Nellie Boswell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1858 or 1859 Paris, France |
| Died | 21 May 1938 Blackpool, England |
| Nationality | British |
Ellen Clara "Nellie" Boswell later Nellie Cattle (1858/9 – 21 May 1938) was a British equestrian performer.
Life
Boswell was born in Paris in 1858 or 1859. Her father, James Clement Boswell was a well known performer in Paris as an acrobatic clown.[1] He would perform upside down with his head on a pole as his trained animals performed around him. He died from a cerebral injury caused by his act in 1858.[2]
She worked in Hengler's Circus for 20 years.[3] She would perform on the back of a moving horse creating different characters. She would change costumes as the horse was moving and was known for performing The Sailor's Hornpipe as if the ground was stationary.[1]
Boswell continused to perform until 1892. She was interviewed at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1935. She died a widow at her home in Blackpool on 1938.[1]
Private life
She was the second wife of a circus clown named Frederick Isaac Cattle known as "Comic Cattle. They married on 30 October 1878.[1] Their children included William who climbed unsupported ladders in his act.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Turner, John M. (23 September 2004). "Boswell [married name Cattle], Nellie [Ellen Clara] (1858/9–1938), equestrian performer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1 (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53838. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ↑ "Boswell, James Clement su Enciclopedia | Sapere.it". www.sapere.it (in Italian). Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ↑ "The Boswells: The Story of a South African Circus". studylib.net. Retrieved 23 January 2023.