Violent storm stampedes circus elephants (1861)

Post date: Mar 03, 2018 5:0:34 PM

Extract from a book called 'A Saunter through Kent with Pen and Pencil' by Charles Igglesden.

Another violent storm overwhelmed Wateringbury on June 5th, 1861, and an old inhabitant told me how on that day a circus was giving a performance in the Manor Farm meadow. Previously it started to parade the village when without any warning the thunderstorm came on. Rain fell in bucketsful, the wind blew a perfect hurricane, and hailstones cut off hop bine heads as clean as though they were cut with a knife. Chimney pots fell into the road, several trees in the park were uprooted, and amidst the din and the excitement the elephants in the procession stampeded. In their rush they upset goods standing in the front of shops, knocked down several people, fortunately without inflicting serious injuries and at last came to a standstill in the meadow where the tent had been erected. Needless to say, there was no tent standing upon the arrival of the elephants, and pieces of the canvas were collected from the adjacent fields. There was no performance of the circus that day!

As this is based on a verbal account by "an old inhabitant" published 40-50 years after events remembered took place, care should be exercised about this extract. A search of newspapers available on the British Newspapers archive (10 March 2018) could find no collaborating evidence.

That circuses visited Wateringbury is certain: in 1898 the school log records:

Nov 16^th: School closed in the afternoon on account of the visit of Julian’s circus to the village.

And in 1900 the school log records:

Oct 30^th: Gave schools a half holiday (afternoon) on account of visit of Circus. Admitted a boy boy named Beckett as a visitor for the week. He belongs to a travelling theatrical company.