Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite! - Inspiration

Inspiration

Lennon was inspired to write the song by a 19th century circus poster for Pablo Fanque's Circus Royal, Rochdale, that he purchased in an antique shop on 31 January 1967, while filming the promotional video for "Strawberry Fields Forever" in Sevenoaks, Kent. Lennon explained: "Everything from the song is from that poster, except the horse wasn't called Henry." (The poster identifies the horse as "Zanthus.") Mr. Kite is believed to be William Kite, who worked for Pablo Fanque from 1843 to 1845.

The full text of the original Pablo Fanque's Circus Royal poster is:

PABLO FANQUE'S CIRCUS ROYAL

TOWN-MEADOWS, ROCHDALE

Grandest Night of the Season!

AND POSITIVELY THE

LAST NIGHT BUT THREE!

BEING FOR THE

BENEFIT OF MR. KITE,

(LATE OF WELLS'S CIRCUS) AND

MR. J. HENDERSON,

THE CELEBRATED SOMERSET THROWER!

WIRE DANCER, VAULTER, RIDER, etc.

On TUESDAY Evening, February 14, 1843.

Mssrs. KITE and HENDERSON, in announcing the following Entertainments ensure the Public that this Night's Production will be one of the most splendid ever produced in this Town, having been some days in preparation.

Mr. Kite will, for this night only,

introduce the

CELEBRATED

HORSE, ZANTHUS!

Well known to be one of the

best Broke Horses

IN THE WORLD!!!

Mr. HENDERSON will undertake the arduous Task of

THROWING TWENTY-ONE SOMERSETS,

ON THE SOLID GROUND.

Mr. KITE will appear, for the

first time this season,

On The Tight Rope,

When Two Gentlemen Amateurs

of this Town will

perform with him. Mr. HENDERSON will, for the first time

in Rochdale,

introduce his extraordinary

TRAMPOLINE LEAPS

AND

SOMERSETS!

Over Men & Horses, through Hoops,

over Garters and lastly through a

Hogshead of REAL FIRE!

In this branch of the profession Mr. H challenges THE WORLD!

For particulars see Bills of the day.

"Mr. J. Henderson" was John Henderson, a wire-walker, equestrian, trampoline artist, and clown. While the poster made no mention of "Hendersons" plural, as Lennon sings, John Henderson did perform with his wife Agnes, the daughter of circus owner Henry Hengler. The Hendersons performed throughout Europe and Russia during the 1840s and 1850s."