The Death of William Wombwell

The Coventry Herald continued its report into the incident with the evidence provided by the surgeon:

Mr. Laxom, surgeon, was then examined – Being sent for to see the deceased on Sunday afternoon, between three and four o’clock, I went and found him in the caravan where he lived. On seeing the nature of the wound, I recommended that he should be taken to the Hospital, or to private lodgings; and deceased preferring the latter, he was brought to Mt. Johnson’s.

The principal wound was in the left groin. The tusk of the elephant (which was somewhat blunted and rough, from having been broken,) had penetrated through the thigh, separating the muscles, and exposing the large arteries. There was also extensive laceration, (too shocking to describe,) and the other thigh was wounded, though less severely.

I attended him up to the time of his death; he was much bruised about the thighs, but there was no apparent wound on the body, though probably the bowels might have been injured. Assisted by Mr. Barton and Mr. Dewes, I dressed, and to some extent sewed up the wounds; but deceased never rallied in the slightest degree from the first moment, and died about one o’clock this morning, (Tuesday,) of the wounds I have described.

It was stated to be just twelve months, on the 9th inst., since deceased was attacked and seriously wounded by a lion at Stafford.

On Wednesday afternoon, the deceased William Wombwell was buried in the Cemetery of this City, being followed to the grave by his kindred, and personal friends, in two mourning coaches, and eighteen couples of other individuals to whom he was known, who availed themselves of this sad occasion to show their attachment to him. The funeral service of the Church was read by Rev. Dr. Davis, in the presence of several thousand spectators.

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And so William Wombwell departed the world, another stark reminder put in place that for all the glamour and romance and glitz of the menagerie, life on the road with the Wombwells could be a perilous occupation. The jury complacently recorded a verdict of ‘accidental death’, and the Menagerie went on its way. The tombstone in Coventry was however shortly to have another inscription added, for it was not to be long before the family took the decision that it would be appropriate if William was joined in his grave by what remained of the Lion Queen, Ellen Blight. 

It is said that George always feared such eventualities, and never hired another Lion Queen. Apparently though, the tiger responsible for her death remained on board, now advertised as the 'Tiger that killed the Lion Queen.' It had not taken so very long for Ellen Blight to make the smooth transition from memorial to marketing slogan.