The Royal Brighton and Sussex Zoological Gardens , Brighton (Previously Irelands Gardens and now built upon known as Park Crescent ) 1832 This establishment was purchased from James Ireland in 1832 by Mr Boswell Hensman who was an Attorney and a Loan arranger ... Mr Hensman borrowed large sums of Money from family to be able to set up this Zoological Gardens .... In June 1832 the Gardens were opened and admission was a Shilling .... By December 1832 the Zoological Gardens had closed and Mr Henman found himself subject of a Bankruptcy claim ... He owed £30,000 to various sources and his animal collection Male and Female Russian Bears (10 months old) Persian Lynx , A 2 year old Pair of Bengal Tigers, Striped Hyena (2 years old) , A fully grown Russian female Bear, 2 East Indian Male Leopards, Boa Constrictor , Various Birds , 9 Monkeys , a Baboon and an American Black Bear were going to have to be sold to try and raise funds to repay his debtors ... On the 28th January 1833 the Auction took place the only significant monies raised were £150 for the Pair of Tigers by the Tower Menagerie ... the rest of the animals were sold for next to nothing and in total the value of £300 was raised leaving a substantial debt still and Mr Hensman was declared bankrupt The image is of how the Zoological Gardens was intended to look but it never fulfilled its potential
