Part Ten: The Tapes

During my research to find something Chapman related, a clue that would point towards more certainty that the man is actually related. Dreaming big.

One of my emails came back with a promising reply from the British Library. There were ten tapes recording an interview with a Louise Fossett, which included her memories of being in various circuses with her family. One of which was Chapman.
Going through the list, there were three tapes that had Chapman mentions.

I made a note of them and kept the note relatively safe. It is a fact universally acknowledged that the British Library is in Britain, specifically London. A full seventeen hours worth of flying time from my current location.

Thankfully a recent trip included London and was able to pay a trip to this library. Here I must thank the staff there for their patience, they have a specific way of patrons accessing their information and I was a complete novice.

(For those who are wondering, you have to bring sufficient identification to apply for a readers pass, then you have to make an appointment with the relevant department.)

Listening to them in Carrel No. 2, (nope, not a made up word) - I made notes whenever Chapman was mentioned, which was satisfyingly often.

Mrs Fossett tells of the "wonderful Mr Chapman." In her words, "the animal man" was an importer of exotic animals. He had a shop on 17 Tottenham Court Road and later moved to number 24. This second address was like an arcade. (I went to both addresses a little later, the first is now home to the local Boots branch and the second, not much at all) There was also the Tannerfield Stud Farm in Cheshunt, she mentions 200 tortoises in the fields.

 After the circus the family was with ended, Mrs Fossett's father was charged with "putting up the first Chapman circus, in 1928." Mr Chapman knew nothing about circuses apparently.

When Mrs Fossett's father passed not long after, Mr Chapman helped the family, sent them 2 pounds a week and employed Mrs Fossett and her siblings. She tells of selling programs and taking money at the ticket office. Fifteen shillings a week. There was a bus specifically for the circus artists to take them from the store back to the farm.

"Mr Chapman was always around the world, buying animals and exporting wild beasts to different shows."

When she was older, she and her sisters were working and living in London with the Circus. She speaks of a "Mrs Chapman" who was very friendly, bought her and her sisters costumes, anything they wanted to "glamourise the circus".

When Mr Chapman passed (I'm thinking it was sooner, maybe when the trial happened) they found out that the woman who they thought was Mrs Chapman wasn't, his actual wife and daughter were in Birmingham. They had had no idea of his unique situation.

Considering the timing, I'm quite certain that this "Mrs Chapman" in London, was in fact Miss Helen Edwards.

All in all, well worth the time and effort. Thanks again to the British Library and the staff there.