Summary
Memorial. Circa 1889, to John Sanger, circus proprietor, and also his wife and son.
Reasons for Designation
The John Sanger Memorial in St John’s Cemetery, Margate is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* Artistic interest: the memorial is of considerable artistic quality: it is a sentimental piece, composed and executed in a manner typical of the period's exuberance and visual vitality;
* Historic interest: as an appropriate subject commemorating John Sanger, a famous Victorian showman who, along with his brother, ‘Lord’ George Sanger, is credited with elevating the British circus into a massed spectacle;
* Group value: with a series of other memorials commemorating members of the Sanger family.
History
St John's Cemetery, Margate, was opened on the outskirts of the town in 1856. The cemetery is a typical example of a picturesque Victorian funereal landscape, which provides the setting for many grand funerary monuments, used increasingly in the C19 as a means of asserting family affection and showing respect for the dead.
The burials in St John's Cemetery date from 1856 to the present day and illustrate many aspects of Margate's role as a health resort and holiday destination, and as a coastal community comprising all levels of society. The impact of significant cultural and social shifts and major world events over the last 150 years are also reflected in a number of the memorials in the cemetery. The original part of the cemetery was 10 acres; the site now extends to 35, and remains open for new burials.
John Sanger (1816-1889) was a member of a noted family of C19 circus proprietors. John and his brother ‘Lord’ George Sanger (1827-1911) were the sons of James Sanger (d.1850) who had served on HMS Victory at Trafalgar and afterwards became a showman. The brothers were largely responsible for the elevation of the British circus into a massed spectacle, partly in response to competition from American touring companies. Following semi-permanent ‘exhibitions’ in Liverpool and Plymouth, in 1871 they purchased the renowned Astley’s Amphitheatre on Westminster Bridge Road, London entering the world of the London theatre. The brother’s partnership ended in 1884, each continuing with separate touring companies. John Sanger died at Ipswich while on tour. His will gave his wife Elizabeth (1825-1892) the right to carry on his business, taken on subsequently by his son, John. A daughter, Lavinia, was an equestrian performer. John Sanger's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography specifically mentions his memorial, 'a costly white marble monument, part of which represents an mourning horse'.
There is some dispute about whether John ever adopted the honorific ‘Lord’ like his brother George (following a legal battle with ‘The Honourable’ William Frederick ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody over George Sanger’s version of the ‘Wild West’ show), or whether it was only later adopted by his son, John jnr.
Details
Marble sculpture of a life-size marble mourning horse with drapery and bowed head. It stands on a tall pedimented marble plinth, decorated in relief with equestrian emblems such as a horseshoe and crossed whips, entwined with roses and poppies. The base of the plinth has the name 'SANGER' in bold relief. There is an inscription to John Sanger and a poem on the front panel. The rear is plainer, without the emblems at the top, and the raised panel bears an inscription to John Sanger's wife Elizabeth (d.1892) and son William Frederick (d.1893). The sculptor of the memorial is not known.
