow paper, advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Mr Harry de Brannar, singing act,Mdlles. Cora and Nora, singing act, Mr Arthur H. Alexander, singing act, The Kaspers.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on yellow paper. Acts listed; Will Oliver, singing act, Miss Julia Rosenburg, singing act, Mr Charles Woodman, vocal and instrumental act, Valdi, tumbling act, Avolina, horizontal bar act.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on green paper. Acts Listed; Will Oliver, singing act, Miss Julia Rosenburg, singing act, Mr Charles Woodman, vocal and instrumental act, Valdi, tumbling act, Avolina, horizontal bar act.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on green paper and advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Madlle Elise Worth, singing act, The Etharian Troupe, Mr Edgar Wilson, singing act, Elliott, Huda and Berto, singing and dancing act, Miss Hettie Keble, dancing act.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on yellow paper and advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Mr Harry Braham, singing act, Miss Marie Guinard, singing act, Miss Lottie Dettmar, singing act, Le Fre Trio, presenting Jargo the Giraffe.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on yellow paper and advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Mr Harry de Brennar, singing act, Miss Lilly Ernest, singing act, The Etharian Troupe, Madlle. Elise Worth, singing act, Mr Edgar wilson, singing act, Miss Hettie Keble, dancing act, Mr Edgar Granville, singing act, The Great little Sandy, performing donkey, Elliott, Huda and Berto.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on pale brown paper and advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Miss Frances Talbot, singing act, Mr Edgar Granville, singing act, Martello, aerial act.
Grand Hall by the Sea, Italian & Zoological Gardens Programme, c1875 - 1919
Margate, black type on pale brown paper and advertisement for The Clifton Baths on reverse. Acts listed; Miss Frances Talbot, singing act, Mr Edgar Granville, singing act, Martello, aerial act, The Michigan Coons.
Hall by the Sea, Grand Belgian Ball Programme, 8 September 1914
Margate, In aid of the Belgian Relief Fund, all the proceeds given by Mr & Mrs Arthur Reeve to the above Fund. Fan shaped programme on card showing a light blue and black photograph of a large hall with chandeliers and ornate walls and ceilings on front on reverse black type on off white background and green floral border.
Hall by the Sea, Grand Belgian Ball Programme, 8 September 1914
Margate, In aid of the Belgian Relief Fund, all the proceeds given by Mr & Mrs Arthur Reeve to the above Fund. Fan shaped programme on card showing a light blue and black photograph of a large hall with chandeliers and ornate walls and ceilings on front on reverse black type on off white background and green floral border.
Hall by the Sea Newspaper Cuttings, 1900 - 1945
Various newspaper cutting about event at the Hall by the Sea.
Handbills, c1786 - 1968
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances in London.
John Bramwell Taylor Collection
Programmes, c1875 - 1919
George Sanger Circus and Hall by the Sea programmes.
Royal Agricultural Hall Islington Handbills, c1860 - 1889
Handbills for travelling shows, exhibitions and performances at Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington.
Royal Opera Gala Performance Programme, 27 May 1908
Covent Garden, by command of his Majesty the King in honour of the visit of The President of the French Republic, Greenish type on off white background and decorative border containing British royal and French cote of arms, flags and other symbols. Printed by Finden Brown & Co., Ltd, 1p.
Sanger Circus Collection
Black and white and some colour photographs, negatives, handbills, programmes and other items of ephemera relating George Sanger's circus and the Hall by the Sea.
Sanger Family Collection
This collection contains black and white photographs of George Sanger's Circus, photocopies of newspaper cuttings related to the Sanger Family and original drawings for costume designs by June Dick.