Chipperfield's Circus
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.
[3][8][9] 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.
He gradually worked his way to the front rank of showland with his menagerie, caged "Beast Show" and establishing his winter quarters in Norwich.
James William Chipperfield died at his home, Schwanfelder Street, Beeston, Leeds, in 1913, aged 89 years.
[19] James Francis died in 1917 aged 67; he was buried 8 June 1917 at Abode Fair Ground, Ludgershall, Wiltshire, England.
[20][3][14][21] 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.
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.
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).
The films included that of Marie Corelli riding in the Shakespeare Birthday procession and the HMS Albion disaster on the River Thames in 1898.
[30][3][14][31][32][33] Richard (Dick) Chipperfield (1904–1988), began performing as a clown at the family's fairground variety show when he was just five.
Elephants were housed in the maintenance hangars and Nissen hut (Quonset), formerly used as offices, became homes for lions, tigers, snakes and monkeys.
[3] By 1953, Chipperfield's Circus ousted rivals Bertram Mills and Billy Smart and boasted a big-top tent which could accommodate 6,000 people.
After Rosie's father was killed by one of his lions, Jimmy took over the Purchase's show and merged it with the Chipperfield Circus.
In 1955, Jimmy broke away from the family circus and after a brief time farming and managing other shows, he and daughter Mary began providing animals for film work.
According to his autobiography, "My Wild Life", he pioneered the entire idea and among his first groups of animals was the lions featured in Born Free.
[3] In 1979 Jimmy open a show called Circus World that toured and set up in the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome.
She exhibiting shoe horses at Arthur Joel's 'All-British' circus in 1941 and 1942, with her brother Johnny and Rosie (wife of Jimmy) Chipperfield.
She was the director of Chipperfield's circus in 1951, when their headquarters were at Down farm, Stockbridge, Hampshire, and later when the winter quarters moved to Heythrop, Oxfordshire.
They have proved themselves to be highly skilled, cool and resolute members of aircraft crew and their keenness for operations has won much praise.
He spent the 1937 season, with the Chipperfield's animals, on Sweden's Circus Scott, where his riding was encouraged by Rudi Blumenfeld.
He performed with Chipperfield's circus, at the Bingley Hall, Birmingham in 1957–58, exhibiting horses, ponies, elephants and chimpanzees.
Starting in 1970, he traveled with Chipperfields Circus in the UK training and presenting Asian & African elephants, horses, lions, tigers and dogs.
He grew up on the road with a menagerie of animals, like chimps to giraffes before going to Marsh Court school in Stockbridge, Hampshire.
In April 1998, an infant chimpanzee named Trudy had been seized by police and taken to the 'Monkey World' sanctuary after being repeatedly kicked, beaten and made to sleep in a tiny box.
The show ran for a few months featuring The Flying Souzas, Shiganio, Peter Althoff and members of the Chipperfield family.
[88][89] In 2013, the Charles Chipperfield Circus did a show for East Anglia's Children's Hospice at Stonham Barns.
[90] In 2013, Frances Middleton performed with the Charles Chipperfield Circus show off aerialist, silks & hoop skills.
[97] The 2016 show included flying Trapeze, Foot juggling from Ukraine, from Spain Keyla hula hoops tricks and the Wheel of Death.
[98][99] [100][101][102][103][104] Thomas Chipperfield, who in 2014 worked with the Peter Jolly's Circus show, most recently made an appearance in Italy as a guest presenter with Moira Orfei in 2016.
