Ira Millette and Ruth Farris

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Ira Millette of Millette Jennier married Ruth Farris of Farris Horr in Jan 1923. This after divorcing her first husband Anthony Picchiani in 1922. Jimmy was a product of that first marriage but took on the name of his step-father, Ira, and was always only known with that name thereafter.

Ira was from Georgia where presumably his father was born as well. (There are some reports that he was an immigrant from Germany under the name Tilden Wolff and put on the persona of being born and raised in Georgia to avoid the negative effect of German ancestry of the time.)

Ruth was born outside St Louis, Missouri in Belleville, Illinois. Her father died soon after birth.

Ira's father, Ed, had supposedly run away to the circus at a young age. His wife Maud Jennier was from an Aerialist troupe in the circus as well. (There are reports Maud was born Maud Hesselbach and took on the Jennier name upon joining that family troupe.) Hence Ira and sisters were born into the traveling show.

It appears Ruth may have also run or been sent away to the circus and hooked up with Ed Mylett and Eugenie Alphonse running the Silbon Troupe early on. All were aerialists.

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The Children

Anthony James "Jimmy" was born 1918. His father was Anthony "Tony" Picchiani, one of the famous siblings of the Picchiani family acrobat troupe. (Tony's father was Giacomi "James" and hence the name). The marriage was short lived for Ruth who kept Jimmy afterward as she continued her stint with the Silbon troupe.

Mildred Ruth "Penny" was born in xxx, Texas in 1925 to father Ira. The Millette family had relocated to Texas by this time with Ira's sister Irene not being a performer and thus keeping a fixed address and home there.

Jimmy performed with his father, taking on the head-on-a-ball balancing trick and performing it simultaneously in one of the three rings with his father. Penny would take on performing but seemed to not travel with the big show and do local county fairs and such. She seemed to have more focus on high-altitude pole performances.

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Finding the history of Ira's Parents

Ira was born into and grew up in the circus life. There are scant references to Ed Millette being actually Tilden Wolff and Maude Jennier being Maude Hasselbach. His passport application and 1910 census both declare he is born in Georgia; as does the Ed Millette Circus Society in Texas. But Ed's descendants (through Ira's sister Irene) also claim a German ancestry. In either case, all seem to agree that Ed ran off to join the circus at a young age; around 8 years old. That would say around 1884.

To figure this all out, we need to understand more about the La Millette Troupe and Silbon Troupe's of the time. So we record what we can here.

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Millette Troupe

We know Al Millette seems to be the start and founder of this troupe. Of French descent and following in the footsteps of the originator of Aerial artistry Jules Leotard. In the 1890's, the Forepaugh - Sells Brothers circus was traveling around the USA and even Europe. The Millette Troupe was a headliner of that show. Brothers Willie and Ernie Schlee were traveling with Al in 1898 (see 1898 Route Book. In there it also indicates:

• Willie Millette to Boston to friends (when in Salem Mass, Saturday, 11 Jun)
• Al Millette to Fall River, Mass to see wife (when in Providence, RI Monday 13 Jun)
• Willie and Ernie Millette receive visit from brothers of Newark NJ (when in New Haven CN Thurs 16 Jun)
• Willie and Erna Millette spent the day with their parents, who came over from Newark, N. J., to visit their sons (when in Poughkeepsie, NY Tuesday 21 June)

In the NY Clipper publication of 1 Dec 1900, page 889, we have the death notice:

• Willie Millette (William E Schlee), died 23 Nov 1900 in Newark, NJ at home of typhoid after returning from Forepaugh-Sells Bro's show

Possibly shedding more light on this all is the book by Ernest Schlee Millette: The circus that was; the autobiography of a star performer as told to Robert Wyndham, Philadelphia, Dorrance 1971 180pp

From the Circus Hall of Fame inductees we have entries:

• 1968 Ernest Millette, Flying Trapeze, Denmark
• 1970 Ira Millette, Balancing, USA
• 1988 Ed Millette, Flying Trapeze, USA

The only Ernest Schlee of Newark, NJ is shown as born in Denmark to German parents (William and Ida), all of whom emigrated to the USA in 1885 and were naturalized 1892. Census records only show Ernest with a brother Walter and two sisters. Based on the above, we would need four brothers. Ernest has 6+ passport applications in the 1910's but all say he is a school teacher in Turkey.

So far, we do not show Ed or Ira part of this Millette Brothers troupe. But we do know the young conscripts who run away and join the troupe at a very young age will often take on the name of the troupe. Ed was performing in the 1890's and 1910's and passed away in Conneticut on the road with the circus in 192x. Ira performed even as a child but more formally starting in the 1910's but mainly the 1920's and into 1930's and beyond. Jimmy and Mildred Ruth "Penny" joined him in the 1940's.

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Silbon Troupe

Ruth's granddaughter Anne (who Ruth raised), says Ruth always said she was sold to the circus. But whatever you believe, she was an integral part of the Silbon Family Troupe run by Eddie and Jennie. In articles, Ruth is even referred to as Ruth Silbon.
Edward "Eddie" Mylett married Eugenie "Jennie" Alphonse of San Francisco in 1894. They were part of the Silbon troupe and took on that stage name. Jennie was part of the Althea Sisters performers that traveled before her marriage. Eugenie's mother was the famous opera singer of San Francisco xxx Guind. Eddie Mylett was born in Hull, York, England at the same time (and place) of the Silbon family that started the troupe. Hence why he was likely a part of it. Eddie and Jennie's grave marker lists "Silbon" (their stage name) as their middle name. There was no Eddie Silbon (birth sibling) other than this Eddie Mylett. It is Eddie Mylett who has the Guinness record book entry for the first double somersault.

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History of Trapeze and Aerialist

1859 Jules Leotard invents trapeze and performance art over a swimming pool
1879 Eddie Silbon does first double somersault at Paris Hippodrome (i.e. Eddie Mylett)
188x Al Millette performs and starts La Millette Troupe

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Some new links to explore

• Circopedia
• CircusHistory