The Times Obituary

When George died in 1850, The Times remarked that no man had ever done more to introduce the British public to the study of wildlife. Its obituary continued:

“…Mr Wombwell, when a boy, devoted much of his time to the breeding and rearing of birds, pigeons, rabbits, dogs and other domestic animals, and beyond this had no idea of becoming the proprietor of a menagerie. In fact, he became one by force of accident, rather than of circumstances. At the London Docks he saw some of the first boa constrictors imported into England. Most of the “show folks” were afraid of and ignorant of managing them, and from this cause prices gave way a little, and Mr. Wombwell at length ventured to offer 75 pounds for a pair. They were sold to him, and in the course of three weeks he realized considerably more than that sum by their exhibition – a circumstance which he always confessed made him partial to the serpent species, as it was his first introduction to the “profession”. From this time, he became a regular “showman.” At about this period, Mr Wombwell, who was by trade a cordwainer, kept a bird and shoemaker’s shop in Compton-street, Soho, and subsequently exhibited with great success his boa constrictors in Piccadily, near to St. James’s Church.

Where it all started? Old Comptom Street, 2017.

This story of the boa constrictors, and their unlikely pricing at 75 pounds for the pair is the one that is commonly told. Passing that by, it would be no surprise that George made such a purchase in the London docks, for as we already know, this was exactly where his cousin, Richard Wombwell was running his own chandler's business. The dockland connections were thus already in place.