The George Wombwell Subscription Fund

The 1897 Daily Mail profile of George Wombwell Junior comes to an end with a plea for funds, and further reveals that the accident-prone George had also at some point contrived to lose one of his fingers. There was a very small clipping in Harold Eldridge's box file, dated March 5th 1897, and also, presumably from The Daily Mail. As can be seen, the subscription raised three pounds and 15 shillings, which cannot really be described as a resounding success. The Mail concluded its George Wombwell profile thus:

Of narrow escapes, George Wombwell had many to tell. He has been attacked by lions, tigers, and elephants, as well as other beasts. At times he was severely mauled, and the stump of a finger on one hand is the evidence of a fight with a tiger. It is his opinion, however, that the elephant is the most treacherous animal to deal with.

But the old man’s days with lions and tigers, and elephants are over. His only difficulty now is to keep the wolf from the door. Perhaps this perfunctory reference to his present condition may meet the eye of some who have a kindly remembrance of him, and the pleasure which his menagerie afforded them. If so, it may not have been written in vain.’