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My great uncle Walter Manton Partington trained circus lions. His circus name was Retlaw. He was apparently the only trainer to have a licence in northern England in the early to mid 1900's. Under what jurisdiction would a licence come from?

I have contacted the organizations below, who have responded quickly, but to no avail.

  • circusfolk.freeservers.com
  • RSPCA.
  • National Fairground and Circus Archive
  • Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
  • Lancashire archives (where he was living and perhaps housing the animals)
  • knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk.

I'm slowly contacting each UK county archive asking if they have a record of him applying for a license under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 - applications, 1926 - 1946 [G935/1].

PolyGeo
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Maggie Speak
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  • https://genealogy.stackexchange.com/q/2999/6485 may give you some pointers –  Feb 24 '18 at 17:36
  • 'I have not found an answer to this question, but it might be worthwhile to consider contacting this site and asking them for help and advise in this instance if, you have not already done so and help in general in following up on these families' http://circusfolk.freeservers.com – sean007 Feb 24 '18 at 17:33
  • I might try the RSPCA. – Maggie Speak Feb 25 '18 at 08:34
  • It's probably worth contacting the National Fairground and Circus Archive. – AndyW Feb 26 '18 at 09:31
  • AndyW I got no response from them when contacted last year. I'm waiting for a response from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs which the RSPCA suggested. – Maggie Speak Feb 28 '18 at 00:18
  • This may be the single most unique question I have ever seen on the Genealogy SE. And very interesting, too. – Jack Apr 05 '18 at 00:37
  • Lancashire archives could not help but suggested I contact "Knowlsey Safari Park https://www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk/. The Safari Park itself dates only from the mid-1970s but the associated Knowlsey Hall held a menagerie long prior to that, and it is just possible they may have thoughts on other avenues you might pursue." I have not yet heard back from them. – Maggie Speak Apr 06 '18 at 01:24
  • I did try the National Fairground and Circus Archive again, who did respond this time, but could not help. – Maggie Speak Apr 06 '18 at 01:27
  • Knowlsey Safari Park responded saying "Unfortunately the governing bodies in situ today did not exist at the times to which you are referring so we are unable to assist you on this occasion" But I know there was legislation. I'm slowly contacting each UK county archive asking if they have a record of him applying for a license under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 - applications, 1926 - 1946 [G935/1] – Maggie Speak Apr 09 '18 at 04:58
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    I think you should [edit] your question to include all the additional information that risks being buried in comments. – PolyGeo May 03 '18 at 12:34

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