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33
Itinerant Shows, &c. Nuisance at rear of Bradmore Lane.
The Board in March, 1883, received a Memorial signed by many
influential ratepayers, complaining of the nuisance and annoyance
caused by a large wax work show, and other exhibitions, and caravans
located on a piece of vacant land at the rear of Bradmore Buildings.
There being no offence that could be dealt with under the provisions
of the Nuisances' Removal Acts, or the Metropolis Local Management
Acts, the Board communicated with the Police Authorities, and the
various shows were removed. Shortly afterwards an itinerant menagerie,
with the usual accompanimeut of other itinerant shows, settled
upon the land, the owners and occupiers of the surrounding property
were proceeding to apply to the High Court of Justice, for an injunction
against the owner of the land in question, whereupon the shows
were removed.
In January, 1884, the Board, in conjunction with other Vestries and
District Boards, adopted the following Memorial, which was forwarded
to the Home Secretary:—
TO THE EIGHT HONORABLE THE SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT.
The Memorial of the Board of Works for the Fulham District,
in the County of Middlesex, under their Common
Seal.
Sheweth, That great nuisance and annoyance are frequently occasioned
to the householders of the District of Fulham in consequence of
itinerant showmen and others who reside in caravans and pay no rates,
but move about from one part of London to another and occupy any
vacant ground which appears to them available for the purpose of exhibiting
thereon in Booths or Caravans, Exhibitions of a kind which
attract large numbers of the lowest orders of the people, or for the
purpose of erecting and setting up thereon large Swings and Wooden
Horses set in motion by steam power, such as are seen at Fairs, the
performances being usually accompanied by the music of a powerful
organ often worked by steam, and the ground lit up by flaring oil
lamps, the amusement of which is kept up to a late hour of the evening,
often until midnight, creating a disturbance and nuisance exceedingly
offensive to the neighbourhood.
That the state of things described is not confined to the District of
Fulham alone, but as your Memorialists are informed and believe
occurs in many other Parishes within the Metropolitan area.
That the Local Authorities of the Metropolis do not possess statutory
powers to enable them to deal summarily with, or to control the
holding of such exhibitions and amusements, so that the same may be
carried on in a decent and orderly manner and without being a nuisance
and annoyance to the neighbourhood.
That attempts have been made from time to time by various local
authorities before the magistrates sitting at the Metropolitan Police
Courts, to deal with these cases on Sanitary (as well as on other) grounds