Hello, all. I'm new to this list, was thrilled to learn of its existence. My grandfather ran away to join the circus (apparently more than once). He would have been in his early-late teens at the time. His name was William Erwin Jackson, born in 1889, in Brooklyn, NY. He also performed as an actor and musician under several stage names--Billy Earl, Billy Erwin, William Earl, Earl Jackson--and more, all variations on this. His second (?) wife was supposedly a tightrope walker, and was killed in a fall. He died in 1947 in St. Louis, MO. If any of this sounds familiar to anyone, I'd greatly appreciate any information you may have. We really know next to nothing about this man, other than what he told his family. And since he was a show biz person, we have no idea how much is truth and how much a product of his fertile imagination! Thank you in advance, Beth