John Sanger
Encyclopedia
John Sanger was an English
circus
proprietor.
He was born at Chew Magna
, Somerset
, in 1816, the son of an old sailor who had turned showman. In 1845 he started with his brother George Sanger
a conjuring exhibition at Birmingham
. The venture was successful, and the brothers, who had been interested spectators of the equestrian performances at Astley's Amphitheatre
, London
, then started touring the country with a circus entertainment consisting of a horse and pony and three or four human performers. This enterprise was a success from the beginning, and in due course John and George Sanger became lessees of the Agricultural Hall, London, and there produced a large number of elaborate spectacles.
In 1871 the Sangers leased Astley's Amphitheatre where they gave an equestrian pantomime
every winter, touring in the summer with a large circus. Subsequently the partnership was dissolved, each brother producing his own show. John Sanger died while touring, at Ipswich
, the business being continued by his son.
John Sanger's great-granddaughter, Victoria Sanger Freeman
became a legendary figure in the circus world in her own right, becoming known as "the Queen of the Elephants." She was the last of the great Sanger circus dynasty which proudly held the title "The Greatest Name in Circus."
Sanger's circus once featured William Kite
, an all-around performer whose appearance, as announced on a poster for Pablo Fanque
's Circus Royal, was the inspiration for The Beatles
song Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
proprietor.
He was born at Chew Magna
Chew Magna
Chew Magna is a village and civil parish within the Chew Valley in the Unitary Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, in the Ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,161.To the south of the village is Chew Valley Lake...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, in 1816, the son of an old sailor who had turned showman. In 1845 he started with his brother George Sanger
Lord George Sanger
"Lord" George Sanger was an English showman and circus proprietor. Born to a showman father, he grew up working in travelling peep shows. He successfully ran shows and circuses throughout much of the nineteenth century with his brother John...
a conjuring exhibition at Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The venture was successful, and the brothers, who had been interested spectators of the equestrian performances at Astley's Amphitheatre
Astley's Amphitheatre
Philip Astley opened Astley's Amphitheatre in London in 1773. * The structure was burned in 1794, then rebuilt. With increasing prosperity and rebuilding after successive fires, it grew to become Astley's Royal Amphitheatre and this was the home of the circus...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, then started touring the country with a circus entertainment consisting of a horse and pony and three or four human performers. This enterprise was a success from the beginning, and in due course John and George Sanger became lessees of the Agricultural Hall, London, and there produced a large number of elaborate spectacles.
In 1871 the Sangers leased Astley's Amphitheatre where they gave an equestrian pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
every winter, touring in the summer with a large circus. Subsequently the partnership was dissolved, each brother producing his own show. John Sanger died while touring, at Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, the business being continued by his son.
John Sanger's great-granddaughter, Victoria Sanger Freeman
Victoria Sanger Freeman
Victoria Sanger Freeman was an English circus entertainer.Victoria Florence Sanger Freeman was a legendary figure in the circus world, where she gained and earned the title "the Queen of the Elephants"...
became a legendary figure in the circus world in her own right, becoming known as "the Queen of the Elephants." She was the last of the great Sanger circus dynasty which proudly held the title "The Greatest Name in Circus."
Sanger's circus once featured William Kite
William Kite
William Kite was a 19th century circus performer, best known as being the "Mr. Kite" from the Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"...
, an all-around performer whose appearance, as announced on a poster for Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque was the first black circus proprietor in Britain. His circus, in which he himself was a performer, was the most popular circus in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a period that is regarded as the golden age of the circus...
's Circus Royal, was the inspiration for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
song Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...