Waldo Lanchester continued to expand his Grand Circus over many years, introducing new characters inspired by performers from the contemporary circus world. One such addition was a clown based on the real‑life entertainer “Little Billy” Merchant. William Alfred Merchant, an English clown with dwarfism, was born in the Barton Hill workhouse in Bristol and spent his childhood in a local orphanage after being abandoned by his parents. As an adult, he stood at just 42 inches (1.1 m) tall. During the Second World War, Merchant worked as an aircraft fitter for the Bristol Aeroplane Company, yet still managed to perform, spending the 1944 summer season at the Chessington Zoo Circus alongside the clown Fiery Jack. His long‑standing partnership with Jacko the Clown lasted for three decades, during which the pair toured widely across the European circus circuit. They were regular performers at the Belle Vue Christmas Circus until Merchant’s retirement in 1979.
