The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

The very sad case of another founding member and player of Wrexham Football and Athletic Club.
For the last year, I have been struggling to find details about one of our founding players- recorded in our first ever game as G.R. Johnson; but after I appealed for help on a national ancestry forum, a lady from near Wrexham, very kindly came to the rescue and showed me why details were missing.


George Rumsey Johnston (sometimes recorded as Johnson or Johnstone) was born the son of George and Mary Rumsey Johnston, in Bangor, Caernarfonshire, in 1843: he was christened on 14th March of the same year. The 1851 census recorded that George Rumsey had 2 brothers- Edward Clifford (b 1845) Francis Thomas (b 1848) and 1 sister- Mary Elizabeth (b 1847). At this time, the family were living in Llanbeblig, Caernarvonshire and his father was recorded as having no occupation, although they were certainly a family of means, having 3 live-in servants (his mother was a member of the Rumsey Williams family, a local family in the legal profession). Shortly after the census, the family moved to Oxford Street in London, and in 1852, while living in Oxford Street, Georges brother- Edward Clifford, died, aged just 7 years. Mary Rumsey then briefly returned to Caernarvon in 1852 and gave birth to another son- Henry Rumsey, although he died soon after. Two years later, the family were living in Kempton Square, in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where Mary Rumsey gave birth to a son- James Rumsey (baptised 1st March 1854). George Johnston, the father, was recorded as a lawyer. Mary Rumsey then gave birth to twin daughters- Annie Florence and Elizabeth Amicia on 12th April 1857, though, Elizabeth Amicia died on 19th December 1859, while the family were living in Kentish Town, Camden. By the time of the 1861 census, the family had moved back to Wales and were living at Llysfaen- (then in the borough Caernarvonshire and later Denbighshire, but now in Clwyd) with 2 live-in servants, where Mary Rumsey, gave birth to another daughter- Emily Margaret Rumsey (born December 1860 and Christened in Llanbeblig on 30 October 1861). At this point, eldest daughter- Mary Elizabeth did not return to Wales and neither did George Rumsey, who was recorded as a tax office clerk, living as a boarder in a house at St Pancras, London.
Mary Rumsey then gave birth to another daughter- Ellen Maude Rumsey Johnston (b 1863) in Llysfaen, Caernarvonshire, before the family moved again, to Menai Bridge, Anglesey, where Mary Rumsey gave birth to another daughter- Fredericka Mehetabel Rumsey (born January 1868). Here, George Johnston snr is recorded as an attorney, in the 1871 Census. However, he died sometime later, as the 1881 census recorded that Mary Rumsey Johnson was as a widow, living back in Llanbeblig, and her profession was listed as a pearl dealer; she died in Caernarvon on 23rd January 1898.
In the meantime, George Rumsey Johnston (b 1843 Bangor) disappeared from the records in London in the early 1860’s and re-surfaced as an insurance clerk for The Provincial Welsh Insurance Company, in Wrexham.
In February 1863, G. R. Johnston was recorded in a list of insurance clerks who thanked The Provincial Welsh Insurance Company, when they opened a new gymnasium in their offices on The High Street. OPENING OF THE NEW READING ROOM AND GYMNASIUM AT THE OFFICES OF THE PROVINCIAL IN. SURANCE COMPANY.|1863-02-21|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
Then, on 2nd May, he was listed, merely as ‘johnson’ in a cricket match for Provincial against Wynnstay. Many of the Provincial team will later play for Wrexham Football Club. ...-,",,-r....-"-'"'- '- -.- - '"'- - - - - - - - - -"-""'-......'-.",.......-..... THE RIVER ALYN.|1863-05-09|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
11th July 1863 – the name ‘Johnson’ (no initials) first appears, playing for Wrexham Cricket Club. Many of the team would later play for Wrexham Football Club. 10 CRICKET.|1863-07-11|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
October 1863 Provincial Insurance Office Clerks including ‘Johnson’ have a half term holiday and play cricket on The Racecourse against Wrexham Cricket Club. [No title]|1863-10-03|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
25th June 1864, G.R. Johnson plays for Provincial Cricket team against Wrexham Cricket Club and on 2nd July, played for Wrexham CC against Wynnstay. Many of the Provincial and Wrexham Cricket teams will later play for Wrexham Football Club. I CRICKET. I|1864-07-09|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
July 1864- G.R. Johnston plays for Provincial Cricket team against a scratch 11. Many of both teams will later play for Wrexham Football Club. [No title]|1863-10-03|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
August 1864 (Johnson) plays for Provincial against Wynnstay and then G. R. Johnson arranges two games of cricket for Provincial Insurance Company against Wrexham Cricket Club. [No title]|1864-08-13|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
22nd October 1864, G.R. Johnson is one of the 10 founding members who play for Wrexham Football Club in their first ever game against 10 men of The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade. [No title]|1864-10-29|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online
He then disappears, never to be heard of again in Wrexham, but is next recorded, possibly in a workhouse, in Bangor/Beaumaris, where he is sent, either admitted or committed by his family, to what is then termed, Denbigh Lunatic Asylum.
He then spends the rest of his life in the asylum
Johnstone. George Rumsey
09/12/1865 aged 23 clerk in insurance office. transferred from Bangor & Beaumaris.
.

1871 North Wales Counties Lunatic Asylum Denbigh
George Rumsey Johnston patient 27 clerk in insurance office (no birth place) lunatic.

1881 North Wales Lunatic Asylum.
G.R.J. patient (status unknown) insurance clerk. born unknown. Lunatic.

1891 North Wales Counties Lunatic Asylum Denbigh
George Rumsey Johnstone. Patient / pauper. clerk in insurance office 47 b Bangor. Lunatic. Speaks English

1901 Glan Y Wern Branch Lunatic Asylum. Llandyrnog. Denbigh
George Rumsey Johnstone patient 56 general labourer b Llanbeblig, Caernarvonshire, Speaks English.
1911 Denbighshire census. Johnstone. George Rumsey, patient, age not known ,status not known, occupation clerk, office (code 050) worker. b Middlesex London. (possibly relating to his time in London) Lunatic. English.
1912. Institution: Denbigh Denbighshire Wales Geo R Johnstone Admission Date: 9 Dec 1865 Died: 28 Jan 1912 Denbighshire, Wales. (This date was crossed out and ‘transferred to Dist December 11th’ was written in) and so, aged 69, he may have spent his last few weeks in an external hospital.
George R Johnstone. Estimated birth year: abt 1843
1912 Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death:69 Registration district of St Asaph
I have found no record of the cemetery where he was buried, or even if he had a headstone.

His sister- Ellen Maude Rumsey Johnston also died in the Denbigh institution.

George Rumsey Johnston, a founding player of Wrexham Football Club. Born Bangor 1843- Died Denbighshire 28.12.1912

Rest in peace.

Updated
George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843- Died Denbighshire 12.01.1912.
Rest in Peace

[eastsussexred]

25th June 1864, G.R. Johnson plays for Provincial Cricket team against Wrexham Cricket Club and on 2nd July, played for Wrexham CC against Wynnstay. Many of the Provincial and Wrexham Cricket teams will later play for Wrexham Football Club
I CRICKET. I|1864-07-09|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

Additional cricket matches recorded with G.R. Johnston/Johnson

- - -LOCAL NEWS. -,........... - r ""''''''-'' r-o...-, ,," . -""- .. -.., '" .-, . ' '- ........-........."""""""",- ,........... -|1864-10-01|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers On

I 'CRICKET. i|1864-09-10|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

I-CRICKET.|1864-08-27|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

I CRICKET. I|1864-07-09|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

[eastsussexred]

Updated list of the 10 founding players of our first ever game on 22nd October 1864. Wrexham Football and Athletic Club.

Charles Edward Kershaw (Captain)
Born 1839. Died Southport 1884.

William Tootell
Born Wrexham 1831. died Wrexham 1866

Thomas Henry Sykes
Born Huddersfield 1841. Died Nottingham 1910

Thomas Broster
Born Wrexham 1845. Died Bethlehem, South Africa 1921

Thomas Hanmer
Born Overton 1839. Died Wrexham 1887

Edward Ephraim Knibbs
Born Chester 1837. Died Wrexham 1875

Thomas Heath
Born Ramsbury (Wilts) 1824. Died Wycombe 1887.

John Taylor
Born Wrexham 1842. Died Newcastle 1895

George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843. Died Denbighshire 28.01.1912

Joseph Roberts

[eastsussexred]

Also recorded as a Provincial Insurance Office clerk G.R. Johnston in February 1863 and as G. R. Johnston for The Provincial Cricket team in July 1864

[StattoWrexham]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

Also recorded as a Provincial Insurance Office clerk G.R. Johnston in February 1863 and as G. R. Johnston for The Provincial Cricket team in July 1864

Great stuff!

[eastsussexred]

admitted to the Denbigh Asylum as a pauper patient from Bangor/Beaumaris on 9/12/1865

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

Charles Edward Kershaw was elected to serve on the Wrexham Board of Guardians (a union to aid the poor) for the district of Broughton in 1863, and there are many other newspaper references of the day regarding his community and civic endeavours
In addition, the following link states that he served as a steward and secretary for various events at the racecourse- WREXHAM AUTUMN SPORTS. )|1867-10-26|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online although there are many other online newspaper references relating to his involvement in the activities at The Racecourse during the 1860’s, including winning a pewter cup in the first athletics event after the founding of the football club. He also played cricket for The Denbighshire County Cricket Club.
Charles was also a volunteer in The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade, but he would play for the newly formed Wrexham Athletic Football club, when a team of his colleagues from the Fire Brigade visited the Racecourse for the football clubs fist ever game in October 1864.
There are a number of references to suggest that Charles was an accountant and he is recorded as living at 2 Derby Road, Hightown, but later moved to Salisbury Park.
His wife’s name was Anna Maria, although there are no surving records of her birth/death or marriage; however, there is a baptism entry in the Clwyd names registry which states “KERSHAW; 8 Aug 1872 bap/o Alfred Ollivant Hyde s/o Charles Edward (acct) & Anna Maria, High Town”.
The family are believed to have moved to Merseyside as Allfred Ollivant Hyde Kershaw was later recorded as living in Aintree, Liverpool, and on the 2nd January 1885, The Obituaries in The Wrexham Advertiser reported that Charles Edward Kershaw had died in Southport aged 45 years on 27th December 1884

Update to Charles Edward Kershaw's Details
He was born in Saddleworth, Yorkshire in 1830.
In the 1861 census he was living in Charlesbury Park, Wrexham and was the son of the house owner. His fathers name 'may' have been George Kershaw.
In this census he lives with two women- Julie and Emma Whitehand, who are listed as being his daughters; however in the 1871 census, he is living with Julie Whitehand who is listed as his sister, and Susana Bryan- a servant.
He then Married Anna Maria Randles in the summer of 1871 and she gave birth to a son Alfred Ollivant Hyde in 1872. There are no records to say what happened to Anna Maria, although Charles Edward died in Southport in December 1874.
Charles Edward Kershaw
1830- 1874

[eastsussexred]

Updated details for the ten founding players of Wrexham Football and Athletic Club

Charles Edward Kershaw (Captain)
Born Saddleworth (Yorks) 1830. Died Southport 1874.

William Tootell
Born Wrexham 1831. died Wrexham 1866

Thomas Henry Sykes
Born Huddersfield 1841. Died Nottingham 1910

Thomas Broster
Born Wrexham 1845. Died Bethlehem, South Africa 1921

Thomas Hanmer
Born Overton 1839. Died Wrexham 1887

Edward Ephraim Knibbs
Born Chester 1837. Died Wrexham 1875

Thomas Heath
Born Ramsbury (Wilts) 1824. Died Wycombe 1887.

John Taylor
Born Wrexham 1842. Died Newcastle 1895

George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843. Died Denbighshire 28.01.1912

Joseph Roberts

[eastsussexred]

Updated again. Records show that Charles Edward Kershaw was born the son of John and Mary Ann Kershaw in 1829. He was Christened on 18 October 1829, in Mossley, Lancs, which is only a few miles from Saddleworth, Yorks. This fits in with newspaper reports of his death in 1874, which stated that he was 45 when he died.



Charles Edward Kershaw (Captain)
Born Saddleworth (Yorks) 1829. Died Southport 1874.

William Tootell
Born Wrexham 1831. died Wrexham 1866

Thomas Henry Sykes
Born Huddersfield 1841. Died Nottingham 1910

Thomas Broster
Born Wrexham 1845. Died Bethlehem, South Africa 1921

Thomas Hanmer
Born Overton 1839. Died Wrexham 1887

Edward Ephraim Knibbs
Born Chester 1837. Died Wrexham 1875

Thomas Heath
Born Ramsbury (Wilts) 1824. Died Wycombe 1887.

John Taylor
Born Wrexham 1842. Died Newcastle 1895

George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843. Died Denbighshire 28.01.1912

Joseph Roberts