Dates

• Existence: c1904 - 1994

Biography

Priscilla Kayes was the daughter of Elizabeth Baker and William ‘Buff Bill’ Kayes, both of whom came from a long line of circus performers.

Priscilla grew up in her parents wild west circus, which later with the incorporation of wild animals became known as Buff Bill’s Menagerie and several of her brothers became wild animal tamers.

At the outbreak of World War One the men in the family together with a large number of their animals were conscripted for the war efforts and the business rapidly declined. In 1916, driven by desperation, Elizabeth, now the head of the business, decided to take on her sons’ role in the cage with the big cats and started to perform as a lion tamer to save the family business. Elizabeth also took an interest in wild animals and she started to train aged fourteen. She made her debut as a lion tamer in 1920 aged sixteen. As female wild animal trainers was still unusual her act became popular and the business thrived in the years after the war. In the late 1920s however, Buff Bill Circus stopped travelling animal acts and Priscilla pursued her own career in other circuses. Although she only performed as a big cat tamer until the outbreak of World Word Two, she gained much fame performing with Bertram Mills. She focused her career in equestrian and dog acts and performed with various British circuses, while also training wild cats for other acts.

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records: