Ellen Clara "Nellie" Boswell later Nellie Cattle (1858/9 – 21 May 1938) was a British equestrian performer.
Life
Boswell was born in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1858 or 1859. Her father, was a well known performer in Paris as an acrobatic clown.
He would perform upside down with his head on a pole as his trained animals performed around him. He died from a cerebral injury caused by his act in 1858.
She worked in
Hengler's Circus for 20 years.
She would perform on the back of a moving horse creating different characters. She would change costumes as the horse was moving and was known for performing the
The Sailor's Hornpipe The Sailor's Hornpipe (also known as The College Hornpipe and Jack's the Lad) is a traditional hornpipe melody and linked dance with origins in the Royal Navy.
History
The tune was first printed as the "College Hornpipe" in 1797 or 1798 by J. Dale ...
as if the ground was stationary.
Boswell continused to perform until 1892. She was interviewed at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1935. She died a widow at her home in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
on 1938.
Private life
She was the second wife of a circus clown named Frederick Isaac Cattle known as "Comic Cattle. They married on 30 October 1878.
Their children included William who climbed unsupported ladders in his act.
References
1850 births
1938 deaths
People from Paris
Equestrians
British circus performers
19th-century circus performers
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