The fairs within half an hour’s journey from London which are still held are in a state of visible decadence. I walked through Kingston Fair last year, about three o’clock in the afternoon, at which time Croydon Fair would, even twenty or thirty years ago, have been crowded. The weather was unusually fine, the sun shining with unwonted brilliance for the season, and the ground in better condition for walking than I had ever seen the field at Croydon on the 2nd of October. Yet there were fewer people walking through the fair than I had seen in the market-place. The gingerbread vendors and other stall-keepers looked as if they were weary of soliciting custom in vain; the swings and the roundabouts stood idle; some of the showmen had not thought the aspect of the field sufficiently promising to be encouraged to unfurl their pictorial announcements, and those who had done so failed to attract visitors.

Day’s menagerie was there, and was the principal show in the fair; but the few persons who paused to gaze at the pictures passed on without entering, and even the beasts within were so impressed with the pervading listlessness and inactivity that I did not hear a sound from the cages as I walked round to the rear of the show to observe its extent. There was no braying of brass bands, no beating of gongs or bawling through speaking-trumpets. One forlorn showman ground discordant sounds from a barrel-organ with an air of desperation, and another feebly clashed a pair of cymbals; but these were all the attempts made to attract attention, and they were made in vain.

This was on Saturday afternoon, too, when a large number of the working classes are liberated who could not formerly have attended the fair at that time without taking a holiday. There was a good attendance in the evening, I heard; but, however well the shows and stalls may be patronised after six o’clock, it is obvious that their receipts must be less than half what they amounted to in the days when they were thronged from noon till night.

Fairs are becoming extinct because, with the progress of the nation, they have ceased to possess any value in its social economy, either as marts of trade or a means of popular amusement. All the large towns now possess music-halls, and many of them have a theatre; the most populous have two or three. The circuses of Newsome and Hengler are located for three months at a time in permanent buildings in the larger towns, and the travelling circuses visit in turn every town in the kingdom. Bristol and Manchester have Zoological Gardens, and Brighton has its interesting Aquarium. The railways connect all the smaller towns, and most of the villages, with the larger ones, in which amusements may be found superior to any ever presented by the old showmen. What need, then, of fairs and shows? The nation has outgrown them, and fairs are as dead as the generations which they have delighted, and the last showman will soon be as great a curiosity as the dodo.

INDEX

Abbott’s theatrical booth, [358]
Adams, the dancer, [154]
African dwarfs, [80]
Albinoes, [295], [310], [313]
Albion dancing-booth, [263]
Algar’s dancing-booth, [263], [328], [333], [355]
Allen, the dwarf, [205]
Ambroise, the showman, [189]
Amburgh, Van, the lion-tamer, [260]
American juggler, [294]
Annesley, Mrs., the dancer, [164]
Appleby, the showman, [63]
Arthur, the comedian, [144]
Astley, the equestrian, [211]
Aston, the comedian, [109], [121]
Atkins’s menagerie, [258], [277], [302], [304]
Baker, Mrs., the theatrical manageress, [196]
Ball, the showman, [271], [303], [309]
Ballard’s animal comedians, [169]
"menagerie, [232], [241], [287], [303], [305]
Banks and his performing horse, [23]
Barnes, the showman, [63]
""pantaloon, [246]
Barnett, Mrs., the actress, [349]
Basil, the showman, [191]
Baudouin, the comic dancer, [131]

Bearded women, [33], [47]
Belzoni’s feats of strength, [216]
Berar’s optikali illusio, [311]
Biffin, Miss, the armless portrait painter, [210], [231]
Billington, the comedian, [349]
Birds, performing, [178], [182], [188]
Bisset, the animal trainer, [177]
Blacker, the dwarf, [167]
Blight, Helen, the lion-performer, [337]
Boheme, the tragedian, [96]
Booth, the theatrical manager, [94]
Bradshaw, Miss, the actress, [144]
Breslaw, the conjuror, [187], [192]
Bridge’s theatrical booth, [152], [163]
Broomsgrove, the showman, [313]
Brown, the showman, [272], [300]
Brown’s theatre of arts, [315]
Brunn, the juggler, [189]
Bullock, the comedian, [78], [95], [105], [107], [114], [119], [132]
Burchall, the showman, [314]
Burnett, the trapezist, [359]
Cadman, the flying man, [145]
Campbell, Mrs., the actress, [344], [349], [355]
Canterel, Mrs., the actress, [110]
Capelli, the conjuror, [307]
Carey, the actor, [223], [230]
Cartlitch, the actor, [246]
Cats, performing, [178], [307]
Chapman, Mary Anne, the albino, [314]
"Miss, the lion-performer, [337]
"the comedian, [114], [119], [127], [132], [138], [143]
Chappell, the actor, [353]
"the showman, [272]
Charke, Mrs., the actress, [114]
Cheshire girl, wonderful, [49]
Chettle’s theatrical booth, [151]
Chetwood, the prompter, [105]
Chinese jugglers, [302], [309]
"lady, [292]
Christoff, the rope-dancer, [20]
Cibber, the tragedian, [107], [114]
Circassian lady, [290]
Clancy, the giant, [313]
Clark, the posturer, [59]
Clarke’s circus, [268], [307], [332], [341]

Clarke, Miss, the rope-dancer, [308]
Clarkson, the showman, [191]
Clench, the whistling man, [80]
Coan, the dwarf, [167]
Cooke’s circus, [249]
Corder, the murderer, head of, [303]
Cornwell, the showman, [61]
Corsican dwarf, [155], [188]
Cousins’s theatrical booth, [154]
Cow, a double, [161]
Cox, the comedian, [37]
Crawley, the puppet-showman, [83]
Crockett, the showman, [341]
Crocodile, the first exhibited, [167]
Crowther, the actor, [322]
Cushings, the pantomimists, [150], [165]
Dale’s music booth, [64]
Dancey, Mrs. and Miss, the dancers, [131]
Day, the showman, [298]
Day’s menagerie, [355], [375]
Dawson, the dwarf, [313]
Derrum, Miss, the female tumbler, [115]
Doggett, the comedian, [74], [79]
Dogs, performing, [85], [169], [178], [307]
Drury’s menagerie, [310]
Ducrow, Madame, the rope-dancer, [335]
Dunstall’s theatrical booth, [175]
Dupain, the showman, [313]
Dutch boy, wonderful, [70]
"rope-dancer, [53], [150]
Dwarf family, [298]
Dyan, Ursula, the bearded woman, [47]
Edmunds, the menagerist, [337], [355]
Egleton, Mrs., the actress, [108]
Elephant, performing, [284]
"escape of an, [288], [347]
Elliston, the theatrical manager, [236]
England, the flying pieman, [240]
Esquimaux youth, [294]
Evans, the wire-walker, [172]
Ewing’s wax-work exhibition, [306], [310]
Excell, the duettist, [123]
Fairgrieve’s menagerie, [365]

Farnham, the dwarf, [313]
Faucit, the actor, [221]
Fawkes, the conjuror, [110], [112], [117]
""showman, [116], [123], [139], [150]
Ferguson’s wax-work exhibition, [310]
Fielding, the novelist, [103], [107], [110], [113], [119], [124], [127]
Finch, the posturer, [313]
Finley, the acrobat, [73]
"Mary, the rope-dancer, [73], [78]
Fitzgerald, Mrs., the actress, [110], [123]
Fives Court drinking booth, [333]
Flemish giantess, [47]
Flockton, the juggler and showman, [191], [200], [202], [206]
Ford, the gingerbread vendor, [99]
Fossett’s circus, [358]
Frano, Mdlle. de, the dancer, [131]
Frazer, the conjuror, [303]
Frazer’s acrobatic entertainment, [341]
Freer, the tragedian, [344]
French, the single-stick player, [158]
Gaetano, the bird imitator, [187]
Garrick, the actor, [165]
German rope-dancers, [50], [63], [73]
Giffard, the theatrical manager, [106], [130]
Gipsies’ drinking booth, [333]
Girardelli, Josephine, the fire-eater, [235]
Glee-men and glee-maidens, [19]
Gobert, Madame, the athlete, [244]
Godwin, the showman, [151]
Goodwin’s theatrical booth, [143]
Gouffe, the man-monkey, [306]
Gregory, the showman, [374]
Griffin, the actor, [107], [114], [137]
Grosette, the actor, [225]
Grove’s theatre of arts, [341]
Gyngell, the showman, [207], [238], [254]
Haines, the fire-eater, [311]
Hales, the Norfolk giant, [350]
Hall, the rope-dancer, [43], [45]
""actor, [108], [119]
Hall’s museum, [192]
Hallam, the tragedian, [107], [114], [119], [127], [131], [138], [143]
Harper, the comedian, [96], [103], [109], [111], [114], [118], [137]
Harris, the cat imitator, [182]

Harris, the showman, [313]
Haydon’s theatrical booth, [320]
Heads, lecture on, [186]
Heidegger, Master of the Revels, [139]
Herring, the pantomimist, [322], [336]
Hewet, the comedian, [109]
Hilton’s menagerie, [336], [341], [359]
Hilton, Miss, the lion-performer, [336]
Hind, the actor, [121]
Hippisley, the tragedian, [108], [110], [113], [119], [127], [132], [138], [143]
"Miss, the actress, [162]
Hipson, Miss, the fat girl, [289]
Hoare, the showman, [243]
Hocus Pocus, the King’s conjuror, [30]
Hog, enormous, [154]
Holden’s glass-blowing exhibition, [299], [301]
Holland’s, Lady, mob, [125], [201], [256]
Horses, performing, [20], [23], [43], [83], [164], [178], [202], [305]
Horton, Mrs., the actress, [94]
Howard, the actor, [348], [355]
Hoyo’s wax-work exhibition, [310]
Hulett, the comedian, [105], [109], [114], [120]
Hussey’s theatrical booth, [145], [151], [153], [156]
Hyenas, tame, [308], [371]
Inchbald, Elizabeth, the actress, [196]
Irish giant, [52]
Italian rope-dancer, [40]
"sword-dancers, [154]
Ives, the showman, [191]
Jack, Manchester, the lion-keeper, [260]
Jackman’s theatrical booth, [358]
Jano, the rope-dancer, [115], [130]
Jefferies, the actor, [225]
Jobson, the puppet-showman, [191], [202], [208]
Johnson, the showman, [317], [320]
"and Lee’s theatrical booth, [321], [325], [336], [341], [343], [348], [352], [356]
Kean, the tragedian, [214], [221]
Keith, the clown, [358]
Keyes and Laine, the conjurors, [303]
Killigrew, Charles, Master of the Revels, [50]
"Thomas, the King’s jester, [49]
Lacy, Mrs., the actress, [121]

Ladder dance, [85]
Laguerre, the actor, [119]
Lane, the conjuror, [191]
Laskey, the showman, [341]
Lee, Nelson, the theatrical manager, [247], [254], [320], [346]
Lee’s theatrical booth, [102], [106], [108], [111], [114], [119], [121], [132], [138], [152], [163]
"unlicensed theatre, [255]
Legar, the actor, [132]
Leigh, the comedian, [95]
Leopard, escape of a, [232]
"a tame, [287], [310]
Leopards, performing, [368], [371]
Lincolnshire dwarf, [294]
Lion, a tame, [32], [274], [285]
"baiting with dogs, [261]
Lioness, escape of a, [241]
Lion-tiger cubs, [277], [285], [304]
Little, the comedian-hawker, [324]
Living skeleton, the, [305]
Lorenzo, the lion performer, [368]
Lorme, Madlle. de, the dancer, [106]
Luce, the dancer, [106]
Macarthy, the lion performer, [362]
Mackenzie, the hermit, [314]
Macklin, the comedian, [144]
Macomo, the lion performer, [360]
Madagascar woman, [294]
Mahoura, the cannibal chief, head of, [298]
Malay savages, [290]
Manchester Jack, the lion keeper, [260]
Manders’s menagerie, [359]
March, the clown, [50]
Maori woman, [292], [351]
Mare with seven feet, [291]
Master of the Revels, office of, [30]
Matthews, the dancer, [164]
Maughan, the showman, [289]
Melville, the actor, [349]
Menagerie, the first, [88]
Mermaids, [162], [298]
Miles’s music booth, [64], [85]
"menagerie, [209]
Miller, the comedian, [75], [77], [107], [114], [119]
Mills, the comedian, [107], [114], [119]

Monkeys, performing, [20], [23], [40], [169], [178], [314]
Monstrosities, [22], [32], [60], [161], [204], [217], [291], [310], [314], [346]
Morgan, the comedian, [121]
"Miss, the dwarf, [205]
Morgan’s menagerie, [287], [302]
Morosini, the rope-dancer, [115]
Mullart, the tragedian, [111]
Mussulmo, the rope-dancer, [151]
Mynn’s theatrical booth, [86]
Negro, wonderful, [168]
Newman and Allen’s theatrical booth, [323]
Newsome, the lion performer, [359]
Nichols, the comedian, [109]
Nokes, Mrs., the actress, [104]
Oates, the comedian, [105], [114], [119], [134], [162]
"Miss, the actress, [114], [120]
O’Brien, the Irish giant, [194], [229]
Ogden, Mrs., the dancer, [154]
Oronutu savage, [154]
Orsi, the singer, [204]
Owen, the clown, [196]
Oxberry, the comedian, [221]
Paap, the dwarf, [236]
Pack, the comedian, [95]
Palmer, the theatrical bill-sticker, [165]
Parker’s theatrical booth, [79]
Peep-shows, [289], [305], [307]
Penkethman, the elder, comedian, [71], [79], [95], [106]
""younger, comedian, [106], [108], [113], [120], [132]
Penley, the showman, [200]
Perry’s menagerie, [159]
Persian giant, [290]
Peters, the comic dancer, [131]
Petit, the showman, [115]
Phantasmagorial exhibitions, [311]
Philips, the fiddler and clown, [54], [57]
Phillips, the posturer, [113]
""showman, [164]
""comedian, [133]
"Mrs., the dancer, [134]
"the Welsh dwarf, [294]
Pidcock’s menagerie, [186]
Pierce, the gigantic Shropshire youth, [313]

Pig-faced lady, [303], [305]
Pigs, learned, [178], [243], [297], [301], [314]
Pike’s theatrical booth, [303]
Pinchbeck, the mechanist, [110], [116], [123], [134], [139]
Pinkethman, the puppet showman, [83]
Polito’s menagerie, [187], [209]
Powell, the comedian, [105]
""fire-eater, [179]
""puppet showman, [83]
Price, the equestrian, [309]
Pritchard, Mrs., the actress, [113], [120], [127]
Pullen’s theatrical booth, [105]
Punch and Judy shows, [27]
Punchinello, the puppet showman, [29]
Purden, Mrs., the actress, [121]
Quin, the comedian, [95]
Rapinese, the posturer, [131]
Ray, the comedian, [104]
Rayner’s theatrical booth, [105]
"the tumbler, [149]
"Miss, the rope-dancer, [149]
Reader, the showman, [341]
Reed, the actor, [225], [317]
Reed’s theatrical booth, [350]
Reverant, Madlle. de, the rope-dancer, [115]
Reynolds, the comedian, [104], [106]
""showman, [151], [154]
Richardson, the fire-eater, [48]
""showman, [217], [230], [235], [239], [248], [264], [302], [306], [316]
River, the tumbler, [115]
Roberts, the tragedian, [121]
Roberts, Mrs., the actress, [114]
Robinson, the conjuror, [191]
Robson, the comedian, [356], [358]
Rose’s, Miss, imitations of actresses, [187]
Rossignol, the bird trainer, [188], [193]
Roy, Madlle. le, the dancer, [131]
Rudderford, the mountebank, [50]
Ryan, the comedian, [95], [119], [127]
Saffery, the rope-vaulter, [308]
Saffry’s theatrical booth, [50]
Saker, the comedian, [256], [350]
Salway, the comedian, [113]

Samwell, the showman, [270], [309]
Saunders, Sarah, actress and acrobat, [323]
"the showman, [209], [219], [221], [231]
Scotch dwarf, [61]
"giant, [303]
Scowton’s theatrical booth, [230], [316]
Seaman, the actor, [349]
Serpents, performing, [190]
Settle, the dramatist, [86]
Shaw, Miss, the beautiful albino, [310]
"the harlequin, [344]
Shuter, the comedian, [174], [179], [182]
Silver-haired lady, [301], [351]
Simmett, the showman, [313]
Simpson, the vaulter, [80]
Skeleton, the living, [305]
Slater, Miss, the columbine, [349]
Smith, the hand-bell ringer, [179]
Spanish youth, wonderful, [61]
Spellman, Mrs., the actress, [110]
Spiller, the comedian, [95]
"Mrs., the actress, [109], [111], [121]
Spotted boy, [301]
"girl, [351]
Steward, the slack-wire performer, [168]
Stock, Elizabeth, the giantess, [300]
Stokes, the vaulter, [58]
Strand, the lion performer, [359]
Strength, feats of, [40], [98], [168], [244]
Sword dancers, [64], [85]
Talliott’s circus, [359]
Tarvey, the clown, [197]
Taylor, the dancer, [123]
Terwin, the showman, [134]
Thwaites, the actor, [225]
Thompson, the comic dancer, [131]
Tiger, a tame, [159], [283]
Tigers, performing, [371]
Tarbutt, the comedian, [138], [143]
Turkish rope-dancer, [33], [151]
"wire-walker, [144], [188]
Vanbeck, Barbara, the bearded woman, [33]
Vaughan, the actor, [225]
Vidina, Signora, the singer, [204]
Violantes, the, rope-walkers, [144]

Walker, the comedian, [94]
Wallack, the actor, [221]
Walpole, Lydia, the dwarf, [290], [313]
Warner’s theatrical booth, [150], [163], [174]
Waterloo giant, [299]
Wax-work exhibition, the first, [31]
Webber, Eliza, the dwarf, [313]
Wells, the actor, [225]
Welsh dwarf, [167]
Weston, Priscilla and Amelia, the twin giantesses, [313]
Whitehead, the fat boy, [298]
Whiteland, the dwarf, [203]
Wignell, the poet, [179]
Williamson, Mrs., the actress, [109]
Wombwell’s Menagerie, [257], [273], [302], [305], [307], [310], [337], [341], [347], [355], [365]
Woodward, harlequin and actor, [97], [138], [144]
Woolford, Miss, the rope-dancer, [336]
Wright’s menagerie, [341]
Yates, the comedian, [134], [138], [143], [162], [174], [180]
"Mrs., the actress, [144]
"Miss, the actress, [164]
Yeates, the showman, [116], [131], [163], [168]
"the conjuror, [116], [131], [133], [149], [151], [153], [157], [163], [168]
"Mrs., the actress, [157]
Yorkshire giantess, [299]

THE END.