James Clements Boswell II

Jockey act and character act rider. Born c1853, at Lambeth, Surrey. Later a circus proprietor.
Brother of Nellie Boswell (Mrs Cattle). Jimmy Boswell married the equestrienne Louisa Powell (born 1858, at Edinburgh, Scotland, daughter of James Powell), in 1879. Father of James, Alfred, Sidney, Rebecca (born c1880, in Germany, who married George Lockhart) and Doretta.

Proprietor of Boswell's Circus by 1883, in Blackpool, going to Whitehaven, Carlisle, etc. For a number of years had a wooden circus building at Oxford, with seasons commencing there on 24th April 1889, for seventeen weeks, 5th April 1890, for a short season, 20th July 1891, for fifteen weeks, and in 1893. After this he ran a show at Swindon, with his eldest son James. Later ran the Boswell Stage Circus, managed by son James. The family then went to South Africa, where they remained for many years, with a circus and menagerie combined. 'Victorian Arena; the Performers', Dr John Turner volume 1 (Lingdales, 1995)