Grandfather Richard Chipperfield retired in 1939 and moved his wagon to the field behind the Royal Oak at Great Wishford near Salisbury. He was based here until his death in 1959 and he, and most of the rest of our family, are buried in the little cemetery about 200m from where this picture was taken.

Henry Chipperfield 1880/1954 (younger brother to my grandfather Richard Chipperfield 1875/1859) used Burrell 2281 "Queen of the Midlands" for his Switchbacks when his father, James Francis Chipperfield, ceased to travel.

James Chittock

James Chittock's father was an apprentice baker in Norwich, but at 18 left to become an animal trainer with George Wombwell's Menagerie, with whom he spent the next 20 years. When the show was dispersed he began on his own with performing canaries, hares and ponies. James was born in 1841 and brought up in the business. Father and son were animal trainers par excellence. When old enough, James left his family, married, and travelled his own show. In "TheShowman" he was described as being from one of the "oldest and most representative families of the aristocracy of the road." His first show featured his famous troupe of performing dogs and monkeys, considered the best travelling. It opened at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, each winter for over 30 years, and rarely travelled far from the London area. On seeing the success Randall Williams was having with his Cinematograph at the World's Fair in 1896, James Chittock invested £500 and began to show moving pictures using a projector acquired from R.W. Paul, his first show being at a fair in Birmingham in 1897. He claimed that so popular was the new enterprise that he netted, in coppers, £40 a day.

The films were offered as an additional draw to the live performances, and the show became known as the "Queen Cinematograph". Comprising two 12ft living wagons, with scenery making a show-front 36ft in total. A barrel organ stood on the stage,but he also had a bandwagon on which it could be transported. Inside was a 15ft back stage wagon, and the shuttered booth, containing galleries and seats,was 70ft in depth and seated about 500 people.The men's living van was fitted to carry shutters, gallery, seats, etc. Advertisements assured people that no indecent pictures were exhibited at this establishment, and that parents could safely take their children. As well as the films, which at the Agricultural Hall in January 1898 included popular scenes of the Jubilee Procession, there were still performances of trained dogs and monkeys.

The Era reported in 1899 that "Chittock's dogs and monkeys, admirably trained, very docile, active and obedient, add their performances to the main attraction to Chittock's tent - the excellent Cinematograph which the proprietor makes the strong point of his exhibition." The following year a report from the same source explained that the show relied "on the prevailing military feeling."

The Boer War was certainly sustaining interest in the cinematograph show. Later it was billed as the "Empire of Varieties" when magicians, jugglers, clowns, ventriloquists and singers interchanged with a cinematograph exhibition said to be of instructive and amusing pictures. By now it toured only the southern counties, paying an annual visit to the World's Fair in the Agricultural Hall at Christmas. "I never take big jumps, nowadays, like the old-time showmen," Mr. Chittock explained in an interview in 1902. Amongst the reasons for this were the competition and high ground rents charged for shows. Leicester, for example, wanted £20, whereas twenty years before they charged nothing. Members of the family paraded on the front stage, giving a clever display of buffoonery and artistic dancing, while Mr. Chittock, with his waxed and pointed moustache and his portly figure, beat a large drum loudly to entice the public.

"A typical specimen of a grand old school of British showmen is Mr. James Chittock," wrote The Showman in 1909, "still in active work and with no intention as yet of retiring from the field of his endeavours."

His second marriage was to Sophia, James Francis Chipperfield's daughter, who was 27 years younger than himself. She was an able equestrian and juggler. Tom Norman was instructed to sell the Bioscope Show, and originally the auction was due to take place at his premises in East Croydon on 26th July 1910, however it was withdrawn from the sale at the last moment and offered for sale by private treaty shortly afterwards, although presumably it was not sold as there is a reference to theshow loads being involvement in a road accident in June 1911.

When James died in February 1912 the family were left in distress and William Irvin launched an appeal for help from fellow showmen to help them continue with the show.

Hull Fair

My GGGrandmother, Elizabeth Jones (wife of James William Chipperfield 1824/1913) died here on 11 Oct 1856 and is buried in a cemetery somewhere near the site of the fair

Andrew PURCHASE (3rd). brother of Captain Tom Purchase - Of waxworks and menagerie fame. Was with his father's waxworks show. As a young man set up a side-show of a performing seal, then added a giant horse. After the death of his father, he inherited the waxworks and toured this for some time. Gradually he introduced wild animals, making a waxworks and menagerie. In the meantime he had married and his sons became animal trainers, under the names Capt. Beaumont and Prof. Williams. Died 28th February 1942, 74 years of age.

Purchase Menagerie St Giles Oxford 1895

Burrell 2281 "Queen of the Midlands" on the road around 1909

Burrell 2281 "Queen of the Midlands" outside the my Great Grandfather James Francis Chipperfield's Electrograph ........ one of the first travelling cinemas.

Rose Chipperfield

Chipperfields before 1945 – mit Dick Chipperfield, Paige Coles, Grace Purchase, Rosie Chipperfield (nee Purchase), Marjorie Chipperfield und Richard Chipperfield Snr.

Same show in 1937, My Mum on the globe, Granddad has the trombone out, Rosie and Grace Purchase stood behind – mit Grace Purchase, Rosie Chipperfield (nee Purchase), Marjorie Chipperfield und Richard Chipperfield Snr.

Grandfather Richard Chipperfield out the front of the show, "Telling the tale" and trying to get their 6d off them. I just love the look on the face of the kid in front of him ..... Granddad could always tell a good tale

1937 Chipperfields

Far left man in uniform is Tommy Allen (husband of Sonia Allen ex-Chapman’s) Centre lady in costume is 'Lady of the Lions' Sonia Allen. Young lady next to her is Betty Allen, daughter (who did the trapeze that you can see, rigged)

Far right, holding the 6d sign is my Grandfather Richard Chipperfield (1875/1959).

1937 - My Mum, Marjorie Chipperfield (1916/1975) aged 20 in this picture. Her eldest brother, Dick Chipperfield (1905/19880 is behind her on the microphone. – mit Marjorie Chipperfield und Dick Chipperfield.

St Giles, Oxford ? – mit Marjorie Chipperfield.

Mum on the globe again, Granddad and Uncle Dick behind her. – mit Richard Chipperfield Snr, Marjorie Chipperfield und Dick Chipperfield.

Mum in 1938 – mit Marjorie Chipperfield.

Here is my Mum, Marjorie Chipperfield, again. From the tent, I think this may be around 1938 ? So that would mean that the boy on the horse is Jim (James William Chipperfield) - the ill-fated first son of Jimmy & Rosie Chipperfield who tragically died of tetanus in 1942.

Wartime picture of Mum and Aunty Rosie. Rose Purchase eloped with my Uncle Jimmy Chipperfield and got married in Plymouth in July 1934. Here Rosie is wearing Uncle Jim's pilot's uniform whilst Mum has my Dad's W/Officer jacket and cap on. Uncle Jim was the pilot, my Dad was his navigator on Mosquito aircraft in 85 squadron RAF.

Mum and Dad got married 15 December 1945. I'm guessing this picture may have been taken in the summer of 1945 before they got married.

Left is Mum, seated is Uncle Jimmy Chipperfield. My Dad, Jimmy Stockley, is looking over Uncle Jim's shoulder whilst Aunty Rosie (nee Purchase) is on the right.