Thomas Taplin Cooke | |
|---|---|
 Grave of the Cooke family at Kensal Green | |
| Born | Thomas Taplin Cooke 1782 |
| Died | 1866 |
| Resting place | Kensal Green Cemetery |
| Occupation | Showman |
Thomas Taplin Cooke (1782–1866) [1] was an eminent English showman, born in Warwick, who toured in America as well as his own country. In 1997 Cooke was inducted into the Circus Hall of Fame. [2]
Cooke was said to have had between thirteen and nineteen children who were mostly circus performers including William Cooke. He and his wife, Mary Anne, [1] had a daughter Rebecca who married James Clements Boswell and their daughter was the equestrian performer Nellie Boswell. [3] Another daughter, Mary Anne (1819-1897), married clown and contortionist William H. Cole; with their son, William Washington "Chilly Billy" Cole, she helped manage their Cole circus. [4] At his death, her son's estate was valued at $5 million.
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