Francis Charles Bostock (1866–1912) was an English entrepreneur and animal trainer, who represented the touring section of the Bostock and Wombwell Menagerie. He toured Europe and America and in the latter he was known as "The Animal King". At death he was called "England's Greatest Showman".

Life

Bostock was born on 10 September 1866, the seventh child of James William Bostock (1814-1878) and his wife Emma Wombwell (1834-1904, granddaughter of

George Wombwell George Wombwell (24 December 1777 – 16 November 1850) was a famous menagerie exhibitor in Regency and early Victorian Britain. He founded Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie. Life and work George Wombwell was born at Duddenhoe End, near ...

). His father had left his father's farm in

Horton, Staffordshire Horton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Staffordshire. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 census was 781. It is situated about 3 miles (5 km) W of Leek. It is first attested as ''Horten(e)'' in ...

in 1832 when his father remarried and James had joined Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie as a wagoner and animal handler in 1838. He then became the menagerie's agent, obtaining

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

s at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

in 1847 and 1854. His parents had married in 1852 when James was 38 and Emma was 18. Wombwell's Menagerie had been bought by a Mrs Edmond on or before Wombwell's death in 1850. Bostock was born into this travelling show and his father detached himself from Mrs Edmonds in 1867 and set up "Bostock & Wombwell" (embracing his wife's surname and revitalising the well known name of Wombwell). When James died in 1878, Emma continued as manager and owner of the show. Bostock's older brother, Edward Henry Bostock, bought out the show in 1889. Bostock set up his own show in 1889 and appears in

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

as "owner" of a travelling menagerie in the 1891 census. In 1893 he made his first trip to America, partnered with the Ferari Brothers, beginning with a semi-permanent show at

Flatbush, Brooklyn Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the nort ...

. The show contained three lions and one of the first boxing kangaroos. From 1894 to 1903 he vied with

Carl Hagenbeck Carl Hagenbeck (10 June 1844 – 14 April 1913) was a Germans, German merchant of wild animals who supplied many European zoos, as well as P. T. Barnum. He created the modern zoo with animal enclosures without bars that were closer to their natur ...

for prime spots on

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

. Bostock averaged audiences of 16000 and Hagenbeck had "only" 8000. On 12 April 1901, Bostock was seriously injured by Rajah, his

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...

, while on tour in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. The tiger had attacked and killed a young keeper called Nielsen a few weeks earlier. During his time in America, he befriended

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

who gave Bostock a pet puma named Alice, who had become too big to handle. Renowned mainly as a lion trainer, Bostock is credited with discovering that lions react oddly to chairs (due to their legs) and therefore a chair can be used to control a lion. In 1908 he introduced the "big cage" into circus acts. His escapades included capturing an escaped lion in the sewers of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. In 1908, back in England, he brought American Style razzamatazz to a show ''Bostock's Arena and Jungle'' at

Earls Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...

. He toured the show in 1908, presented it in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

. In America he had encountered the new craze of

roller skating Roller skating is the act of travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreation, recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on s ...

and was among the first to bring this type of show to Britain. In 1910 he was owner of the Sheffield Skating Rink and when the craze faded that year he converted the rink to house his Jungle show. Bostock died at Kensington Mansions in the

district of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 8 October 1912 and was buried at

Abney Park Cemetery Abney Park cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries in London, England. Abney Park in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney, D ...

on 14 October. A unique tombstone featuring a sculpture of reclining lion was added the following year. The tomb echo the design of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

. At the time of Bostock's death he owned over 1000 animals and owned amusement parks in Europe, America,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Family

In 1887, Bostock married Susannah Ethel Bailey (1864-1929). They had six daughters and one son.

In literature and popular culture

Neil Munro gives a satirical account of a marriage ceremony conducted in the lions' cage at Boston & Wombwell's Menagerie while it was based in New City Road,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, in his Erchie Macpherson story "A Menagerie Marriage", first published in the ''

Glasgow Evening News The ''Glasgow Evening News'' was an important Scottish newspaper in the early 20th century. It was founded as the ''Glasgow Evening Post'' in 1866 and became the ''Evening News'' in 1915. In 1922, Gomer Berry (later 1st Viscount Kemsley) bought ...

'' of 18 April 1910.Munro, Neil, "A Menagerie Marriage", in Osborne, Brian D. & Armstrong, Ronald (eds.) (2002), ''Erchie, My Droll Friend'',

Birlinn Limited Birlinn Limited is an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1992 by managing director Hugh Andrew. Imprints Birlinn Limited is composed of a number of imprints, including: *Birlinn, which publishes Sc ...

, Edinburgh, pp. 387 - 390,

Publications

*''The Training of Wild Animals'' (1903) *''Menageries, Circuses and Theatres'' (1927); memoir by Edward Henry Bostock

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bostock, Frank Charles 1866 births 1912 deaths People from Staffordshire British circus owners Burials at Abney Park Cemetery

Life

Family

In literature and popular culture

Publications

See also

References