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Clown Bluey's History of Clowns: Circus: The invention of the Circus, although attributed to a one-time English calvary soldier called Philip Astley, is rather tenuous. For example, ancient Roman gladiators fought in Roman amphitheatres as long ago as 186 B.C. whilst the Roman Circus (although not connected to modern circus in any way) was in existence during the same period. The Roman Circus was an oblong building with semicircular ends allowing chariot races with seating all around for up to 150,000 spectators! Astley was the first, however, to realise that a 42 mtr circumference ring was the absolute measurement required for a horse to canter around allowing the rider to perform tricks. His first wooden amphitheatre was opened in Pennyhatch, Lambeth, South London in 1768 (although John S Clarke maintains in his 1936 book "Circus Parade" that it was 1780). Within a year it had burnt down and Astley built another at a timber yard in Westminster Bridge Road near the present site of Waterloo Station. He soon found that the public needed variety and thus the first circus clowns were employed. They were usually called Mr Merryman and "sent up" the riders and other performers. |
![Clown Bluey's History of Clowns: Circus. Philip Astley's Circus Amphitheatre - how it looked in 1812. [Mary Evans Picture Library]](http://www.clownbluey.co.uk/albums/Clown-Blueys-History-of-Clowns-images/Astley_s_Circus_Amphitheatre.jpg "Clown Bluey's History of Clowns: Circus. Philip Astley's Circus Amphitheatre - how it looked in 1812. [Mary Evans Picture Library]")