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

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by Mr Wonderful

Interestingly, I've read that the Welsh population of Liverpool in the 1870's was around 50-70,000. (Reading up on the Welsh Streets in Toxteth).
I'd imagine their would have been plenty of connections between the towns.

I think you are right Mr W. Didn't it used to be called the capital of North Wales at one time?

Since learning that one of our founding players Thomas Broster emmigrated to South Africa, I have been trying to create links between the club and South Africa. I have also been researching Welsh, particularly North Welsh descendants in other countries, of which there are many; trying to find connections with wealth and influence in Argentina, North America and Canada.
Affiliated Welsh Organisations

with Canada alone having half-a -million claiming Welsh Ancestry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Canadians

Toronto and Montreal also have populations with significant numbers who claim Welsh Ancestry, and just look at the value of their football teams

The Top 10 Most Valuable MLS Teams - TheRichest

[Mr Wonderful]

Great links ESR, & sorry to have took your thread slightly off topic. But my last post on the matter that you may or may not know.

It's possible that twenty per cent of the Pilgrim Fathers of America were Welsh and perhaps more importantly almost fifty percent of the signatories to the American Declaration of Independence were also Welsh or of Welsh heritage. The author of the Declaration of Independence, President Thomas Jefferson, was among those of Welsh descent, along with eight other American presidents.

There is an inscription halfway up the steps of the Washington Monument which reads Fy iaith, fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl Cymru - Cymru am byth! ("My language, my land, my nation of Wales - Wales for ever!"). The engraved stone is from Wales, paid for by Welsh New Yorkers.

Wrexhams : http://www.wrexham.com/features/10-w...rld-45303.html

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by Mr Wonderful

Great links ESR, & sorry to have took your thread slightly off topic. But my last post on the matter that you may or may not know.

It's possible that twenty per cent of the Pilgrim Fathers of America were Welsh and perhaps more importantly almost fifty percent of the signatories to the American Declaration of Independence were also Welsh or of Welsh heritage. The author of the Declaration of Independence, President Thomas Jefferson, was among those of Welsh descent, along with eight other American presidents.

There is an inscription halfway up the steps of the Washington Monument which reads Fy iaith, fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl Cymru - Cymru am byth! ("My language, my land, my nation of Wales - Wales for ever!").

Thanks, I did read a bit about it Mr W. Didn't know about the inscription though.
Don't happen to have any of their email addresses do you

[jonesfach]

Amazing work as always. Just goes to show what great history we have, not only as a football club, but as a nation.

[WasanActonlad]

And a town... ok its not much... but its our town.... and our club... feel the passion

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I have finally worked out the issues surrounding the construction dates and details of The Turf Tavern and The Turf Hotel.

The Turf Tavern was built between 1831 and 1835 and not 1840 to 1844 as published as a possible date range by The Royal Commission. This is confirmed by the fact that a landlord of The Turf Tavern was recorded in the Pigot Commercial Directory dated 1835 (John Tench (Pigot 1835) Turf Tavern)
Clwyd FHS - Historic Wrexham Inns

The same is also confirmed in The Denbighshire Archives.

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/r...sort=BestMatch

Although there are no records of The Turf Tavern in The Pigot Directory of 1830, and so the first date of occupation must have been between 1831 and 1835.


The Royal Commission had surveyed The Turf Hotel in 2007 and concluded that it had been built on the site of the demolished Turf Tavern in c1860.

Coflein


However, as previously posted, during the early years of the 1850’s the temperance movement and the church had organised a very strong campaign to have race meetings at The racecourse stopped, and so a pro-racing group consisting mostly of brewers and landlords had funded and arranged the construction of a new permanent grandstand in 1854, which was sited next to The Turf Tavern ‘where the MRS is situated today’.

I WREXHAM RACES. I|1853-10-15|The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality - Welsh Newspapers Online

The following year, the same group funded the construction of a new public house which was built directly onto the end of the original Turf Tavern.
In August 1855, John Whittaker, who had been landlord of The Turf Tavern for many years, posted an article in The Wrexham Advertiser, advertising a Housewarming Dinner .

Advertising|1855-08-11|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

Housewarming dinners were a well established custom for landlords when they moved into a new property in those days, and numerous newspaper articles show that John Whittaker had lived continuously at The Turf Tavern right up to the time that he advertised a housewarming dinner for his new property.
In effect, The Turf Tavern had not been demolished, but rather a New Turf Tavern had been built directly onto the old building (1855), with only the end section of The Tavern eventually being knocked down when the new MRS was built in 1999.

As soon as John Whittaker and his family moved into the new building, the end section of the old Turf Tavern was converted into offices for reporters and race officials.

SPORTING. I|1855-10-06|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

The upper floor of this section of The Turf Tavern would later be used as changing rooms.
The attached image shows the extent of The Turf Tavern, with the red diagonal line showing the section that had been converted into offices for racecourse officials, with the arrow showing the door and steps from the upper floor where the changing rooms for players had been, until this section was demolished.

The Turf Tavern was renamed and converted into The Turf Hotel in 1865, probably in response to the growing number of visitors to Wrexham, due to a rapidly expanding railway network.

Historic Wrexham Racecourse Videos Released - Wrexham.com Wrexham.com



.

I have just found an article which states that a Mr Evans of The Turf Tavern was a subscriber to The Wrexham Association for Detecting and Prosecuting Felons, recorded in The Chester, Cheshire and North Wales Advertiser on November 18th, 1825, and so takes the date of the Tavern on The Racecourse (the lower section of the existing Turf Hotel) back to at least 1825.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I have finally worked out the issues surrounding the construction dates and details of The Turf Tavern and The Turf Hotel.

The Turf Tavern was built prior to 1825 and not 1840 to 1844 as published as a possible date range by The Royal Commission. This is confirmed by the fact that a landlord of The Turf Tavern was recorded in the Pigot Commercial Directory dated 1835 (John Tench (Pigot 1835) Turf Tavern)
Clwyd FHS - Historic Wrexham Inns

The same is also confirmed in The Denbighshire Archives.

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/r...sort=BestMatch

Although there are no records of The Turf Tavern in The Pigot Directory of 1830, and so the first date of occupation must have been between 1831 and 1835.


The Royal Commission had surveyed The Turf Hotel in 2007 and concluded that it had been built on the site of the demolished Turf Tavern in c1860.

Coflein


However, as previously posted, during the early years of the 1850’s the temperance movement and the church had organised a very strong campaign to have race meetings at The racecourse stopped, and so a pro-racing group consisting mostly of brewers and landlords had funded and arranged the construction of a new permanent grandstand in 1854, which was sited next to The Turf Tavern ‘where the MRS is situated today’.

I WREXHAM RACES. I|1853-10-15|The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality - Welsh Newspapers Online

The following year, the same group funded the construction of a new public house which was built directly onto the end of the original Turf Tavern.
In August 1855, John Whittaker, who had been landlord of The Turf Tavern for many years, posted an article in The Wrexham Advertiser, advertising a Housewarming Dinner .

Advertising|1855-08-11|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

Housewarming dinners were a well established custom for landlords when they moved into a new property in those days, and numerous newspaper articles show that John Whittaker had lived continuously at The Turf Tavern right up to the time that he advertised a housewarming dinner for his new property.
In effect, The Turf Tavern had not been demolished, but rather a New Turf Tavern had been built directly onto the old building (1855), with only the end section of The Tavern eventually being knocked down when the new MRS was built in 1999.

As soon as John Whittaker and his family moved into the new building, the end section of the old Turf Tavern was converted into offices for reporters and race officials.

SPORTING. I|1855-10-06|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

The upper floor of this section of The Turf Tavern would later be used as changing rooms.
The attached image shows the extent of The Turf Tavern, with the red diagonal line showing the section that had been converted into offices for racecourse officials, with the arrow showing the door and steps from the upper floor where the changing rooms for players had been, until this section was demolished.

The Turf Tavern was renamed and converted into The Turf Hotel in 1865, probably in response to the growing number of visitors to Wrexham, due to a rapidly expanding railway network.

Historic Wrexham Racecourse Videos Released - Wrexham.com Wrexham.com



.

Updated

[WasanActonlad]

There's a book here......

This needs keeping for posterity

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by WasanActonlad

There's a book here......

This needs keeping for posterity

The idea is that it will all get updated onto WAFC/WST website, in time. I have added to an article called 'the early years', and anyone can contribute with articles by contacting the club via the website. I have also contacted WCBC, asking them to alter their history of our club