We recently hosted a visitor who was looking for information on a giant! As it turned out, she had more information than we did. We were surprised to learn that one of the most famous of circus giants, Martin Van Buren Bates, 7' 11", had been a performer with the John Robinson Circus.
Bates, a Kentucky native, had been a Confederate captain in the Civil War and when the war was over, he spent 5 years touring with The Robinson Circus as part of its 'Cabinet of Curiosities' . Then, in 1871, preparing for a European tour, his agent introduced him to the his perfect match - Anna Swan, of Nova Scotia, Canada, who was actually a few inches taller than Bates!
The two fell in love and traveled with PT Barnum to England where, according to Martin's diary, they were 'Ordered by royal command to appear before Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria, at Buckingham Palace. The Queen expressed her pleasure in the warmest terms and presented us with several valuable presents. ' (Queen Victoria supplied the dress material for the wedding dress including 100 yards of satin ans 50 yards of lace). They were married on June 17, 1871, at the Church of St. Martins in‑the‑Fields facing Trafalgar Square, and eventually left the circus life to settle in Seville, Ohio.
There are many articles and videos about their story on the internet, and we have saved many of them in our archives, if you would like to learn more about this remarkable man.