She was said to be the first woman to put her head in a lion's jaws and a demonstration impressed Queen Victoria.

Her mother was unknown but her father was called Harry Chapman and he made a living running a peep show.

[2] Wombwell was invited to the royal court on five occasions to exhibit his animals, three times before Queen Victoria.

[4] Chapman married Wombwell's business rival "Lord" George Sanger in Sheffield on 1 December 1850.

At the Sanger circus she would ride a horse made up to look like "Lady Godiva", appear as Brittania and dance inside the lions den.