My name is Jane Koszuta, and I set up the contents of this website to tell the story of how I uncovered the fascinating history of our extraordinary family. After my dear mother, Winifred, passed away in 1998, I found myself delving into boxes of old photographs and documents that she had inherited from her own mother, Lilian. What began as a personal journey of discovery quickly grew into something much larger, something I feel privileged to preserve and share with all of you.

My mother, Winifred, was the second daughter of William (Pip) and Lilian Bale. Pip was one of the legendary Royal Zanettos, part of a family whose talent and creativity graced the stages of music halls and circuses, captivating audiences across the globe. Lilian spent her last years in our home in Littlehampton (Sussex) where she passed away in 1974. She would tell me fascinating stories about her life (see pages "Lilian Chapman" and "Chaplin: Lilian's memories") and answer all my questions.

As I sorted through these photographs and documents, I began piecing together the remarkable lives of our ancestors. The names and stories that once felt like whispers from the past—The Bale Family, the Royal Zanettos, the Yokohama Troupe, the Chapmans, the Poluskis, the Bale Troupe, Circus Connections, Korosko Bale, Professor Bale, the Beautiful Jessica, the 3 Gamons—began to come alive in vibrant detail.

I realized there was so much more to learn. Stories I’d heard as a child were confirmed by these treasures and further enriched by the information I discovered online—passenger lists, birth and death records, census documents, and more. A chance connection with newly discovered cousins doing their own genealogical research opened even more doors. It felt like every email exchanged brought us closer, not only to our shared history but also to one another.

It became clear to me that these memories and histories shouldn’t remain hidden away in dusty files. They belong to all of us, to preserve and celebrate. That’s why I decided to create a website dedicated to our family’s story. This platform has become a way for me—and for many others—to ensure that these incredible narratives are not forgotten. Within months of launching the site, someone from a different family (the Leamore family) reached out, grateful to have uncovered a connection between her own story and ours. That alone made every hour of work worth it.

The photographs are among my most cherished discoveries. They offer a glimpse into the lives of music hall performers at the turn of the 20th century, capturing not just their talent but also the vibrant, dynamic world they inhabited. These images bring the past to life, allowing us to see the faces of those who paved the way for our family’s legacy.

Of course, this is a labor of love with no definite end. Myself and my relatives continue to uncover new information and add it to the collection, keeping our family’s history alive and growing. I warmly invite all of you to contribute to this ongoing project. Whether it’s a story, a photograph, a comment, or a suggestion, every little bit helps deepen our understanding of who we are and where we come from.

On a personal note, my maiden name, Koszuta, reflects my Polish heritage. My father fled Poland in 1939 when it was invaded, joining the Polish Air Force in England, where he later met and married my mother.

If you’d like to reach out or share anything for the website, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jane.koszuta@wanadoo.fr. I’d love to hear from you.

This website is a revamped/rebuilt site after my original hosting company stopped operating and I lost the original www.royalzanettos.com site. This site has being reconstructed using my content which fortunately was archived on WayBackMachine.

Site revamped and represented by Thomas Bale - (Grandson of George Bale) using systeme.io