Circus relations are a nightmare. help!

[hallega]

My grandfather was a trapeze artist and a contortionist! The circus moved all over the country and marriages/births/deaths were where you were at the time, so finding folks is a nightmare. they also either avoided census's or just not recorded.
I am having GREAT difficulty with my Great Grandfather/mother. They had a child in Manchester in 1852, he was called Andrew Durant, but I don't think that's his proper christian name because I can't find his birth or death details either. I can't find the marriage details of James Durant and Mary Ann Devine, they were both dead by 1872 when Andrew married in Glasgow Scotland, these details were taken from the marriage certificate. Although on this certificate Andrew was recorded as Durrne and his father as Durant!
I found Andrew on the Cornwall census when he was 19 as gymnast and also later when he married and had children in Northampton as equestrian in circus, the same occupation as his father on the 1872 marriage certificate.
I'd be so grateful if someone could throw a little light on this, I've been trying for the past 6/8 years on and off. Happy New year to one and all.

[Jan1954]

What-ho and welcome!

A couple of suggestions....

This website provides links to other places where you can search for circus ancestors. Have you tried them? the-abbotts-of-canterbury.com/Research%20Pages/fairground-and-circus.html (copy/paste into your browser)

Also, although this book is entitled My Ancestor Worked in the Theatre, (click the link) it also provides information about searching for circus ancestors.

[Waitabit]

Andrew married in Glasgow Scotland, these details were taken from the marriage certificate. Although on this certificate Andrew was recorded as Durrne and his father as Durant!

Might this have been in error for 'Divine' if used as 2nd Christian name as in these- which may be your Family? :

Andrew Duran
spouse: Carline Hazard
child: name: James Devine Duran - Male
birth date: 01 Jun 1873 - BRIDGETON,GLASGOW,LANARK,SCOTLAND
father's name: Andrew Duran
mother Carline Hazard
indexing project (batch) number: C11920-1
system origin: Scotland-ODM
source film number: 6035516

[Waitabit]

Just curious, was there a Helena born 1875 to Andrew & Caroline? i.e. transcribed as 'Lydia' in 1881. Looks like "Len'er" on image.
One such born: Mar 1875
Duran Helena
Gateshead 10a-906..name a little different again.

Also are you quite sure that James & Mary Ann were deceased by 1871? or just haven't found them. Mention of such on a marriage cert. is no guarantee of deaths. They may have ventured overseas for a new start.

[hallega]

WOW...thank you for looking. They are all mine, I always thought her name was Lena, but it might be Helena.
I'm only going on the marriage certificate re deceased, You can see how they moved around, every child had a different birth place, Idy Lilly was born in Scotland and Maud in Brighton. It's Andrew that I can't find a birth cert for and no death or marriage cert for James or Mary Ann. It's says on the Scottish marriage cert, Mary Ann Durant nee Devine deceased and James Durant equestrian deceased, later on they have got Andrews age incorrect on a census making him 3 years younger than his wife. I tried getting a cert from Manchester but there was no record of him. I would so like to get a little further with James and Mary Ann, it drives me nuts!

[Waitabit]

Nuts are nice, lots of them hereabouts.

1861 census Alice is not well written but looks like 'Alise'.
A member on Ancestry has corrected it.

There is a marriage between an Alice Dunford & either JOSEPH WILLIAMS or Oliver Davies Dec. 1867 Liverpool 8b-283

In 1871 a likely Family is at 15 Cozneau st. Joseph 24, Alice 23 Joseph 2 & Charlotte Williams 15 (sister)
RG10; Piece: 3755; Folio: 61; Page: 10 (Crown copywrite TNA)
Not found them later

Also a tree on Ancestry has Andrew as "James Andrew" may be some truth in that.
FreeBMD has a James Duran b.1853 Wigan.8c-24. may be unrelated.

I had a quick squiz on Scotlands People (no credits left) quite a few mentions for a James Duran/t but I was unable to view & take notes.

May be worth a trip through Ancestry trees to contact people who seem to have the same line as you.
There is also a Lady on Genes Reunited with Andrew/James b 1853 Manchester. Is it yours?

[REP1829]

My grandfather was a trapeze artist and a contortionist! The circus moved all over the country and marriages/births/deaths were where you were at the time, so finding folks is a nightmare. they also either avoided census's or just not recorded.
I am having GREAT difficulty with my Great Grandfather/mother. They had a child in Manchester in 1852, he was called Andrew Durant, but I don't think that's his proper christian name because I can't find his birth or death details either. I can't find the marriage details of James Durant and Mary Ann Devine, they were both dead by 1872 when Andrew married in Glasgow Scotland, these details were taken from the marriage certificate. Although on this certificate Andrew was recorded as Durrne and his father as Durant!
I found Andrew on the Cornwall census when he was 19 as gymnast and also later when he married and had children in Northampton as equestrian in circus, the same occupation as his father on the 1872 marriage certificate.
I'd be so grateful if someone could throw a little light on this, I've been trying for the past 6/8 years on and off. Happy New year to one and all.

I have a similar difficulty with my great uncles, Richard Edward, Thomas, and John Henry Poole. Their spouses, children and families were also itinerant performers, so I now have about 20 relations who were performers, each of whom seem to have had stage names as well as real names. They sometimes used their stage names on official documents such as marriage certificates and censuses. I'm now trying to follow their careers by searching contemporary newspapers, such as The Stage and The Era. They sometimes included little snippets of information, such as addresses when the performers placed ads looking for work, or real names when people died, gave birth, or got married. I found one relation's real name by seeing in the newspaper who was listed as a "Music Hall Artiste" in the town where I knew where they were on census day. Good luck!

[cdrinkhall]

Has any one researching Circus act's ever come across Princess Dot ?