Philip Astley

Philip Astley was an English cavalryman, riding master and showman generally credited with establishing the modern circus ring. From the 1760s he combined equestrian displays with acrobats, clowns and other performers, creating a commercial entertainment model copied across Europe.

Tracy Chevalier’s Burning Bright is set in 1792. The Kellaway family leaves rural Dorset after a death and settles in Lambeth, where chair-maker Thomas Kellaway has found work connected with Philip Astley’s circus.