George Claude Lockhart
Encyclopedia
George Claude Lockhart was the first ringmaster
to wear the "pink" hunter tails and top hat, and was referred to in his World's Fair obituary as "The Doyen of Ringmasters". He was best known for being the ringmaster of the International Circus at Belle Vue, Manchester, England, and Blackpool Tower Circus.
, the famous elephant trainer. According to various accounts he broadcast on radio and in his book "Grey Titan", George was brought up around elephants. However, he made his first independent performance at the age of four in a child-only cast of the pantomime
Cinderella
along with other music hall
/circus
children. He apparently played the role of the prince. When he was not at school, George spent a lot of his time with the elephants Boney, Molly and Waddy and toured all over Europe with them. His father sold his original troupe of elephants in 1901 and bought four more from the animal dealer Carl Hagenbeck
. This group would be known as "Lockhart's Cruet" and would become notorious for causing the death of George William Lockhart. According to George Claude Lockhart, they regularly stampeded and it was in one of these stampedes at Walthamstow station on 24 January 1904 that they killed their owner. The elephants were sold by his widow and George Claude Lockhart went to pursue a career not involving animals. He worked for George Hengler in Glasgow with his water productions undertaking various roles until 1914.
during their summer seasons. This was interrupted when he did military service in World War I. He returned to work at Blackpool and continued to work there until 1945. He worked for the Bertram Mills
Circus at Olympia
for the 1923–24 Christmas season. He began working as the Belle Vue International Circus ringmaster in 1928 and worked there until he retired at the age of 90 in 1970.
station and was interviewed at the inquest. He saw the surviving members of this group of elephants, Salt and Saucy, when they worked at Belle Vue in 1938. This reunion was remarked upon in the World's Fair newspaper. When he was seventy The Express newspaper reported that George Lockhart had his arm crushed by the elephant Burma whilst he was taking visitors around the circus stables. According to the report he continued presenting the circus throughout the second half before being admitted to hospital for his injuries.
when he worked for them in 1928. This has become the standard uniform of the stereotypical circus ringmaster. He also used to smoke a cigar when introducing the various acts and this, also, became an instantly recognisable characteristic of his showbusiness persona.
Lockhart was also famous for the various accounts he gave on his time spent with his father's elephants. According to a new book on his father's elephants, The Legend of Salt and Sauce by Jamie Clubb, much of George Lockhart's accounts on the elephants are romanticized versions of what actually happened, which alter in each progressive version.
George Claude Lockhart has been immortalised by having a road named after him. Lockhart Close was built by Wimpy Homes in 1987 on the former site of his beloved Belle Vue Zoo
in Manchester. The small residential close is adjacent to Hoskins Close, named after Johnnie Hoskins
and are both located off Ellen Wilkinson
Crescent.
Ringmaster (circus)
The ringmaster is the most visible performer in the modern circus, and among the most important, since he stage-manages the performance, introduces the various acts, and guides the audience through the entertainment experience. In smaller circuses, the ringmaster is often the owner and artistic...
to wear the "pink" hunter tails and top hat, and was referred to in his World's Fair obituary as "The Doyen of Ringmasters". He was best known for being the ringmaster of the International Circus at Belle Vue, Manchester, England, and Blackpool Tower Circus.
Early career
George Claude Lockhart (real name Locker) was the son of 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...
, the famous elephant trainer. According to various accounts he broadcast on radio and in his book "Grey Titan", George was brought up around elephants. However, he made his first independent performance at the age of four in a child-only cast of the 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...
Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
along with other music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
/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...
children. He apparently played the role of the prince. When he was not at school, George spent a lot of his time with the elephants Boney, Molly and Waddy and toured all over Europe with them. His father sold his original troupe of elephants in 1901 and bought four more from the animal dealer Carl Hagenbeck
Carl Hagenbeck
Carl Hagenbeck was a merchant of wild animals who supplied many European zoos, as well as P.T. Barnum. He is often considered the father of the modern zoo because he introduced "natural" animal enclosures that included recreations of animals' native habitats without bars...
. This group would be known as "Lockhart's Cruet" and would become notorious for causing the death of George William Lockhart. According to George Claude Lockhart, they regularly stampeded and it was in one of these stampedes at Walthamstow station on 24 January 1904 that they killed their owner. The elephants were sold by his widow and George Claude Lockhart went to pursue a career not involving animals. He worked for George Hengler in Glasgow with his water productions undertaking various roles until 1914.
Ringmaster
On 14 July 1914 Lockhart began his career as a ringmaster at Blackpool TowerBlackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
during their summer seasons. This was interrupted when he did military service in World War I. He returned to work at Blackpool and continued to work there until 1945. He worked for the Bertram Mills
Bertram Mills
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was a British circus owner who ran the Bertram Mills Circus. Originally from Paddington, London, his circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London...
Circus at Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
for the 1923–24 Christmas season. He began working as the Belle Vue International Circus ringmaster in 1928 and worked there until he retired at the age of 90 in 1970.
Elephants
These were told in various newspaper interviews and articles plus his Essays in Adventure radio broadcast and his book with Willan Bosworth, Grey Titan. The elephant Waddy apparently almost killed him when he and his father were transporting the act across Europe by train. He was present when his father was killed during the stampede at WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
station and was interviewed at the inquest. He saw the surviving members of this group of elephants, Salt and Saucy, when they worked at Belle Vue in 1938. This reunion was remarked upon in the World's Fair newspaper. When he was seventy The Express newspaper reported that George Lockhart had his arm crushed by the elephant Burma whilst he was taking visitors around the circus stables. According to the report he continued presenting the circus throughout the second half before being admitted to hospital for his injuries.
Trademarks and legacy
Lockhart adopted the "pink" huntsmen tails, black hat, white shirt and gloves upon the advice of Bertram MillsBertram Mills
Bertram Wagstaff Mills was a British circus owner who ran the Bertram Mills Circus. Originally from Paddington, London, his circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London...
when he worked for them in 1928. This has become the standard uniform of the stereotypical circus ringmaster. He also used to smoke a cigar when introducing the various acts and this, also, became an instantly recognisable characteristic of his showbusiness persona.
Lockhart was also famous for the various accounts he gave on his time spent with his father's elephants. According to a new book on his father's elephants, The Legend of Salt and Sauce by Jamie Clubb, much of George Lockhart's accounts on the elephants are romanticized versions of what actually happened, which alter in each progressive version.
George Claude Lockhart has been immortalised by having a road named after him. Lockhart Close was built by Wimpy Homes in 1987 on the former site of his beloved Belle Vue Zoo
Belle Vue Zoo
Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue , Manchester, England, opened in 1836...
in Manchester. The small residential close is adjacent to Hoskins Close, named after Johnnie Hoskins
Johnnie Hoskins
Johnnie S. Hoskins MBE is the man who is considered to have 'invented' motorcycle speedway. If it cannot be established he invented the sport, he certainly played the largest role in promoting the sport in the United Kingdom.-Early life:He left school at thirteen and worked on a farm and then as...
and are both located off Ellen Wilkinson
Ellen Wilkinson
Ellen Cicely Wilkinson was the Labour Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough and later for Jarrow on Tyneside. She was one of the first women in Britain to be elected as a Member of Parliament .- History :...
Crescent.
Material written by George Lockhart
- Essays in Adventure Radio broadcast, 1941
- Stampede undated script by George Claude Lockhart for a radio broadcast
- Grey Titan: The Book of Elephants by Willan G. Bosworth and George Lockhart, 1938.
- Some more Elephant Stories – I meet my wife in an elephant stampede", Blackpool Gazette and Herald
- "Caught - In Elephant Stampede", Weekend newspaper, 1959
Books featuring George Lockhart
- The Victorian Arena: The Performers Volumes 1 and 2, John Turner, Lingdale's Press 1995 and 2000 respectively
- Le Histories de Cirque, James Pinder and Jacques Garnier, 1978
- "George Lockhart, The Doyen of Ringmasters", Don Stacey, World's Fair 23 October 1979.
- The Two of Us: My Life with John ThawThe Two of Us: My Life with John ThawThe Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw is a 2004 biography written by British actress Sheila Hancock. It is a double biography that focuses on the lives of both Sheila Hancock and her husband John Thaw , and tells the story of their lives and their 28 year marriage.Many of the early chapters are...
, Sheila HancockSheila HancockSheila Cameron Hancock, CBE is an English actress and author.-Early life:Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older...
, 2004 - The Legend of Salt and Sauce, Jamie Clubb, 2008 (pre-publication http://penandspindle.blogspot.com/2007/10/circus-wild-west-shows.html