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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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89:(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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218:"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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147:The guest lists indicate the show's renown; the
85:". Bertram was brought up on two small farms at
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274:Halford Mills in the Encyclopedia of Cremation
49:. His circus became famous in the UK for its
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33:(August 1873 – 16 April 1938) was a British
100:preacher). Within a year, he was driving a
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265:The Great International Circus at Olympia
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319:British Army personnel of World War I
172:and was the spymaster who controlled
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314:Municipal Reform Party politicians
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324:Royal Army Medical Corps officers
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309:Members of London County Council
246:Full Biography of Bertram Mills
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216:Ference, Ian (20 July 2019).
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140:for the Christmas season.
18:Bertram Mills' Circus
159:Personal life and family
126:Royal Army Medical Corps
37:owner originally from
31:Bertram Wagstaff Mills
304:British circus owners
222:Brooklyn Stereography
47:Bertram Mills Circus
27:British circus owner
79:Undertakers Journal
183:Bertram Mills was
87:Chalfont St. Giles
59:Drury Lane Theatre
189:Chalfont St Giles
174:Juan Pujol Garcia
170:World War II
153:Winston Churchill
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267:(archived),
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299:1938 deaths
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142:VistaScreen
98:evangelical
288:Categories
203:References
110:cornflower
108:wearing a
75:undertaker
71:Paddington
65:Early life
39:Paddington
227:16 August
180:"Garbo".
178:codenamed
83:embalming
53:shows at
51:Christmas
185:cremated
197:England
168:during
138:Olympia
61:stage.
55:Olympia
116:Career
106:Oxford
43:London
35:circus
229:2019
258:at
191:in
166:MI5
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