The Last Wombwell

Before proceeding to the final closure of the menagerie, perhaps a short parenthesis should be opened for ‘Captain’ Frederick Wombwell, who was perhaps the last of the Wombwells to ply his trade in the menagerie. 

From CircusNoSpin

According to Dr Middlemiss, Fred was the grandson of Charles Wombwell, Emma’s older brother. He was born in 1877 in Essex and died in 1942 in Uxbridge, and started off in the business as a wagon boy for his grandfather, before taking over the lions, bears and wolves in the Bostock version of the menagerie. It seems he also almost became the final Wombwell menagerie victim. In an incident in Leicester in 1927, he was mauled by yet another lion named Wallace, but saved by the intervention of a concerned lioness. This is as reported. Fred saw out his days taking money as a fairground dodgems operator, a rather melancholic postscript for a man whom a contemporary paid tribute to with the following description: 

The most popular and best known trainer of my day was Captain Wombwell, who worked the lions for Mr E.H Bostock. He was a heavily built man, about 5ft. 8 in. in height, with fair hair, a long waxed moustache, and the largest hands I ever saw.

He was attired in a crimson plush jacket with gold braiding and frogs - evidently made before he became so stout, as it would not meet anywhere. It was emblazoned with many medals presented to him to record special deeds of valour - in the menagerie and not on the battlefield.

Armed only with a twisted willow whip stock and rawhide thong, he would climb slowly up the steps leading to the door of the cage. With his hands on the door-catch and his eye on the position of the animals, he would at the right moment open the door, and with extraordinary agility for such a heavy man, be inside with the door slammed behind him in a split second. Then the fun began.

The five big lions would start bounding round the 6ft-wide cage, with Wombwell unconcernedly standing in the centre. After the first mad rush round, the usual jumping and posing took place and then, to my mind, the most exciting moment arrived when the trainer had to leave the cage. Again, the exact moment had to be gauged for a hasty exit backwards, which was accompanied by a mad rush at the door by two or three of the lions.