Samuel Lockhart
Encyclopedia
Samuel Lockhart was a famous Victorian
elephant trainer and the second child of the famous Lockhart circus family. His work with elephants took him all over the UK, including Royal command performances in front of Queen Victoria, Europe (where he ran his own circus France) and in the USA, where he worked for the famous Ringling Brothers Circus
from 1896 to 1901. He has appeared in several historical books on the circus, including one children's book completely dedicated to him (Elephants at Royal Leamington Spa by Janet Storrie, 1990), and the English town of Leamington Spa
has several areas named after his most famous group of elephants "The Three Graces".
worked as bareback riders, clowns and acrobats. According to Janet Storrie's children's book "Elephants at Royal Leamington Spa", Sam performed the incredible feat of being shot from a cannon onto a trapeze. He was reported to be of small stature, standing only 5 foot tall. According to "The Victorian Arena" by John Turner the two were featured on Ginnett's Circus
working the parallel bars. In 1875 George Lockhart fell from his horse and broke his hip (source, Les Histories de Cirque, Jaques Garnier, 1978), which brought their act to an end. Sam returned home, but got work in Sri Lanka
on a tea plantation. There he learnt how to train elephants. He also acquired a lot of money and was able to buy elephants. He formed an elephant act.
circuit.
The elephant's were almost in the water all the time.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
elephant trainer and the second child of the famous Lockhart circus family. His work with elephants took him all over the UK, including Royal command performances in front of Queen Victoria, Europe (where he ran his own circus France) and in the USA, where he worked for the famous Ringling Brothers Circus
Ringling Brothers Circus
The Ringling Brothers Circus was a circus founded in the United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling Brothers: Albert , August , Otto , Alfred T. , Charles , John , and Henry...
from 1896 to 1901. He has appeared in several historical books on the circus, including one children's book completely dedicated to him (Elephants at Royal Leamington Spa by Janet Storrie, 1990), and the English town of Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
has several areas named after his most famous group of elephants "The Three Graces".
Early career
Sam Lockhart was the second son of Sam and Hannah Locker (née Pinder). His father was a stilt-walking clown and his mother was the sister of the founders of the famous French circus, Pinder. The family name was changed to Lockhart on the advice of his mother (source: The Legend of Salt and Sauce, Pre-publicaiton Jamie Clubb, Aardvark Publishing circ. 2008). Sam and his elder brother, George William LockhartGeorge William Lockhart
George William Lockhart was a famous Victorian elephant trainer. His original group of three elephants, Boney , Molly and Waddy, toured Great Britain's music hall scene, as well as Europe, and is reported to have appeared "500 times" at Proctor's Pleasure Palace in New York in 1895...
worked as bareback riders, clowns and acrobats. According to Janet Storrie's children's book "Elephants at Royal Leamington Spa", Sam performed the incredible feat of being shot from a cannon onto a trapeze. He was reported to be of small stature, standing only 5 foot tall. According to "The Victorian Arena" by John Turner the two were featured on Ginnett's Circus
Jean Pierre Ginnett
Jean Pierre Ginnett founded the Ginnett circus dynasty. His son, John Frederick Ginnett and three grandsons Claude , Frederick Emile and Albert followed him....
working the parallel bars. In 1875 George Lockhart fell from his horse and broke his hip (source, Les Histories de Cirque, Jaques Garnier, 1978), which brought their act to an end. Sam returned home, but got work in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
on a tea plantation. There he learnt how to train elephants. He also acquired a lot of money and was able to buy elephants. He formed an elephant act.
Sam Lockhart's Elephants
Sam Lockhart had tremendous success with his elephant acts. His most famous group were known as "The Three Graces": Wilhelmina and two younger elephants, Trilby and Haddie. Haddie (or Hattie) was also the nickname for his wife, Harriet Alice (who died In 1897). He also had two bull elephants called Romeo and Charley. His other famous elephants were Jock and Jenny, who were worked in front of Queen Victoria. He worked in the USA for the famous Ringlings Circus from 1896 to 1901, as well as doing the VaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit.
Sam Lockhart Landmarks in Leamington Spa
Plaques for Leamington "Old Town" feature elephants in honour of Sam Lockhart's elephants. A monument was erected in 2006 of Sam Lockhart's "3 Graces" that was vandalized the same year. A recent luxury flat development by A C Lloyd that was built after demolishing Sam Lockhart's home at 1, Warwick Road named Wilhelmina Close after one of the "3 Graces". Elephant Walk is a nickname given to a sloping walkway to the River Leam, where the elephants regularly bathed.The elephant's were almost in the water all the time.
Books featuring Sam Lockhart
- Grey Titan, The. Book of Elephants, George Lockhart Jnr and W. G. Bosworth, 1938.
- Elephants in Royal Leamington Spa, Janet Storrie, Weir Books, 1990. - entire children's book on Sam Lockhart and his elephants.
- The Victorian Arena: The Performers Volumes 1 and 2, John Turner, Lingdale’s Press 1995 and 2000 respectively.
- 20th Century Arena: The Performers, John Turner (unpublished to date).
- The Legend of Salt and Sauce, Jamie Clubb, Aardvark Publishing 2008
See also
- CircusCircusA 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...
- George William LockhartGeorge William LockhartGeorge William Lockhart was a famous Victorian elephant trainer. His original group of three elephants, Boney , Molly and Waddy, toured Great Britain's music hall scene, as well as Europe, and is reported to have appeared "500 times" at Proctor's Pleasure Palace in New York in 1895...
- LockhartLockhart-Places:In the United States:*Lockhart, Alabama*Lockhart, Florida*Lockhart, South Carolina*Lockhart, Texas*Lockhart Township, Minnesota*Lockhart StadiumIn Australia:*Lockhart, New South Wales*Lockhart River, Queensland...
- ElephantElephantElephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
- Animal TrainingAnimal trainingAnimal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....