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Mazelly-Miller Family Collection

 Fonds
Reference code: NFA0191

Scope and Contents

Black and white photographs and some documents belonging to the Mazelly and Miller fairground families including documents related to WWI and a ditty box.

Dates

  • Creation: c1870 - 1999

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Items are available to view by appointment in our reading room

Conditions Governing Use

Copies may be supplied or produced at the discretion of National Fairground Archive, subject to copyright law and condition of the material

Biographical / Historical

The Mazelly-Miller family has a long heritage in the British circus and fairground, descending from the Shufflebottom and the Fossett families. The family was first established by Elizabeth Fossett, sister of Sir Robert Fossett (1824-1875), and Thomas L.H. Miller (1842-1908). Elizabeth and Thomas had a son Henry Miller (1817-1904) who married Ellen Bishop (1872-1950), sister of Rosina J. Shufflebottom (1868-1937), neé Bishop. Ellen and Rosina's father was Richard Bishop (1843-1918), the son of James Bishop and Elizbeth Uren. James was known as ‘the oldest showman in England’ when he died at age 88. James was the uncle of Selina Young who famously tightrope walked across the Thames. Ellen and Rosina's mother was Ellen Lismore (1846-1924), daughter of Walter Lismore (1824-1869) who was also a travelling showman. Ellen Lismore was the only survivor of a tragic firework fire that killed all her family in 1863.

Henry and Ellen had a daughter Mazelly White (1902-1988) neé Miller/Webb, born two years before his father's untimely death. His widow Ellen remarried William Webb.

Mazelly had six siblings, including showman Henry Miller (1903-1955) and Richard Miller who served in the Royal Marines during World War One and died at the Battle of Coronel in 1914 aged 19.

Mazelly travelled the fairgrounds with her family until she married William John White (1904-1988), brother of Samuel Vere White (1902-1964) who appears to have been a bare-knuckle fighter.

Extent

2 Box(es) (1 archive box and a ditty box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Catalogued according to type

Accruals

Further accruals expected

Related Materials

Shufflebottom Family Collection, Circus Friends Association Collection

Status
Completed
Author
Arantza Barrutia
Date
11 January 2023
Description rules
International Standard for Archival Description - General
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the National Fairground and Circus Archive Repository

Contact:
The University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN United Kingdom
0114 222 7231