Samuel Lockhart - Early Career

Early Career

Sam Lockhart was the second son of Sam and Hannah Locker (née Pinder). His father was a stilt-walking clown and his mother was the sister of the founders of the famous French circus, Pinder. The family name was changed to Lockhart on the advice of his mother (source: The Legend of Salt and Sauce, Pre-publicaiton Jamie Clubb, Aardvark Publishing circ. 2008). Sam and his elder brother, George William Lockhart worked as bareback riders, clowns and acrobats. According to Janet Storrie's children's book "Elephants at Royal Leamington Spa", Sam performed the incredible feat of being shot from a cannon onto a trapeze. He was reported to be of small stature, standing only 5 foot tall. According to "The Victorian Arena" by John Turner the two were featured on Ginnett's Circus working the parallel bars. In 1875 George Lockhart fell from his horse and broke his hip (source, Les Histories de Cirque, Jaques Garnier, 1978), which brought their act to an end. Sam returned home, but got work in Sri Lanka on a tea plantation. There he learnt how to train elephants. He also acquired a lot of money and was able to buy elephants. He formed an elephant act.