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Bertram Mills married his wife, Ethel (d. 1960), in 1901. They were parents of a daughter and two sons, Bernard Notley and Cyril
Bertram Mills. After their father's death on 16 April 1938 aged 64, both Bernard and Cyril took over running the Bertram Mills Circus, sustaining its success until the
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The circus very quickly became a household name, and the annual
Christmas event became especially well-known. He made a point of inviting orphans to see the shows free. By 1930 (its heyday would last for the next 30 years, when it was the best and most famous live show), he had inaugurated a touring
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On leaving the army, he became interested in the "Wilkins and Young Circus". He made a wager with a friend that he could form a circus company and within a year be as good as they were. He did just that, thus the "Bertram Mills
International Circus" was formed.
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He left school aged 15 and started washing down the coaches for the family business, which was started by his grandfather (who used to be an
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176:(his father had been one of the first three undertakers to offer this service in London) and is buried with his wife at
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78:(which his father owned for the purpose of sending his horses there to rest), where he developed his passion for
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in West London televised in 1938, 1946 and 1947. His troupe was the last to perform with live animals on the
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early 1960s, when it was finally disbanded due to widespread television viewing. Cyril Mills served with
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and the owner of the
Reformed Funeral Company, a coach-building works, and the
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207:"Bertram Mills Circus I: Getting Ready for the Ballyhoo Under the Big Top"
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circus, which became unique amongst
British circuses, always appearing at
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Edward Bell's review of
Bertram Mills Circus in April 1939 in Aldershot
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released three different series of stereoviews featuring the circus.
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He continued working for the family firm until the outbreak of
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Born in August 1873, Bertram was the son of
Halford Mills of
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in his morning coat, for which he later became recognised.
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136:The guest lists indicate the show's renown; the
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38:. His circus became famous in the UK for its
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22:(August 1873 – 16 April 1938) was a British
89:preacher). Within a year, he was driving a
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254:The Great International Circus at Olympia
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308:British Army personnel of World War I
161:and was the spymaster who controlled
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303:Municipal Reform Party politicians
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313:Royal Army Medical Corps officers
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298:Members of London County Council
235:Full Biography of Bertram Mills
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205:Ference, Ian (20 July 2019).
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129:for the Christmas season.
148:Personal life and family
115:Royal Army Medical Corps
26:owner originally from
20:Bertram Wagstaff Mills
293:British circus owners
211:Brooklyn Stereography
36:Bertram Mills Circus
16:British circus owner
68:Undertakers Journal
172:Bertram Mills was
76:Chalfont St. Giles
48:Drury Lane Theatre
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163:Juan Pujol Garcia
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288:1938 deaths
283:1873 births
131:VistaScreen
87:evangelical
277:Categories
192:References
99:cornflower
97:wearing a
64:undertaker
60:Paddington
54:Early life
28:Paddington
216:16 August
169:"Garbo".
167:codenamed
72:embalming
42:shows at
40:Christmas
174:cremated
186:England
157:during
127:Olympia
50:stage.
44:Olympia
105:Career
95:Oxford
32:London
24:circus
218:2019
247:at
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