Hanneford's Royal Canadian Circus

written by J. P. Browne

Hanneford’s Circus was founded by Edwin (Ned) Hanneford III. Ned born sometime in 1870 in England came from one of the most prominent Circus Families. His father Edwin II had his own circus in England for years known as ‘Hanneford’s London Circus’ and his grandfather Edwin Hanneford I was a famous juggler in the early 19th century.  The Hanneford’s were considered one of the top acts of the day performing throughout Ireland, Britain and the Continent. Ned’s sister Kate Hanneford an equestrian was such a sensation that she inspired the famous French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec paintings of the circus when she appeared in Circus Fernando in Montmartre, France. Kate being one of the few performers capable or good enough to perform the horse-to-horse backward somersault. Ned himself while able to ride well was best known as a Knife-thrower and was much sought after performing in the top circuses around the world.

Sometime in the 1880’s Ned met and fell in love with Elizabeth Scott, who like him came from a prominent circus family that owned their own circus in Britain called the 'Royal Scott's Circus'. Elizabeth herself was an accomplished rider and tightrope walker but problematically for Ned Hanneford her surname was also Scott. The rivalry between the Scott's and Hannefords had allegedly started over a hundred years before in 1778 when the first Edwin Hanneford was summoned to juggle before King George III. “The purpose was to determine who was the best juggler in the realm - Edwin Hanneford or a rival juggler called Walter Scott (my emphasis), but by the time the contest was completed, the king had become preoccupied with another matter and a verdict was never delivered.” (3). The King might have forgotten about it but neither Edwin Hanneford nor Walter Scott did. This started off a professional rivalry between the two families that had occasionally gotten bitter. That a Hanneford now wanted to marry a Scott did not go over well with either family. It didn't help that the 'Royal Scott's Circus' and  'Hannefords London Circus' were still actively involved in the circus trade  making their rivalry still fresh in both families minds. Circus rivalry back them was a lot more vicious than in today's modern times so there was probably fresh slights and confrontations in both side's minds. As Elizabeth Scott said:

 “When my father heard I was interested in one of the Hanneford’s, he ordered me not to see him again. He said the Hanneford’s were both our past and current rivals, but we had fallen in love. My family and Ned's both had misgivings, but we were finally wed.” (1)

They got married on September 15th, 1890 in a parish church in Leeds, England. (2) Since both Ned and Elizabeth were accomplished riders it made sense that they would form an act of their own. Over the next couple of years they would perform with the various other Circuses around Britain such John Sangers Circus and Bostock, Wombwell, and Bailey Circus and Menagerie. On the off-season they performed in the various Hippodrome's around Britain such as the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome in 1899. With their versatility and great skill the Hanneford’s Act became one of the most sought after acts going in Britain. It was because of this talent that Ned and Elizabeth began to dream about owning their own Circus.

With both of their families owning circuses, they wanted one of their own, but they had no capital. Since their families could not or would not finance them and no bank would give them a loan to set up a Circus they had to do it the old fashioned way, through saving up for it. This must have been a tough time for them especially as they now had three children as well; Edwin (Poodles) Hanneford in 1891, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hanneford in 1893 and William (George) Hanneford in 1895. God knows how long it took but roughly around 1902 they were finally able to put their own show together.

“Whether they felt it was better to try new territory or not to compete with their families’ circuses, they elected to tour Ireland in 1903, but knowing the Irish dislike for anything English, they named their show The Royal Hanneford Canadian Circus.” (4)

Ned and Elizabeth setting up in Ireland instead of England was not uncommon. A generation of circus performers who had ambitions of their own to set up their own circuses were also looking to Ireland for the same reasons. Most of them at some point would have performed in Ireland with one of the Irish Circuses or gone there with an English show. The Irish spoke the same language, had the same money and they weren't in direct competition with their parents Circuses in Britain. Also with fewer circuses in Ireland at the time it was essentially a virgin territory, a place to make good money then. Not that it was easy. There were events such as in the 1905 season when they found themselves visiting the same day as the large British Circus Poole and Bosco’s Circus. The Meath Chronicle gleefully followed the action. “It is seldom that two travelling circuses visit a town on the same day, and therefore the presence of Poole and Bosco's circus and Hanaford's (sic) circus at Ballyjames on Thursday week was an indication of the keen rivalry existing between the two, and provided considerable amusement for the townspeople. About two weeks ago posters were put up by one party, but they were not many hours on view when they were covered up by those belonging to the rival company. Many believed that the respective advance managers had made a mistake, but all doubts were set at rest, by the arrival of the circuses which erected their tents at opposite ends of the town. The mid-day procession of one was followed by that of the other, and prior to the afternoon and evening performances rival agents canvassed vigorously on behalf of their employers. In the end the canvassers "dead heated" as both shows were well patronised. On Friday, Pool and Boscos circus visited Oldcastle while the other went on to a neighbouring town. The former circus played in Kells on Saturday, when the night performance was curtailed in order that an early start might be made for Mullingar, where the rival shows again came together on Monday. The company which arrived first took possession of the Fair Green, while the other put up on Mr. Rooney's field. The tactics adopted at Ballyjamesduff were followed by the employees of the respective concerns. As an extra, one circus gave an "outside show" which the rival people maliciously termed "a rag shop".  (5)

The Hanneford Circus in Ireland did well improving year after year eventually becoming one of the bigger circuses in Ireland. Ned’s son George Hanneford when asked about his time in Ireland said:

“We had one-hundred-twenty five horses, draft animals as well as performers, and a small menagerie, consisting of two camels, one elephant and ten lions. The shebang travelled in a caravan of thirty wagons.” (6)

We can gauge the levels of their popularity by their demand they were in and Hanneford’s were in demand.  During the 1907 season a white camel was born from their breeding pair which they claimed to be the first camel ever born in Ireland (7). This was only a part of the improvement as they also purchased that year ‘two wolves, two hyenas, a bear and a tiger.’ (8)

The 1908 season saw a rather amusing headline in the Mayo News referencing them where they stated that “Mayo County Council run away because they heard a circus band” and a rather amusing letter underneath it which I include in full here:

Mr. Chairman, I feel it is my duty, though it is a disagreeable task, to make a respectful protest. This is one of the most important meetings of the year; and we find before the business is half done that a large number of councillors neglect their duties, go out to the town, and bring the business of the meeting to a full stop. I think that is not respectful to the Chairman. It is not respectful to the members of the Council who support you, It is not creditable to the members of the Council who thus neglect their duty, and it is a direct offence to the people who sent us here. I want to know what business it was that brought them away from the Council. For the last month we have been fighting our various constituencies and we all made promises to do everything in our power to discharge the business. The moment the Council is elected, when they have got all the honours they can from the people, they, at the first meeting, deliberately leave the Council Chamber, as much as to say, we are in now and we don't care three' farthings what is to happen. Mr. Chairman, I call your attention to the matter, because we must prevent this collapse of our meetings from the start." The speaker was Cllr ' Conor O'Kelly, M.P., and he was addressing a meeting of Mayo County Council, in the Courthoure (sic), Castlebar, in July, 1908. Other speakers also condemned the action or the absentees and attention was drawn to the fact that a quorum was not present. The Chairman then declared the meeting adjourned. Subsequently, messengers were sent around the town and the missing Councillors were "roped" into the meeting in sufficient numbers to allow the meeting to be resumed and the business carried out. It transpired that the greater number of the absentees had been lured away by the irresistible music of a circus band parading the streets to advertise the arrival of Hanneford's Circus to Castlebar! Mr. McGovern criticised the "deserters" who had "run off at the sound of the drum"! (9) 

With only a summer tenting season in Ireland, Hanneford’s unlike the other circuses did not perform in Ireland instead they usually performed in Britain during the Christmas Season.   In 1908 they provided the performance for the annual Christmas Circus at one of the premier Hippodrome's in Britain London's Agricultural Hall. The World’s Fair newspaper reviewed it as follows

Hanneford’s Canadian Circus makes its first appearance in England, and judging from the performance, will undoubtedly prove to be one of the best ever seen under the roof of the vast hall...The Hanneford Quartet, who accomplished the difficult feat of jumping on to a single horse going at full speed.... the circus is altogether of the highest order and the turns follow each other in rapid succession. (10)

In fact the 1908 season was a recording breaking season for the London Agricultural Hall. This was undoubtedly helped by having the Hanneford's performing there and also put them on the map internationally for talent scouts to coming look at them from all over the world. Not that Ned and Elizabeth sat on their laurels as this review from the World’s Fair newspaper in 1909 shows:

The July 10th, 1909 World’s Fair reviewed the Hanneford's tent show at Longford and described the big top as a three pole tent (three center poles)  and mentioned a troupe of bears and a troupe of Lions presented by Colonel Foster. The review concluded it is the “finest circus performance seen in Ireland the past twenty-five years” and mentioned a “one o'clock parade.” (11)

Yet unfortunately for the Hanneford's trouble was just around the corner and came in a familiar guise. It all started innocuously enough though with the death of the elderly Walter Scott in England in 1909. John H. McConnell sets the scene “Walter Scott's Will was in the possession of Elizabeth. It divided all his estate and effects among his children and named his sons, Robert Scott and James Scott, as executors. The two Scott brothers attempted to continue the show's operation, but in September 1909 the Sheriff of Norfolk received an order to seize the Scott Circus and its equipment for non-payment of one hundred seventy pounds sterling. The amount was taken for a bill of sale held by a John Wright resulting from action taken, prior to Walter Scott's death, by a man injured at the circus. Damages for personal injuries were awarded against Walter Scott. When Walter Scott died, the execution was issued against equipment.” With the Scott Show now in debt for £170 and not paid by either Robert or James the bailiffs of Norfolk County set out to seize the Scott Circus as recompense.

The bailiffs experiences in attempting to take possession of the equipment were later described in court testimony in Belfast:

The Sheriff's bailiff came to Comer to seize the show one night after a performance. They were about to remove to a place called Holt, for the next night’s performance, and the bailiff asked the Scott's how long it would take them to pack up. He was told they would be about an hour. The bailiff went to the hotel for his bag. When he returned to the circus, they all had gone with the exception of one coach. He scoured the country around looking for the circus all night without finding it, and at 6.00 the next morning, weary and foot sore, found himself back again at Cromer (laughter). He wired the police everywhere about, and at last ascertained the circus had laned at North Walsham. The bailiff came there so fatigued that he was not able to do anymore, and he asked a witness if he could find him a couple of men to put in possession, the witness found him the men, and that is why he knew so much about the whole matter.

The presiding judge at the trial, Mr. Justice Dodd, said, “You couldn't have done the business better if you had been an Irishman.” (12)

The Scott brothers in danger of losing their livelihood now turned to their brother-in-law Ned Hanneford to get them out of trouble. With the circus parts going to be sold off for auction to pay the debt owed they needed money fast and with Hanneford's Circus doing so well the two Scott brothers knew he could financially bail them out. Or so they thought.

About the only thing the Hanneford’s and Scotts can agree on in this story is that they asked Ned Hanneford to come over to help them. Everything else after is from the point-of-view of the people involved and with no independent witnesses to corroborate one way or the other. We have no way of knowing what the truth was. What happened was allegedly the following:

“after Ned arrived, their versions of what transpired were significantly different.

Ned claimed, “James Scott said, 'Why don't you buy it [the Scott Circus], Ned? You might as well have it as anybody else.' so I consulted with my wife and agreed to buy it.”

James Scott claimed “I told Ned, 'We are stuck. Will you help us?' Ned said he would see us out of our difficulties until next summer.” (13)

Ned said he purchased the Scott Circus for £171 paid to the Sheriff's bailiff. The Scott’s said Ned paid their debt and took the show until the next summer when he promised to return it to the Scott’s. Whatever the truth, Ned took possession of the Scott Circus on September 10th, 1909 and had it resume its tour under the management of his sister Kate while Ned returned to his own circus.

At the conclusion of the 1909 season Ned brought the Scott Circus to Ireland for the winter. His plan was for both Circuses to tour Ireland in the 1910 season with the Scott's Circus to be managed by his sixteen year old daughter, Lizzie. He also paid for the passage for the two Scott brothers to come over as well as they were both able performers. Scott’s Circus had previously toured Ireland before in 1895 getting good reviews as this article in the Connacht Telegraph states:

Scott's circus visited Ballaghaderreen on Saturday week, and was followed by Davies on Thursday last. In Scott’s, the bareback riding and jumping was par excellence, so also was the wire walking and globe performance. In Davies, the clowns were the leading feature, and if I offer my humble opinion far better than I ever saw before. The acting on the horizontal bars was surely good, and great was the surprise at the feats performed by the Spanish bull. They were both well patronised, and the clapping and peals of laughter that interrupted the scene, showed that their actions and ideas were fully appreciated. (19)

Both tours were going smoothly until 4th July of that year when Lizzie returned to the circus from a daytrip in town and discovered she had been thrown out by the Scott’s. The two Scott brothers had seized control of the Circus while she had been away and made her leave immediately. Lizzie was made return to her family. When Lizzie did return to her family and told them what had happened Ned immediately sued the two Scott brothers claiming they had illegally repossessed property he had purchased. The Scott’s counter-sued. The Freeman's Journal newspaper sets the scene:

In the King's Bench division yesterday, before Mr. Justice Dodd, sitting without a jury, the hearing was begun of an action by Edward Hanneford, circus proprietor, Belfast, against his wife's brothers and sisters -- Robert Scott, James B. Scott, Wm Scott, Rose Gibbs and Emma Beckett. The action arose out of the payment of £170 by the plaintiff to redeem a circus belong to the Scott family, against which a bill of sale had been obtained. The case is at hearing. (14)

After much accusations and counter-accusations from both sides that was getting nastier and nastier both sides reached an out of court settlement on the 10th of December of the same year. The settlement was that the Scott’s had to pay the Hanneford’s £500 and the payment of £500 more by weekly installments of £4, the payments to start as soon as the circus season commenced (18). While this probably wasn't completely satisfactory to either side it stopped the negative press and legal fees which were compiling on both sides. The Hanneford’s got their initial investment back and a good profit and the Scott's got their circus back. That said any softening in the Scott/Hanneford feud was now gone. Ernestine Hanneford, Ned's Granddaughter remarked:

“I never heard the name Scott or knew we had relatives by that name until the Scott’s came to this country [United States]. The family never mentioned them.” (15)

In some respects, the Hanneford vs Scott trial that took place was the fault of both sides. Ned Hanneford did not use good judgement putting his daughter Lizzie in charge. However capable she probably was; it must have rankled greatly with the two Scott Brothers that they had to orders from a sixteen year old girl. Circus families are patriarchal at the best of times so having a young girl giving direction to two middle-aged men who up until a short time previously owned the same circus was a time bomb waiting to happen.

That said the Scott's could have handled it better than seizing the circus in the dramatic fashion they did thereby calling for the Hanneford's to respond in kind. While we will never know the nuances of the case with all the individuals involved having passed, we can look back and say that the blame should rest equally on both sides. The Scott's and Ned Hanneford in hindsight should have drawn up a written agreement at the initial start stopping any 'assumptions' on both sides from taking place later on.

The other factor of the court case is that it marks the tipping point where we can mark the decline of the Hanneford's Royal Canadian Circus. While it was Ned's wife, Elizabeth who had the brain for business and was considered the backbone of the circus Ned was also an important component in making sure that the circus ran smoothly. Unfortunately Ned didn't take the losing of the case (as he perceived it) well. We don't know if he drank before the case but after his drinking started to get bad. As Lizzie, Ned's daughter said “After the troubles of 1910, father could no longer handle things as he once had. He became a nervous wreck and turned to drink.” (16)

During the 1911 season the Hanneford’s had a close call when one of their employees was accidentally set on fire after getting into an accident with a hanging lamp. They also had a performing pony stolen by a homeless man called James Costello which was recovered by the police with Costello receiving 8 days in prison.

Due to Ned's deterioration the decision was made to leave Ireland in 1912 with E.H. Bostock being appointed to lead the show on a tour of Scotland and England. Since the Hanneford’s had being out of the country for close to a decade and had never toured a circus in Britain before, it also made good sense to put someone else in charge.

For the 1912/1913 season they just toured England as 'Hanneford's Royal Genuine Canadian Circus'. Tragically Ned Hanneford died that year on the 25th of June in Cornwall. He was buried in Penzance with thousands attending the procession. Among the floral tributes received were from the Fossett's (both Irish and British branches), The Kayes family (Buff Bills Circus in Ireland) and the E.H. Bostock Circus. None came from the Scott Brothers. The Hanneford Circus began to struggle after this point. While Elizabeth always had been bigger player in the partnership it was still a partnership. They managed to finish the end of the season and went into winter quarters in November, 1913. The Hanneford’s then took an engagement at the Christmas Circus which was been put on by Sir Robert Fossett's Big Circus at London's Agricultural Hall. It was here that John Ringling of Barnum and Bailey and Ringling Brothers Circus saw them perform and 'poached' the three Hanneford children to go perform in the United States for the 1915 season for their Barnum and Bailey Show leaving their mother behind (the three Hanneford Children were already contracted to Blackpool Tower Circus for the 1914 season). The 1914 season for the Hanneford's Royal Canadian Circus would be their hardest yet with World War I starting as there was now rationing in place making it tough for all circuses.

As for Elizabeth, now bereft of her three children as well as her husband, what before was a struggle now became a major labour. The Hanneford Circus scrapped through the 1914 season but left Elizabeth for little appetite to do it all over again for the 1915 season. A decision was reached; the show was put on temporary hiatus. All the animals were sold off and the tent equipment was put into storage. The idea was for Elizabeth and the kids to spend the next season or two until the war ended before returning and taking up were they left off. They never came back though. The Hanneford Family were a major hit in the United States becoming huge stars on the American Circus Circuit. In 1916 Elizabeth went back to England and sold off the equipment kept in storage. The Hanneford’s now had put their money on America and a good bet it would be. Elizabeth herself never returned to either Britain or Ireland dying in California in 1953. Of her three children Poodles Hanneford had a silent film career and was the top clown in the United States for over twenty years; he died in 1967 in New York. (17). Lizzie married Ernie Clarke of the famous Clarke circus family whose granduncle had owned Powell and Clarkes Circus. Ernie Clarke was a member of what is arguably the greatest trapeze act of the last century the 'Flying Clarkonians'. The Guinness Book of records credited the Flying Clarkonians with been the first to perform a quadruple back somersault in 1915. The Happy couple toured the United States for the next few decades until Ernie died in 1941 of natural causes. The youngest George married Irish-American vaudeville performer Catherine Breen a renowned juggler. One of their children Tommy Hanneford was able to set-up his own Circus in 1971. So after 57 years a direct descendant of the original Edwin Hanneford was once again able to put a Hanneford Circus on the road again just this time in the United States. To quote George Hanneford “There will always be a circus as long as children keep coming along and grandfolks retain their memories from childhood.”

As for the legacy of the Hanneford’s Circus in Ireland they launched the careers of two very famous clowns. Jimmy Freeman who would be known as Pimpo the Clown got his start at Hanneford’s learning his trade before going on to become one of the most famous clowns in Britain and Henry Sloan a Hanneford by blood who ironically got his start in Fossett’s before moving back to Hanneford’s eventually moving back to Britain where he became well-known also.

Bibliography:

1.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords page 40.

2.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 41.

3.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 5.

4.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 52.

5.     Meath Chronicle 12/08/1905 page 5

6.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 52.

7.     Killarney Echo, 27/04/1907, page 4.

8.     McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 56 

9.     Mayo News, 19/07/1958, page 4

10.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 58 

11.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 60

12.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 62

13.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 63 RHC

14.  The Freeman's Journal, 9 Dec 1910

15.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 40

16.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 41

17.  McConnell, J. H. (1992). A ring, a horse and a clown: An Eight Generation History of the Hannefords, page 101

18.  Freeman Journal, Seizing a Circus, 10/12/1910, page 4.

19.  Connacht Telegraph, 01/06/1895, page 5