'You Sir, might own the only live elephant at this fayre, but I owns the only dead'un. Now, a live elephant is not a great rarity, but the chance of seeing a dead'un, comes only once now and again!'

Geo. Wombwell to Atkins, his adversary at Bartholomew Fair, 1836.


Born at Wendon Lofts, Essex in 1777, George Wombwell moved to London in 1800 and opened a cordwainer's shop in Soho in 1804. His life took an unexpected turn when he heard that some extremely large snakes had been found in a ship at the docks. Buying the two boa constrictors for seventy guineas, George recouped his outlay in a mere three weeks by exhibiting them in local public houses and, spurred by success, he started to aquire more exotic creatures. In 1810, he founded Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie and set off to tour the land with his collection. In subsequent years, Wombwell bred the first lion to be born in Britian; naming him Wallace after William Wallace the Scottish patriot, and he came to national attention with the infamous 'Lion Fight' in Warwick.

As a publicity stunt, Wombwell advertised that he intended to test his lion's fighting abilities in a match against bull mastiffs. Two relays of three dogs were to fight Nero, Wombwell's pet lion who was know for his docility. The lion refused to fight and Wallace was brought into the fray, inflicting such injuries on the dogs that the fight was soon abandoned.


In following years Wombwell's menagerie became the largest and most popular show in the country and included amongst its animals, Bengal tigers, elephants, zebras, pumas and polar bears; and "the real unicorn of scripture" - a rhinoceros.

As the show grew, word of Wombwell's husbandry skills reached the ears of Prince Albert, who's harriers were suffering a great mortality. Summoned to the palace, George took one look at his majesty's hounds and without hesitation, he pronounced that the water they drank had affected their healths. Prince Albert had the water changed, the deaths ceased and he in gratitude inquired in what way he could be of service to Mr. Wombwell. George replied, "What can you give a man who has everythink".A year later, when Queen Victoria demanded that George exhibit his 'Elephant of Siam' at Windsor, Albert was waiting with a gift for "The man who has everythink": A brand spanking new oak coffin. George thanked Albert heartily and proudly exhibited the coffin as part of the menagerie, charging an extra admission fee to all who queued to see it.
On his death in 1850, Wombwell's obituary in The Times stated:

"No one probably has done so much to forward pratically the study of natural history amongst the masses"


Hear the exciting story of

'GEORGE AND THE LION'

Episode VI of The Sexton's Tales.