Send in the Clowns.......

King of all the Clowns…

I have mentioned before about the history surrounding the Clerkenwell area of London where I worked and some of the characters that used to frequent it. The one that I will write about today became the image for all future types in his chosen profession and ended up earning him the title ‘The Greatest’.............

I first came across his past in about 1988 when I was working at Kings Cross Road Police Station, which is central, (more or less) to the Clerkenwell area. I had made every effort to learn the history of the area, which was phenomenal and amazing.

One morning, I received a memo from the Guvnor (our Chief Superintendent) asking me to oversee a small procession that would take place at a local park. I made my way there with a couple of other officers and discovered that the park was called Joseph Grimaldi Park, which used to be part of the grounds of St. James’ Chapel. It is situated halfway up Pentonville Road between Kings Cross Rail Station and The Angel, Islington. Pride of place is given to a grave with a tombstone to Joseph Grimaldi.

We had been there about half-an-hour when of all things, a group of highly colourful clowns arrived in full makeup and regalia. They were playing about until they came to the grave where they placed a wreath. It was then that I learned of the man Grimaldi himself.

He was born in London on 18^th December, 1778 of Italian parents. At the age of nine, his father died and he was forced to begin earning a living to support his mother. He had already appeared on stage at the age of two years at Drury Lane Theatre and from the age of three he regularly appeared at Saddler’s Wells Theatre.

Although he later was to earn the title of ‘the most celebrated of English Clowns’ his life was total sadness with him suffering from deep depression. His wife died in childbirth after eighteen months marriage and his son, who also became a clown, drank himself to death by the age of thirty.

Joe buried himself in his chosen profession – Master Clown. Up until his arrival, typical clowns were portrayed as fools and country bumpkins but Joe took it to a new level. All modern clowns are based on his ‘art form’.

Music Hall (Vaudeville) was reaching its height in Britain and Joe took his act to the stage. He soon reached the status of a major Star. He was the one to truly introduce audience participation and they would often finish the last line of his joke or song.

However, all the frivolity covered the mask of deep depression and sadness. A famous story is told of him: A young man visits his doctor as he is suffering from deep depression and does not think that anything will ever make him feel better and happy again. The doctor advises  him "Why don’t you do something happy, like going to see Joseph Grimaldi the clown?" The young man bowed his head and murmured "Ah, but Doctor – I am Grimaldi".

He became very adept at caricaturing important figures including politicians and royalty which sometimes was even too deep to be recognised by the person he was imitating. However, even when the caricature was recognisable, it was accepted in good humour.

As a result of his exertions on stage over the years, he suffered severely from fatigue and ill health which forced him to retire. By 1828 he was pennyless and benefit nights were held for him in some of the largest theatres where he had performed. He was granted by the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund a pension of £100 per year. He could barely walk.

He spent his last years at a local Tavern, the Marquis of Cornwallis in Pentonville where the landlord would at the end of the evening carry him home to his lodgings. On the night of 31^st May 1837 he died. 

An obituary in the London Illustrated News said "Grimaldi is dead and hath left no peer. We fear with him the spirit of pantomime has disappeared".  Another great local man, none other than Charles Dickens, in fact, edited his ‘Memoirs’, which were published in 1838.

Annually, on the first Sunday in February, a service is held for Grimaldi at All Saints’ Church, Haggerston, Hackney where hundreds of clowns from all over the world congregate in full clown outfits.  They then make their way by foot to his graveside.

And that is what introduced me to the fascinating man, Joseph Grimaldi, on that cold February morning in 1988.

------------------Mike----------------