William Banham, the first son of Pablo Fanques

William Jr. Banham was born in ~1831, his father, William, was 20 and his mother, Susannah Darby, née Marlaw, was 16. His father was better known as Pablo Fanque, made famous by John Lennon's song "Being, for the benefit of Mr. Kite. Read much more about that here.

William Jr. , and his brothers, worked and performed in his father's circus. He was a performer in the circus, where his mother died in 1848. An 18 Mar 1848 census showed that at that time he lived at Headrow, Leeds.
At that time he lived with Jane Hope. There were no known children of the relationship. Jane passed away on September 11, 1856, in Armley, Yorkshire, England, at the age of 25.
Two years before Jane died, on 28 September 1854, he married Martha Rollinson, in Manchester, Lancashire. View their marriage certificate here. Martha's name was spelled Rollinson at time of marriage and Rawlinson on William Banham's 1869 death certificate.

Soon after they moved to New Zealand. He lived in Menawatu in Dec. 1856. One year later his son John Banham 'Frank' was born on December 16, 1857, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. There he established himself as "Pablo Fanque". He took the same name and performed the same acts as his father. He was a great equestrian (his favorite black horse was called Wellington), and a tight-rope dancer.

Between about 1858 and 1861 he was the ring-master of Ashton's Circus. In 1861, one of the employees of Ashton's Circus sued William DARBY alias Pablo FANQUE for assault.
William eventually operated his own circus which he named the National Circus. In 1865 he was declared insolvent. Pablo continued to present shows and his family almost certainly performed with him. Martha is billed as Mrs Pablo FANQUE and was probably an equestrienne.

William and Martha had six children in 11 years. He died of pulmonary consumption on 5 or 8 June 1869, in Balmain, New South Wales, at the age of 38. Newspapers name him as Pablo FANQUE but his death was registered as William BANHAM by his wife Martha. He was buried at Balmain Cemetery by the Rev. Charles Tilley. Martha recorded that his parents were William Darby BANHAM and Susan and that he had been born in Norfolk, England. He bequethed his father in England, who died two years later, £4,000.

In reporting the death of his father Pablo Fanque/Darby two years later, the The Birmingham Daily Post/The Sheffield Daily Telegraph on 6 May 1871 states "..... and (he) came into possession of about £4,000, some years ago, on the death of a son in Australia". Read the article here.

His obituary (death of Pablo Fanque - Wilmot St, Sydney, Tuesday age 38) 19 Jun 1869 • Hobart, Tasmania can be read here

Newspaper story:
John (Young Pablo) absconds from home
ABSCONDED FROM HIS HOME.—A boy known as Young PABLO, son of Pablo Fanque, eleven years of age, left his home on Friday last. Information respecting him will be thankfully received by Mrs. PABLO, No. 12, Willmott-street, Brickfield-hill.
14 May 1869; 12 Wilmot St, Balmain, New South Wales, Australia
N.B. He was actually only 5 years old at that time.

Residence
Joseph D Banham Fanque lived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on April 28, 1869.
Age: 5
28 Apr 1869 • Randwick Childrens Assylum, Sydney, New South Wales

Prison
Joseph D Banham Fanque prisoner in New South Wales, Australia, on February 4, 1887.
Known as Joseph Fanque, born NZ, Age: 23. View his photo and prison record here.

Three years later he married Emily Poulson in Sydney when he was 26 years old.

Death
Joseph D Banham Fanque died in 1935 in New South Wales, Australia, when he was 71 years old.
13012/1935 FANQUE JOSEPH D B WILLIAM B MARTHA CANTERBURY
1935 • Canterbury, NSW, Aus

John Joseph 'Jack' Pablo was born in 1894 in Sydney, New South Wales, the child of Joseph D Banham and Emily A Poulson. He married Hellen/Ellen Florence (Wilhelmina) Hilderbrand in 1923.

Arrival
Age: 23 crewmember ('Boy') on ship 'Wyreema' from Melbourne to Sydney
17 Dec 1917 • Sydney, New South Wales

Departure
1917 • Melbourne

Marriage
John Joseph 'Jack' Pablo married Hellen/Ellen Florence (Willhmina) Hilderbrand (1895-1960) in 1923 when he was 29 years old.

Residence
Occupation - packer
1930 • 125 Jones St, Pyrmont

Death
19 April 1956, Sydney, Australia.
Cemetry: Rookwood. Section 20, row 3.
Inscription on stone: Dad sleeps here.
Denomination: Catholic Mortuary 2&3

Child(ren)
There was at least one child alive in 1956.

Main source: person.ancestry.com/tree/33465036/person/20476096878/story