Part Eight: Ada Mary Chapman

Over the last couple of days, I have uncovered much information, about Miss Ada Mary Chapman, George Bruce Chapman's younger sister.

Information that has shed new light on what I already knew. Born in 1888, she achieved as much acclaim as her brother after his passing in 1935, when she took up the reins of the business, expanding it and keeping it just as successful.

This portrait was taken in 1936 and was signed by Miss Chapman herself.

And this information was on the back: 

ADA CHAPMAN FOR CHAPMANS (B'HAM) LTD PRESENTS THE BINGLEY HALL BIRMINGHAM XMAS CIRCUS DAILY UNTIL JAN 9^TH

(This photo was sourced from this website: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/postcard-ada-chapman-signed-245794435)

This article, published in the Nottingham Journal on the 9th of January, 1937, tells of her determination to keep the family business going.

This next article details on how much she was involved, travelling far and wide to source new attractions:

There were many articles published, the ones that I have found, the majority were from 1939, before war was declared in September that year. Many advertisements about the circus coming to town, a couple of articles about Miss Chapman bring the delights of the circus to ex-servicemen and on occasion to a children's hospital.

All very impressive.

My favourite article, published in the Birmingham Daily Gazette (Birmingham seemed to adopt her as a favoured citizen - despite her Northampton roots), describes my (possible) great aunt as a "...woman of outstanding character - the brains and the sole directing influence over a great show business..."

Then in March 1940, the circus was sold. Britain was suffering through the war and a circus could not be maintained while London was being bombed.

This article, published in the Daily Herald on the 13th of March, 1940, details the events.

Today, I found a photo of Miss Chapman at that auction. (This photo was sourced from this website: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1940-press-photo-ada-chapman-circus-1807869386)

This card was on the back of the photo:

And the photo itself:

After the circus was sold, (here I reference an article on the Birmingham Post website, published more recently - the 6th of November 2009 written by Richard McComb:

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/lifestyle/memories-of-blitz-britain-3937012)

Miss Chapman moved to Suckley, just north of Cradley, where Winnie (then 12, interviewed in this article when she was 82) lived with her family. 

"Dorothy, Winnie’s mother, cleaned and cooked for Miss Chapman and also fed the animals, which were kept in cages in the orchards. Her daughter was introduced to the circus owner and the two hit it off.

Winnie, who was 12 or 13, recalls: “Miss Chapman took a shine to me because I was a good listener. She used to tell me about her father and his big game hunting abroad. It was fascinating for me because I lived in the back of beyond.”

The girl would be ferried about in the wealthy entertainer’s black Rolls-Royce. At night, they would listened to Lord Haw-Haw’s broadcasts on Miss Chapman’s state-of-the-art wireless and the older woman would captivate her young companion with tales of her overseas’ exploits.

Winne says: “The furthest I had been was Birmingham. It was something to hear about what she had done and where she had been. She told me she was the first white woman to sail up the Amazon River. I always had my supper with her. I would have a cracker biscuit and a bit of cheese. She would always get rations from somewhere. I guess it was money that talked.”"

Then, Miss Chapman moved with her animals to Tack Farm, near Bromyard, Herefordshire.

This article, published in the Daily Mirror, on the 29th of July, 1940 describes it. The girl, Valeska mentioned is Valeska Germains, her brother Roberto also worked in the circus.

This article was published in Australia, in the New South Wales publication, the Barrier Miner.

6th February 1940.

The last article I found her in, was about Don Ross's circus in 1946. Published on the 20th of June in The Stage (a publication which has mentioned Chapman circus a few times before). 

Miss Chapman is one of the those who signed, as were Roberto and Valeska Germains.

A bit more research found that Miss Chapman passed away in 1967, in Bromyard, Herefordshire, still with her farm I suppose.

Tack Farm is now an equestrian centre.