Circus clown 'Whimsical' Walker 1851 - 1934
Thomas Henry Dawson Walker was born on 21st. July 1851 at the March of Intellect pub in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. His mother was the pub landlady and his father was an advance foreman for Cook’s Circus.
Thomas started his performing career at an early age and by the time he was eight years old he was already performing with Pablo Fanque’s Circus. He would become a multitalented performer, trained in equestrianism, tumbling, ropewalking and clowning, but became most famous for his clowning and as a pantomime actor. His slapstick humour was very popular, particularly with children.
In 1874, he was engaged by Charles Hengler to appear at his circus in London, where he was christened 'Whimsical Walker'.
Over the course of his career, Whimsical became one of the most famous clowns of his time both in the UK and internationally. He travelled around the world three times and visited America 16 times, firstly in 1874 when he joined the John Murray Railroad Circus. He later he toured with Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, and in 1887, while with Barnum’s, he purchased an elephant for £2,000 from the London Zoo, which became known as Jumbo.
The elephants fee was more than paid back in just a few performances.
In 1882, Whimsical opened a theatre of his own, the Metropolitan Alcazar Theatre in New York, and put on a profitable pantomime presentation of W.S. Gilbert’s The Three Wishes, becoming the only person to put on a successful English pantomime in America during this period. But misfortune struck when the defective top gallery dropped slightly when filled with people and a stampede followed. Actions for damages caused bankruptcy, reducing Whimsical to the clothes he wore and a few dollars. He had to borrow money to return to Liverpool, where he was engaged by Hengler’s Circus.
In 1886, Whimsical was commanded to appear at the first Royal Command Performance, staged before Queen Victoria in the riding school at Windsor Castle. After the show Victoria presented him with a diamond tie pin. .
He performed by Royal command on several occasions during his career, his last performance before royalty was for the first visit to a circus of Princess Elizabeth in 1934.
King Edward, then the Prince of Wales, once called upon Whimsical to organise a cricket match with children in which the Prince and Dr. W. G. Grace both played.
Walker has been described as the most versatile clown of his day. He had a great talent for training animals, among them a donkey, which once escaped from a circus procession in Hull and walked into a hotel bedroom and lay down on a bed, thoroughly scaring a chambermaid. In 1880 he performed his singing donkey act before Queen Victoria at Windsor.
One of the animals which he loved most was his dog, Whimmy, who performed with him at Olympia.
From 1898 to 1929 Whimsical appeared as the Harlequinade Clown in the Forty Thieves pantomime at the Theatre Royal in London, and from 1921 until his death he performed every year in the Olympia Christmas Circus in London. He also stared in the silent films The Knut and the Kernel (1915), The Starting Point (1919), and The Fordington Twins (1920). Such was his enthusiasm for his job that he once travelled by sea to Sydney, Australia and back, in order to be the clown for five nights and two matinees.
In 1910, Whimsical married his wife, whom he had met when they were both appearing in a comic sketch in Southend. After their wedding they lived in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, and Whimsical took over the site of Peggotty’s Hut on Brush Quay and expanded it into a rifle range. Little is known of his life between 1910 and 1934. In the early 1930’s he moved from Brush Wharf in Gorleston to a new council house at 42 Suffolk Road, in the area of Southtown. His spare time was devoted to shrimping and it was reported that he kept a number of cats for company. Two years before his death he underwent a serious operation on his throat.
A few days after he was planning to appear once again at the Olympia Christmas Circus, Whimsical Walker died on 10th. November 1934, aged 83, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Gorleston Old Cemetery.
On Tuesday 10th. May 2022, the Gorleston-on-Sea Heritage Group (GOSH) unveiling a blue plaque to mark the gravesite. Philip Breen, known as 'Whimmie The Clown, who is Whimsical Walker’s great grandson, attended wearing his clown makeup and costume.
Whimsical, who was very proud of having had his portrait painted by Dame Laura Knight and which was hung in the Royal Academy, said,
"The finest thing in the world for any young boy is the circus business, you get fresh air, you get up early in the morning, you get plenty of exercise, and it teaches you what the world is".
Circus clown 'Whimsical' Walker 1851 - 1934
Thomas Henry Dawson Walker was born on 21st. July 1851 at the March of Intellect pub in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. His mother was the pub landlady and his father was an advance foreman for Cook’s Circus.
Thomas started his performing career at an early age and by the time he was eight years old he was already performing with Pablo Fanque’s Circus. He would become a multitalented performer, trained in equestrianism, tumbling, ropewalking and clowning, but became most famous for his clowning and as a pantomime actor. His slapstick humour was very popular, particularly with children.
In 1874, he was engaged by Charles Hengler to appear at his circus in London, where he was christened 'Whimsical Walker'.
Over the course of his career, Whimsical became one of the most famous clowns of his time both in the UK and internationally. He travelled around the world three times and visited America 16 times, firstly in 1874 when he joined the John Murray Railroad Circus. He later he toured with Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, and in 1887, while with Barnum’s, he purchased an elephant for £2,000 from the London Zoo, which became known as Jumbo.
The elephants fee was more than paid back in just a few performances.
In 1882, Whimsical opened a theatre of his own, the Metropolitan Alcazar Theatre in New York, and put on a profitable pantomime presentation of W.S. Gilbert’s The Three Wishes, becoming the only person to put on a successful English pantomime in America during this period. But misfortune struck when the defective top gallery dropped slightly when filled with people and a stampede followed. Actions for damages caused bankruptcy, reducing Whimsical to the clothes he wore and a few dollars. He had to borrow money to return to Liverpool, where he was engaged by Hengler’s Circus.
In 1886, Whimsical was commanded to appear at the first Royal Command Performance, staged before Queen Victoria in the riding school at Windsor Castle. After the show Victoria presented him with a diamond tie pin. .
He performed by Royal command on several occasions during his career, his last performance before royalty was for the first visit to a circus of Princess Elizabeth in 1934.
King Edward, then the Prince of Wales, once called upon Whimsical to organise a cricket match with children in which the Prince and Dr. W. G. Grace both played.
Walker has been described as the most versatile clown of his day. He had a great talent for training animals, among them a donkey, which once escaped from a circus procession in Hull and walked into a hotel bedroom and lay down on a bed, thoroughly scaring a chambermaid. In 1880 he performed his singing donkey act before Queen Victoria at Windsor.
One of the animals which he loved most was his dog, Whimmy, who performed with him at Olympia.
From 1898 to 1929 Whimsical appeared as the Harlequinade Clown in the Forty Thieves pantomime at the Theatre Royal in London, and from 1921 until his death he performed every year in the Olympia Christmas Circus in London. He also stared in the silent films The Knut and the Kernel (1915), The Starting Point (1919), and The Fordington Twins (1920). Such was his enthusiasm for his job that he once travelled by sea to Sydney, Australia and back, in order to be the clown for five nights and two matinees.
In 1910, Whimsical married his wife, whom he had met when they were both appearing in a comic sketch in Southend. After their wedding they lived in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, and Whimsical took over the site of Peggotty’s Hut on Brush Quay and expanded it into a rifle range. Little is known of his life between 1910 and 1934. In the early 1930’s he moved from Brush Wharf in Gorleston to a new council house at 42 Suffolk Road, in the area of Southtown. His spare time was devoted to shrimping and it was reported that he kept a number of cats for company. Two years before his death he underwent a serious operation on his throat.
A few days after he was planning to appear once again at the Olympia Christmas Circus, Whimsical Walker died on 10th. November 1934, aged 83, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Gorleston Old Cemetery.
On Tuesday 10th. May 2022, the Gorleston-on-Sea Heritage Group (GOSH) unveiling a blue plaque to mark the gravesite. Philip Breen, known as 'Whimmie The Clown, who is Whimsical Walker’s great grandson, attended wearing his clown makeup and costume.
Whimsical, who was very proud of having had his portrait painted by Dame Laura Knight and which was hung in the Royal Academy, said,
"The finest thing in the world for any young boy is the circus business, you get fresh air, you get up early in the morning, you get plenty of exercise, and it teaches you what the world is".