Boswell Circus in South Africa

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Boswell Circus
Type	circus
Founded	1882
Closed down	1963
Country	South Africa
Related persons
Owner	-1942: Jim Boswell 1882-1963: James Clements Boswell II

Directors
-1911: Harry Boswell : Jack Boswell : Stanley Boswell


Assistant Directors	: Louisa Powell

Performers & Artists
-: Rebecca Boswell

Zoological department
Elephant department
Record history
History of updates	2026-02-26:

Latest document update	2026-02-26 08:56:52

Description

Boswell Circus, circus South Africa , was founded in 1882. Boswell Circus closed down in 1963.

Comments / picturesEquestrian James Boswell was a clown, horseman and equilibrist who died 1859.
His eldest son, James Clements Boswell, established his own circus - "Boswell\'s Circus".
James children came to South Africa in 1911 to join Fillis Circus, but Fillis' Circus closed down within some months.
1916: The circus became known as the Boswell Brothers' Circus and Menagerie, later directed by two brothers Sydney and Walter Boswell, with their nephew Stanley Boswell.
1921: The first Asian elephant was bought in 1921 from Frank Willison, an American who ran a circus in Madagascar. She was a cow called Molly, who arrived in Durban by ship together with a bear.
1963: Merge with Boswell Circus, as Boswell-Wilkies Circus, with none of the Boswell family present on the circus.

Stanley Boswells son, Brian Boswell, later (1982) started his own circus Brian Boswells Circus.

References for records about Boswell Circus

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2026). Boswell Circus, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=2445. (archived at the Wayback machine)

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