Chipperfield's Circus is a British family touring show, continuing a 300-year-old family business.Great dynasties of the world: The Chipperfields The Guardian Retrieved 18 February 2011
Chipperfield's Circus originates with James Chipperfield with his performing animals at the Thames Frost Fair of 1684. Through the 19th century, the circus toured all of England, with a menagerie of animals, teams of acrobats and clowns. After World War II, under the management of Jimmy Chipperfield, the circus became one of the largest in Europe, with a tent that could hold 6,000 people. The family in the same headship diversified into safari parks (in England founding those at Windsor and Knowsley and co-founding with the Marquess of Bath, Longleat Safari Park as well, with the Duke of Bedford, Woburn Safari Park) and supplying fairgrounds supplies. Since his death in 1990, the circus has toured only intermittently, sometimes featuring members of the extended Chipperfield family.Chipperfield's Circus: An Illustrated History Hardcover, by David Jamieson, Circus Friends Association of Great Britain, June 1997Chipperfield's Circus: An Illustrated History, By David Jamieson, Circus Friends Association of Great BritainThe Guardian, Great dynasties of the world: The Chipperfields, by Ian Sansom, 14 May 2010Heard Family History, Chipperfields – the Circus DynastyCharles Chipperfield Entertainments UK website
History
The name Chipperfield dates back at least to James Chipperfield. He introduced performing animals to England at the Frost Fair on the Thames in 1684. His show performed for two months at the fair. Part of the fair was for showing animals.Beneath the Big Top: A Social History of the Circus in Britain, By Steve Ward, page 55
James William Chipperfield Sr.
James William Chipperfield Sr. (1775–1866) was a bootmaker and made fancy-dress costumes for theatrical use in Drury Lane, London. His business was slow in the summer when he joined travelling fairs and help put on small shows with his wife Mary Ann. The show grew to include dancing bears, monkeys, and trained pigs. In about 1803, James and Mary Ann had a son James William Chipperfield Jr. who would join the show.A celebration of those members of our extended family with creative, artistic and performing talents
James William Chipperfield Jr.
James William Chipperfield (1803–1866) grew up in his father's touring show. He was an assistant to Hamlin the conjuror. James married Harriet Amy Coan (4 December 1799-~1866) in Bury St Edmunds and had four children William James (1822– ), James William III (1824–1913), Tom and Mary Phoebe (1826– ). James and Harriet tour with their own show in a horse drawn canvas wagon. Harriet died of pneumonia in 1841 at a fair in Rayleigh, Essex. Later James remarried and continued to tour with an even larger show. He retired and died in 1866. His son, James William III, married Elizabeth Jones, and their children continued the Circus tour.heardfamilyhistory, Family of James William CHIPPERFIELD and Harriot Amy COANSlee, James William CHIPPERFIELD Junior + Elizabeth JONES
James William Chipperfield III
James William Chipperfield (1824–1913) was born in a caravan on 22 April 1824, at St. Martin at Oak, Norfolk. James is the son of James William Chipperfield and Harriet Amy (née Coan).
He began a clowning act with his father in the "Liliputian Circus". It is reported that he entered a den of animals at Wombwells when 14 years old. He started his own show when he acquired and trained a trick pony and worked as a juggler.
He married Elizabeth Jones (4 July 1823 – 1856) in 1846. She died in 1856 at the age of 33. Elizabeth and James had three children: Sophia Sarah (13 December 1846 – 1927) married Henry Wesley in 1868 – James William Francis (4 October 1848 – January 1917) and Harriett Amy (1852–?). Later he married Sarah Ann Coan (Chapman) (1821–1890) a widow of John Coan. Sarah was caring for five of her late husband's children, two of which were Walter Coan and Elizabeth Coan. Sarah and James had 12 children, including: Harriet and James. James and Sarah had all 20 of their children working in the Circus as their grew up. Their daughter appeared as the youngest tight-rope dancer in the country. The Chipperfield's Circus introduced to Britain Zulus from Africa and the Aztecs from Mexico. He also entered in to the marionette is a puppet shows. He gradually worked his way to the front rank of showland with his menagerie, caged "Beast Show" and establishing his winter quarters in Norwich.An obituary for long-dead elephants, page 1, By Mike Shanahan, 19 October 2012 He exhibited Robert Tippney, the "living skeleton". He was on the road all his life and claimed to be England's oldest showman. James William Chipperfield died at his home, Schwanfelder Street, Beeston, Leeds, in 1913, aged 89 years.John Turner, Victorian ArenaMy Wild Life (Hardcover), by Jimmy Chipperfield, 1976The Circus Book, Edited by RUPERT CROFT-COOKE, With a note on the Tenting Show by W. S. MEADMORE, LONDON, SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO, LTD.Slee Family treeJames William CHIPPERFIELD
James Francis Chipperfield James Francis Chipperfield (1848–1917) was an animal trainer and menagerie proprietor in the Chipperfield Circus. Son of James William Chipperfield (1824–1913). James Francis was born 4 October 1848 in Tottenham Court Road, London. He was a member of the third generation of the show family. He performed in every village and town in the country and was a noted trainer of animals. "I can train anything from a rabbit to an elephant", he claimed. He and his wife, Mary Ann (Jones) had nine children, all who worked in the Circus. His son John was a musician in the Circus, his daughter Mary Anne was a juggler and dancer in the Circus, His son Henry left the Circus and started a cinema show. His son Jim (James) was a musician in the Circus, then departed to Ireland and joined the Royal Italian Circus. His daughter Sophia married James Chittock. His daughter, Sarah married Ambrose Tiller a showman in the circus. His daughter, Rachael married Mr. Cartwright. His daughter, Mary Ann married Mr. Bartlett. His daughter, Minnie worked in the circus. His son Richard took over his father's circus in England. Jim (James) Jr. after departing his father's circus married Louisa; they had three daughters: Louisa, Minnie and Lily.Travelling Showmen & Other Travellers, 1901 & 1911
James Francis died in 1917 aged 67; he was buried 8 June 1917 at Abode Fair Ground, Ludgershall, Wiltshire, England.ancestry, Chipperfield, James William BurialAn obituary for long-dead elephants, page 3, By Mike Shanahan, 19 October 2012
From the World's Fair:
WF13.1.17: "We regret to have to record the death of Mr James William Chipperfield, who died on Thursday last, January 4, at the age of 68. The deceased was a popular midlands traveler, but for some time has been located at Ludgershall, Wilts., where he was interred.
WF 27.1.17: "The funeral of the late Mr James W. Francis Chipperfield, who died after a long and painful illness on January 9, 1917 at the age of 68 at Ludgershall, Wilts., The deceased was an old and respected showman, being laid to rest with signs of the greatest love and sorrow.
The following relatives and friends were present at the last sad journey (the widow not being able to attend through excessive grief): Mr John Chipperfield (son); Mrs James Chittock (daughter); Mrs A. Tiller (daughter); Mr Richard Chipperfield (son); Mr Henry Chipperfield (son); Mrs R. Cartwright (daughter); Mr Thomas Clark and Mrs John Chipperfield.
The service were conducted by the vicar (Mr Bird).Patricia "Nanny Pat" Brooker from the ITVBe reality television series The Only Way Is Essex was the granddaughter of Henry Chipperfield and his wife, Edith Florence Holwill (née Buckingham; 1891–1981). Carol Wright is Nanny Pat's youngest daughter.
Richard Chipperfield Sr.
Richard Chipperfield Sr. was the son of James Frances and Mary Ann (Jones) Chipperfield, born in 1875, at Sileby, Leicestershire. He was the fourth generation of the Chipperfield showmen. He first performed in public at the age of five. The management of the circus was passed down to him in the early 1900s. In 1902 he added a Bioscope show to the attractions of the show at Birmingham, Manchester and London.The University of Sheffield Barnstaple Fair Six films were shown at each presentation. The films included that of Marie Corelli riding in the Shakespeare Birthday procession and the HMS Albion disaster on the River Thames in 1898.bdcmuseum.org.uk Richard Chipperfield's Electrograph fairground bioscope showSlide Show World, Pages from History, A Collection of Historic Images – The British Sideshow Pg-2Victorian Popular Culture Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments and the Advent of Cinema Documents Previewcircushistory.org, CHIPPERFIELD Three circus in 1979, by Jack Niblett, 1979
Richard's hobby was painting, particularly of animals; examples adorn the walk-ups of his circus pavilion. He married Maud, daughter of George Seaton. The circus gradually grew and in 1933 combined with the Purchase family. Richard was the father of six children: Dick (Richard) and Jimmy (James) (who took over from their father in 1937), John ("Johnny"), Thomas Henry "Tom", Marjorie and Maud. Richard Chipperfield died in 1959.Slee family treeBBC, Chipperfield jr. 'critical' after mauling by tigerheardfamilyhistory.org, Richard Chipperfield Sr.ancestry.com, Chipperfield
Dick Chipperfield
Richard (Dick) Chipperfield (1904–1988), began performing as a clown at the family's fairground variety show when he was just five. Dick's father was Richard Chipperfield (1875–1959), Dick's mother was Emily Maud Seaton. Dick married Myrtle Eileen Slee. Myrtle and Dick had 4 children, two sons and two daughters.sleebooth.co.uk, Richard "Dick" CHIPPERFIELD + Myrtle Eileen SLEEsleebooth.co.uk, Myrtle Eileen Slee
Jimmy, Dick's younger brother, also took part in the show as a clown, a wire-walker and an acrobat.
It was in the early 1930s that the Chipperfields started to become well established in the traditional circus business and by the end of World War II the show had become one of the largest touring circuses in Europe.Billboard, 2 March 1946Billboard 25 February 1950Billboard 4 October 1947Jack Hylton, By Pete Faint, page 227
After the end of World War II the circus owners traveled to Sri Lanka and bought nine elephants which then led on to further acquisitions and the growth of the circus.The Stage Features, Rose Chipperfield During the late 1940s, the RAF Wethersfield base was used as a winter camping ground for the Circus. Elephants were housed in the maintenance hangars and Nissen hut (Quonset), formerly used as offices, became homes for lions, tigers, snakes and monkeys. Jimmy Chipperfield fought as a fighter pilot in World War II.
By 1953, Chipperfield's Circus ousted rivals Bertram Mills and Billy Smart and boasted a big-top tent which could accommodate 6,000 people. It had a collection of 200 horses, 16 elephants and 200 other animals. Dick died at the age of 83 in 1988.
Jimmy Chipperfield