Genealogy Chat

I have now tracked down various sourced online trees for Henry/Harry Fossett. It seems the photo on the website pointed to by greyghost is of Harry's father. Thank you all for your help. Whilst the family is not apparently related to me in any way, I'm fascinated by oddball things on census data like this

I’m on my iPad so ca’t post the link but the University of Sheffield has the National Fairground and circus archive.

Thanks all, I've found a Hertfordshire police report from 1917 which indicates that Harry was operating a circus under the name Hannaford's Circus. Searching under Harry rather than Henry brought this up.

1939 Register
Fossett's Circus Caravan Hopping Hill Harlestone Road,Duston, Northampton, Northampton R.D., Northamptonshire, England

Henry (Harry) Fossett 03 Jan 1882 Male Variety Artist Married 248 1
Blodwen Fossett 28 Dec 1882 Female Variety Artist Married 248 2
Harry Fossett 22 May 1913 Male Variety Artist Single 248 3
Robert Fossett 22 Dec 1919 Male Variety Artist Single 248 4
Arthur Lee 24 Mar 1913 Male Variety Artists Apprentice Single 248 5

https://www.fossettscircus.com/our-story/

I see the website greyghost provided the link to actually has reference to several generations of Harry Fossett's. Haven't read the site fully yet, but the inference seems to be that they family had the one circus, so whether one of them went his own way at some point is unclear.

Also here - a brief mention at end of 3rd para - scroll down to 3rd article initially

http://www.classic.circushistory.org/Bandwagon/bw-1960Jul.htm

Births Mar 1920 (>99%)
Fossett Robert Roberts Plymouth 5b 540

Births Sep 1913 (>99%)
Fossett Harry Roberts Sculcoates 9d 485


Marriages Mar 1906 (>99%)
FOSSETT Henry Wolverhampton 6b 754
Roberts Margaret B Wolverhampton 6b 754


Births Mar 1886 (>99%)
ROBERTS Margaret Blodwin St Asaph 11b 299

Interesting, Leadenham is where my 2x Great Grandfather lived. I would have thought the circus would have been "on tour" in June when the 1921 census took place and that the troupe would have been residing in their caravans/trailers or whatever you like to call them.

Also interesting that the Fossett's include Robert b 1920, I have seen references to a later Robert Fossett's circus.

Fossetts, jointly owned by brothers Robert and Edward, is Ireland's most famous circus. One of Ireland's oldest companies, the 128-year-old firm went into the examinership restructuring process last year amid mounting debts. This was 2015

They renamed themselves as Fossetts brothers circus in 1960

Mention of a "Harry" here with a Family tree and a picture of him

https://www.sandowsafe.co.uk/2017/01/27/history-of-the-sir-robert-fossett-circus-family3116/

The circus was founded in Ireland and is still in operation.

Fossets circus was stil around in the 40/50,s

We used to go to see them on Blackheath London every year

It was a touring circus

There's a Henry Fossett born 1878 on 1921 in Leadenham

Blodwen
Fossett
1889
Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales
New Sleaford, Welbourn, Leadenham
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
Harriet
Fossett
1856
—
New Sleaford, Welbourn, Leadenham
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
Henry
Fossett
1878
Leeds, Yorkshire, England
New Sleaford, Welbourn, Leadenham
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
Henry
Fossett
1913
Hull, Yorkshire, England
New Sleaford, Welbourn, Leadenham
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
Robert
Fossett
1920
Plymouth, Devon, England
New Sleaford, Welbourn, Leadenham
Sleaford
Lincolnshire

Must admit I haven't looked for anything on the 2 visitors. But your suggestion has made me think about looking for Henry Fossett on census and other data.

If you can't find anything by googling, there probably isn't any info online

Have you looked for the two names in 'search all member trees'?

Does anyone know anything about Henry Fossett's Circus? For some reason 2 of their troupe appear on the 1921 census schedule with my 2x Great Grandfather as visitors. He lived near Lincoln at the time. I can find references to Richard Fossett's circus, but not Henry.