Sanger, John, 1819 - 1889
Biography
John was the eldest son of James Sanger and Sarah Elliott, born at Chew Magna, Somerset in 1819.
John grew up on the fairground helping on the family business. In 1848 John and brother George 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. This small outfit was a far cry from what the Sanger name will became in the showmen community and history, but grew from strength to strength and by 1858 Sanger’s circus could boast 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). Ellen was the eldest daughter of Harry Chapman (1803-1888), of the Chapman Circus family. She was born in Liverpool in 1831 and grew up with the Manders family, of Wombwell's Menagerie. While with the Wombwells, she became one of the first female lion-tamers, known as 'Madame Pauline de Vere, the Lady of the Lions' and ‘The Lion Queen’ and was hailed to be the first woman ever to put her head inside a lion’s mouth.
JOhn married Elizabeth Atkins (1825-1892), the daughter of Sam Atkins, the owner of the Liverpool Zoological Gardens, in June 1848. They had five children; John (1854-1929), Lavinia (b. c1858), William (1866-1893), George (1870-1947) and James (b 1871).
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.
Found in 27 Collections and/or Records:
Articles and Monographs, c1880 - 1899
Script for Cinderella and Life of George Sanger booklets.
Business Records, c1876 - 1949
Various business records belonging to John Sanger and his family and the Ohmy family including contracts and financial 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
Correspondence, c1900 - 2008
Items of personal correspondence and correspondence related to the Sanger and Ohmy families.
Correspondence Related to John Sanger, c1900 -1999
Correspondence related to John Sanger, including letters, postcards and telegrams.
Cyril Critchlow Collection
George Sanger Circus Performers Photographs, c1850 - 1910
Black and white photographs showing George Sanger Circus, performers and staff, living wagons, street parades and circus tents.
Handbills, c1786 - 1968
Handbills for travelling shows, fairs, exhibitions and performances in London.
John Bramwell Taylor Collection
John Sanger Family's Receipt Books, c1930 - 1949
Receipt books relating to John Sanger and his family.
John Sanger Family's Savings Books, c1930 - 1949
Savings books relating to John Sanger and his family.
John Sanger's Diary and Daily Accounts Booklet, c1880 - 1929
John Sanger's business diary and daily accounts booklet.
Letter Headed Envelope, c1900 - 1949
Lord John Sanger & Sons headed envelope addressed to Claude Ohmy. Typescript and manuscript.
Life of Lord Geo. Sanger, The World's Greatest Showman Article, c1880 - 1899
Interview and life story of George Sanger contained in a booklet with his portrait on the front page printed in several different colours, 6pp.
Lord John Sanger & Sons Hippodrome & Circus Poster, 2 May 1892
Kingsholm Football Field, Gloucester. Colour illustrations showing performers in costume and two views of the centre circus ring with two completely different acts, a skating spectacular on the top section and a large menagerie parade and a wide range of acts on the bottom section and some descriptions. Also accompanying copy of advertisement from the Gloucester Journal dated 23 April 1892.
National Fairground and Circus Archive Collection
Contains thousands of posters, programmes, photographs, handbills, original documents, specialist journals, newspapers and a library containing publications on all the areas of collecting
Newspaper Cuttings and Scrapbooks, c1832 - 1999
Various newspaper cuttings and scrapbooks about variety and circus performers including the Ohmy and Sanger families.
Photographs, c1850 - 1945
Black and white photographs and postcards of George and Jonh Sanger's circus.
Photographs and Postcards, c1800 - 1999
Black and white and colour photographs, negatives and photographic albums mainly containing images of British circus, circus performers, animals and circus personalities but also some menageries such as Bostock and Wombwell and other associated entertainments and non-British circuses taken by David Jamieson, Lindsay Temple, Den Curtis, Capt. Middleton, Jack Niblett and other photographers.
Photographs and Postcards, 1908 - 1975
Black and white photographs and postcards of the Ohmy, the Smart and the Sanger circuses and family members, including John Sanger in sailor’s uniform. Also a variety of circus performers including Mme. Morelli from the Bostock menagerie. Many of the postcards have been used for correspondence.