Dates

• Existence: 1840 - 1899

Biography

William was the son of Felix Testo senior. William's descendants entertaining the masses in the travelling fairground with a diversity of acts and shows such as melodramas, marionettes, bioscopes, roundabouts and the famous flea circus.

William Testot married Susannah McPherson and had nine children, who also followed his father’s footsteps into the fairground. Felix the eldest of William’s children took his father’s marionette act upon his death and travelled it around Wales, eventually settling in Swansea, while Henry and Alfred married two sisters, Louise and Emily Chipperfield of the famed circus family.

Susannah took over the family business upon her husband William’s death and was quick to react to changes and embrace new technological developments. Susannah set to compete with the bioscope pioneers in the fairground by modifying the travelling theatre previously used for the marionette show and travelling an early moving picture show. The new show was a success and soon developed into a lavish show front made by W.G. Walford of Hull, called ‘Testo’s Electric Biograph’.

Up to this point the shows were travelled on horse and carriages, until the next technological wonder revolutionised the fairground, the steam engine, towing equipment, trucks and living wagons as well as generating electricity.

In 1906 the Testos presented the first films to be shown in Newcastle, including titles such as ‘Lens Colliery Disaster’, ‘The Life of Charles Peace’ and ‘Too Late to Turn Back’, with commentaries by Alfred, the youngest son of William and the only one to attend school and be able to read.

The success of moving pictures in the travelling fairground made it difficult to present an original show for a prolonged period of time with picture shows springing everywhere. The Testo moving picture show declined and the family acquired a large roundabout they travelled around the North East and which they christened ‘The Durham Riding School’.

At this point all of William’s and Susannah’s children were married; Henty to Louise Chipperfield, Alfred to Emily Chipperfield, William to Kate Buchanan, Alexander to Winifred Merrick, Mary to Mr Berry, Susan to George Biddall of the renowned Biddall family famous for their Ghost Shows and accomplishments as circus performers and finally Harriette to William Noble, the founder of the Noble Organisation.

Gradually the family broke up until only Henry and his mother remained travelling ‘The Durham Riding School’, which eventually was substituted by a Scenic Railway. At this point WWI broke and the Scenic Railway proved a failure and Susannah and son Henry moved onto their next business venture at Witton Park, where the rented a hall which they converted into a permanent cinema.

The family also continued the puppeteering tradition which they passed onto Henry’s children and which allowed them to run several businesses at the same time. His eldest son, also called Henry, joined the army in 1915, in spite of being under age and was sent to the battle fields from which he returned in 1918 shell-shocked and suffering from the effect of poison gas.

Marialouise, Henry’s eldest daughter, developed into an excellent puppeteer and pianist and regularly accompanied the silent film shows.

Susannah died in 1924 and was buried with her husband at Shildon. Henry then moved to Hartlepool, where he purchased a large piece of land, now known as Crimdon Dene caravan Holiday Park.

Found in 10 Collections and/or Records: