Description: John Sanger's circus travelled under the name 'John Sanger and Sons'. He married Elizabeth Atkins and they had several children, including John (1853-1929) who called himself 'Lord' John Sanger. Also travelling the country was John's brother George's circus, called 'George Sanger and Daughters'. It is calculated that in a nine months season it visited over two hundred towns, giving two shows a day, every day except Sunday. Their road train between sites was said to be two miles long and had (according to another proprietor Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake) 'at least ten wagons to carry the tent and seating, a lamp wagon, eight or ten living carriages, a foal wagon, ten wild beast wagons full of lions, tigers, bears and others, a harness wagon, a portable blacksmith's forge, property wagons, wardrobe and dressing wagons, a band carriage and at least six great tableau cars for the parade'. No wonder that the arrival of the circus meant that classrooms were depleted of schoolchildren - or the school was closed for the day in acknowledgement that there would be many truants - and townsfolk lined the streets to see the free show, before rushing to buy tickets for the performances.