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IN THE NEWS
TOUR OF THE MONTH
ON THIS DAY IN LONDON
16th October 1987 175-kph winds cause blackout in London, much of southern England
16th October 1959 Born today: Gary Kemp, London, rock guitarist (Spandau Ballet-True)
16th October 1958 The first episode of children's TV show Blue Peter is aired on Television.
16th October 1951 Born today: Daniel Gerroll, London, actor (Big Business)
16th October 1936 Actor Peter Bowles was born in London.
16th October 1927 Born today: Lee Montague, London England, actor (Uncle Sasha-Holocaust)
16th October 1925 Born today: Angela Lansbury, London England, actress (Jessica-Murder She Wrote)
16th October 1922 Happy birthday to entertainer Max Bygraves, born in Rotherhithe, East London.
16th October 1834 London parliament catches fire historic documents burn
George Wombwell's Menagerie
This is where Wombwell's infamous menagerie started life.
Location: Old Compton Street
Description: In 1804 George Wombwell opened a cobbling shop somewhere here (can anyone identify where exactly?) on Old Compton Street, which lasted until 1810.
Wombwell was short, stout and a heavy drinker and he nonetheless built up three hugely successful menageries from a starting point of two snakes bought at a bargain price. He put them on display here along with other exotic animals he imported.
In 1810 he founded the Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie and began to tour the fairs of Britain. By 1839 it totalled fifteen wagons. The menageries travelled the length and breadth of England and made him a wealthy man before his death in 1850.
Wombwell bred and raised many animals himself, including the first lion to be bred in captivity in Britain; he named it William in the honor of William Wallace. In 1825 Warwick, Wombwell arranged a Lion-baiting between his docile lion Nero and six bullmastiffs. Nero refused to fight but when Wombwell released Wiliam, he mauled the dogs and the fight was soon stopped.
He was buried in Highgate Cemetery, under a statue of his lion Nero.
From The Book of Days:
A shoemaker by trade, and keeping a shop in Soho, he happened one day to pay a visit to the London Docks, where he saw some of the first boa constrictors which had been imported into England. These reptiles had then no great favour with showmen, as much from fear as ignorance of the art of managing them, and their marketable value was consequently less than it afterwards became.
Wombwell purchased a pair for 75, and in the course of three weeks realized considerably more than that sum by their exhibition. He used afterwards to declare, that he entertained rather a partiality for the serpent tribe, as they had been the means of first opening his path to fame and fortune.
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Link to This Page: http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location/1380
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This is where Wombwell's infamous menagerie started life. |
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The Frost Fair on the Thames», 1.1km
Londons Lost Bird Market», 2.6km
Just a Stones throw away», 3.7km
The Benbow House Bear Garden», 1.5km
The Rose and Punchbowl», 3.6km
The Lost Zoo of Walworth», 1.6km
Giro the Nazi Dog», 0.5km
Surrey Docks Farm», 3.3km
The Tower's Menagerie», 2.2km
Pickles World Cup Find», 6.9km
mapping London's most interesting and unusual places and history
