The Farrell / Warner Wilders Family Roadshow
By Rose Wilders
The Mobile Home: The family lived a true itinerant life. The 1911 Census found Samuel, Esther, and eight children, Georgina, Eva, Samuel, Queenie, Harry, Micheal, Lionel, William in their wagons on Killashee Street, Longford, recorded as living in "2 Carriages." The wagon itself features beautiful, carved or painted decorative panels, a testament to the pride and investment showmen put into their homes on the road.
The story begins in Dublin with our great-great-grandfather, Samuel Farrell (born c. 1869). He was the founder and Circus Proprietor of the Farrell Continental Circus, Uncle Sammy's Circus.
Sam married Esther Cohen (born c. 1871 Glasgow), bringing together two distinct travelling backgrounds. Together they built a large family while pioneering their travelling operation. The birthplaces of their children tell the story of their extensive route across the island, showing how deeply rooted they became in the fabric of Irish society. Census Records: A Snapshot of Travelling Life:
The census records confirm the itinerant nature of the family's life, catching them in different corners of Ireland as they toured their show. Together, they built a show large enough to feature "Talent from All Parts of the World," with Sam himself taking a spot on the bill as "Uncle Sammy" with an animal act. The show was large, featuring acts such as The Oswaldies Troupe and The Two Jermonds.
By 1911, the show included the operation of "Hobby Horses."
A Glimpse of Home above is an early photograph showing the pride taken in their mobile dwelling. It shows Samuel and a child seated on the steps of an ornately carved showman's living wagon. It was a world away from settled life.
These images are a perfect illustration of the family life and portable home that sustained the Farrells as they kept the Irish country amused for decades.
The Final Years and A Tragic Note
The life of the road ended tragically for Sam. The newspaper clipping details "The Laytown Tragedy," an inquest opened into the death of Samuel Farrell, aged 77, a "Circus Proprietor" of Dublin who lost his life in a devastating plane crash in Laytown, Co. Meath, in 1942. This event marked a sad close to the life of a true travelling pioneer. The door from his wagon (the vehicle struck by the plane) were recovered by a member of the Hudson-Farrell family, serving as a powerful relic of the accident.
The Droheda Independent Report
THE LAYTOWN TRAGEDY (Transcript of Newspaper article above on left)
When an Army plane crashed from a low altitude at Laytown on Wednesday evening, Samuel Farrell (77), was killed instantly and two members of the Army Air Corps were injured, one seriously.
Mr. Farrell was a native of Dublin and with his family was engaged in the show business and had been visiting Laytown, where he was very popular for over 20 years. The tragic circumstances under which Samuel Farrell, aged 77, the travelling showman of 3 Brabazon Bow, Dublin, lost his life, were described at an inquest held by Mr. J. J. Lynch, solr. Coroner for Meath, and a Jury, at Laytown on Thursday evening. He had been killed on the previous evening when an Army plane crashed into a caravan which the deceased had just entered.
The inquest was held in the Cafe la Mer, with the following jury : Messrs. R. Crimmins, J. Devin, P. Levins, J. Hughes, R. Carter, P. Coogan, and D. Simco. Supt. J. Dunphy, Drogheda, represented the State.
A VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE CRASH
Wm. Guiler, Commons, Laytown, gave evidence of identification. The Deceased was the proprietor of a travelling show, which had been coming to Laytown for years. He was a widower and lived alone. He had come to Laytown a few weeks ago with two caravans, in one of which he lived. On the day of the tragedy, witness and the deceased had' taken a two-horse lorry to get a load of sticks and had returned at 6.45 halting the lorry about five yards from the wagon. His son came to assist In unloading the sticks. Just then he saw a plane coming from the direction of Gormanstown and circling three times over Laytown. The last time It circled it was about 15 feet above the living waggon, Farrell had gone into the waggon and was about a yard Inside it. "I was standing beside the waggon. When I saw the plane falling," witness continued, "! gave a shout and turned back. The plane hit the waggon which split in two about the middle. The nose of the plane went into the ground a few feet in front of the waggon. When It struck the ground it went up in a flame and the and the living van caught fire. I saw an officer and a corporal in the plane and my son and another man pulling them out, I saw a civilian breaking the windows of the luggage van, which was also on fire. The body of deceased was under part of the plane. In the shortest possible time, the local fire brigade got at the fire and extinguished It." Continuing, he said that part of the plane was pulled away and the body of deceased was found. He identified him by his ring and part of his shirt.
INSTANT DEATH
Dr Lynch, Stamullen, said that with Dr. Roche, Duleek. he examined the body of deceased, which was badly charred. Having described the multiple Injuries deceased had sustained,' he said that death was due to shock and haemorrhage and was in his opinion, instantaneous. In reply to Supt Dunphy, he said that death was caused by direct violence, not by burning. Dr. John Roche corroborated.
ADJOURNMENT
Supt. Dunphy said that the occupants of the plane were in St. Bricln's Hospital, severely injured, and he thought they could not have anything like complete evidence in their absence. He asked for an adjournment until they were in a position to give evidence.
L.S.F.'S PROMPT ACTION.
The Coroner acceded to the request adding that he would not like to adjourn without expressing his sympathy with the relatives of the deceased man. who was so tragically, but fortunately painlessly, killed. He would also like to pay a tribute to the promptness and efficiency of the local fire brigade. From what he had seen of the place where the tragedy occurred, but for it, there might have been a great deal of damage done and many more lives lost. Commandt. M. Sheerln, of the Army Air Corps, said he would like on behalf of the Air Corps and Army to express his sympathy with the relatives of the deceased, and to pay a tribute to the young man whose heroic assistance. saved the two occupante. He also paid a tribute to the fire brigade. Supt. Dunphy, joining in the expression of sympathy, complimented the fire-fighting section of the L.S,F,S on their efficiency. He had _learned, he said, of the efforts made by some civilians and a member of the Garda to relieve the two occupants of the plane. They acted with great heroism. Coroner — They certainly acted promptly.
END OF NEWSPAPER REPORT
The family legacy continued into the modern era through their descendant's operation, the WWF (Warner Wilders Funfair).The Union: Eva Farrell (born c. 1892) married Joseph Toby Wilders (Jnr.) in Longford in 1928. Joseph Toby was a Showman and Swingboat Operator.
Iconic Transport: The family was known for flamboyant transport, including a famous ex-military artillery tractor painted lilac and pink.
Legacy and Loss: The Wilders line founded the Warner Wilders Funfair (WWF). However, the family was marked by tragedy, including the early deaths of their children Queenie Wilders (died 1962, aged 38) and Desmond Wilders (died 1987, aged 59), and later Warner Wilders in 2018.
Our family history in travelling entertainment connects the Irish circus tradition of the Farrells with the English funfair line of the Wilders. It’s a story of how two families survived and thrived for generations, living a life of constant motion and colour. The next stage of our story connects to the English fairground community through Joseph Toby Wilders (born c. 1888), the showman who married Eva Farrell.
Toby was the son of Toby (Eboy Joseph Wilders) (Snr.) (born c. 1835), also a Travelling Showman from Kent, England. The two families were officially united in Longford in 1928, where Joseph Toby married Eva.
The Swingboat Man: Joseph Toby’s trade was clearly established: he was a Swingboat Operator at the age of 13 (confirmed by a 1901 census where he is listed as a "Swinging Boat Man"). Eva, his wife, was listed as a General Dealer.
The Wilders were known for their distinctive funfair transport. Joseph Toby famously used ex-military vehicles to haul his equipment, including a distinctive artillery tractor painted an unconventional lilac and pink.
Their descendants, through the Warner Wilders Funfair (WWF), would later own an iconic piece of showmen's history: the AEC Mammoth Major eight-wheeler lorry (BEW 162), which is now preserved in a Transport Museum collection.
