Local Beacon Your History Run Down
January 2022
Ice skating in Brecon - January 1908
The Frost — The weir at Newton Pool onThursday morning presented a unique sight.The icy east wind had frozen the water to such a degree that the whole of the river for the time being was held back by a barrier of ice.When the centre of this ice wall broke, the water rushed through and left the ice standing on the edge of the weir to about a height of three or four feet.This presented a very strange sight and was the target for many cameras. On Sunday Newton Pool was negotiable for the first time this season for skating, and large numbers of Breconians betook themselves to this extensive sheet of ice. There was also good skating on the Brecon and Newport Canal, and Llangorse Lake, although not safely negotiable in the central parts, afforded an extensive area for skaters round the shore parts. The thermometer registered 15 degrees of frost on Saturday night, and 9 degrees at mid-day on Sunday. But on Monday morning a violent change came, the temperature went up rapidly, the wind changed to the south-west, and those who bought a new pair of skate on Saturday were crestfallen.
Picture: Newton Pool in 1940s
February 2022
Sport in Brecon: FIVES part 1
The Gentr y class of Georgian Brecon amused themselves by playing various sports. One of these was “FIVES”, a ball game played on a three- or four- sided special court.The ball was propelled against the walls using a gloved or bare hand, rackets and boards.
An ambitious Advertisement Bill exists of a challenge put out by the Brecon Fives players:
“BRECKNOCK AGAINST ALL BRITAIN! Brecon Castle Fives Court.
There are Two Men in the Town of Brecon, who will Play a RUBBER OF FIVES with Battleboards, in the Court at Brecon Castle, against any Two Men in the Kingdom, for ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS. – They will likewise Play any
Three Men that were born and bred in any County of Great Britain, for another
HUNDRED GUINEAS.
One of them will Play any Man in the Nation for TWO HUNDRED GUINEAS.
If any would wish to accept either of the above Challenges, they may apply to Mr Jones, at the Castle aforesaid.
It is allowed to be as Fair an enclosed Court as any in England.
March 10, 1786
BRECKNOCK, PRINTED BY W. AND G. NORTH.”
In the next edition of Your History, the two Brecon players are named and the location of the court is described.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
March 2022
Sport in Brecon: FIVES part 2
We know the names of two Brecon-based players who tookpartinaFIVEScompetitioninLudlow,alsoin1786.
“A MATCH AT FIVES.
To be Played in the Fives-Court, at Ludlow, on Wednesday the 30th of August, (being the second race-day) A MATCH at FIVES, for FIFTY GUINEAS, between John Harris, of Ludlow, and his Partner, on one side, and John Lilwill and John Davies, of Brecon, on the other side —To begin at nine o’clock.”
(Hereford Journal - 24 August 1786)
Visitors to Brecon often wrote Diaries of their observations. Here are some examples of their experience of Fives.
The Hon. John Byng’s “Torrington Diaries” [Vol 1] describes his visit to Brecon in 1787, and the ruined Brecon Castle site:
“nothing now remains but a small bastion, at the hill top, where stood Ely Tower, the area is converted into a bowling green; and the old hall which fronts the bridge, forms one side of a five’s court.”
Thomas Mytton, in his visit to Brecon on Sunday, 30th June 1776, wrote
“A great concourse of both sexes and of all ages were assembled to see the young men at play at Fives against the castle wall.”
And this on a Sunday!
Picture: Brecon Castle, 1790.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
April 2022
Brecon Races: part 1 - The Racing Season
An annual two day horse racing season in September was an important occasion in the Brecon social calendar.
The race course was on the land now occupied by the Island fields between the canal and the Usk river. The picture shows the racecourse as it was in John Wood’s Brecknock town map of 1834.
To access the full map, visit https://www.library.wales/ discover/digital-gallery/maps-1/town-plans/john- woods-welsh-town-plans and press “Brecknock, 1834”.
The fixture and results appeared in newspapers in both England and Wales. The earliest newspaper reports appear in the 1820s.
From the reports we see that these early Races were stewarded by Sir Charles Morgan, MP for Brecon and Walter Wilkins, MP for Radnor.The local aristocracy and gentry attended and gave the Prizes.
These included in the 1826 season: free plate of 50 Sovereigns; sweepstake for half bred horses of 5 Sovereigns with 20 Sovereigns added; the Gold Cup worth 100 Sovereigns added to a Sweepstake of 10 Sovereigns each; a half bred Hunter’s Sweepstake of 5 Sovereigns each with 20 Sovereigns added and a Handicap Plate of 50 Sovereigns. (A Sovereign was worth £1 and was made of gold).
To be continued.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
May 2022
Brecon Races: part 2 - The Evening Functions
The main celebrations after racing were called ‘Ordinaries’ and these were well attended. We learn that during the evenings of the 1826 Racing Season, “the ball-room presented each night a most brilliant assemblage of rank, beauty and fashion”. Money was raised by subscription, for the following year’s Race fixtures.
It seems that the Ordinaries of 1833 were so joyous that, “At the Ball on the first evening of Brecon Races, the gaiety of the company sustained a momentary check from part of the floor of the room accidently giving way and sinking about a foot.There was happily no injury done and the alarm of the moment was dispelled by the floor being more firmly sustained by props placed beneath and thus rendered capable of sustaining the weight of the company.”
Immediately, that evening, a subscription was put in place and within minutes £120 pounds had been pledged, to build a new “public room”.
The following year, 1834, the newspapers announced that the “race balls will be the first to take place at the new assembly room at the Castle Hotel in Brecon.”
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
June 2022
Boxing in Brecon – Part 1.
South Wales Daily News - 01 May 1889
“Considerable interest was aroused in Brecon on Monday night by a large influx of well-dressed men coming in by the last Merthyr train, and this put the police on the alert. Early on Tuesday breaks full of men came in from Merthyr, Aberdare, and Cefn, and the Warren Road, and it leaked out that a prize-fight was to take place in the vicinity.A very secluded spot about three miles from Brecon had been selected for the bill.There were a large number of people present, but just as all preliminaries had been arranged the county police appeared on the scene, and there was a general stampede. The stakes were £50 aside, and for some time back both men have undergone careful preparation.That the fight was to take place onTuesday gradually leaked out in Cardiff... it afterwards became pretty well known that Brecon was the rendezvous.”
The interrupted fight took place the following morning at 3am at Marshfield, Cardiff, between Shoni Engineer (J. Jones) and J. O’Brien. There were 19 rounds over 23 minutes and J. O’Brian won the match.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
July 2022
Boxing in Brecon – part 2: Legal Boxing Matches.
Not everyone in Brecon approved of boxing. A letter in the Brecon County Times in 1920 stated “I could not have conceived that Brecon would have consented to such a degrading sport for an entertainment...It seems very perplexing that such a nice town as Brecon, with its many organisations for doing good, should allow such a sight as men belabouring each other for a paltry sum of money, and after such suffering as this country [WW1] and many others have gone through.”
In Brecon, legal boxing tournaments were held in the South Wales Borderers Barracks Gymnasium, with local civilians encouraged to come to the matches.
Exhibition bouts were held in Brecon, which attracted well known boxers such as Newport born, Johnny Basham. He was the first Welterweight to win the Lonsdale Belt outright.
One of his last exhibition fights was held in Brecon Market Hall, in October 1922. The exhibition was moved from the Barracks in anticipation of the crowds who wanted to watch the fights.The boxing ring was erected in the middle of the Market Hall. It was a sell-out.
The following month, in Sheffield, Johnny was knocked out by World Champion Mike McTigue and soon after, Johnny retired from boxing.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
August 2022
St Eluned’s Chapel & Well, Slwch Hillfort
Eluned [aka Aled] was one of the many daughters of the fifth century King, Brychan of Brycheiniog. She was pursued by a local landowner, who wanted to make her his wife. She ran away to avoid being forced into marriage.The local villages of Llanddew, Llanfilo and Llechfaen all rejected her, doubting her motive for not being with her family or a male escort.
She would not find peace until her arrival on Slwch, where the local lord gave her protection. Her security was short lived as her pursuer found her, determined to possess her as his own.When she spurned him, he chased her and beheaded her. Her head hit a stone and a healing spring burst from that spot.
At some time, her body was removed to the Priory Church at Usk, in Monmouthshire, home to a community of Benedictine nuns.
A chapel,yew tree and well,marked the spot of her death. In 1188 Gerald of Wales, then Archdeacon at Brecon and living at Llanddew, witnessed mediaeval pilgrims performing ecstatic dances and being healed there.
The chapel fell into decay after the Reformation. Nothing is visible at the site.
Her Saint’s or Feast Day is August 1st.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
September 2022
Brecon “Lionesses” 1953
We have been impressed by the talent of the “Lionesses”, England’s female football team, during this summer’s Euros.
Did you know that Brecon had three women’s football teams during the CoronationYear of 1953? They were the “Avenue Rovers”, the “Watton Wanderers” and the “Llanfaes Westenders”. The teams played for charity and had fixtures outside of Brecon town.
The Watton Wanderers, had their kit sourced by an army sergeant who took an interest in the team. He found long, white shorts, green shirts and football boots at the camp. These were rather large and paper was used to make the boots fit, but the team was kitted out.
Many of the young women were good at the game. The women had a very good time with plenty of amusement. One story goes that a particularly able player was dribbling the ball up the Island field football pitch, when the lace on the ball was grabbed by a terrier, and he escaped with it.
On another occasion they were facing a team at Talgarth Hospital, but some of the players were quite muscular.The Watton Wanderers lost that match.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
October 2022
The Golden Lion Inn, Lion Street
(now Bethel Square)
Brecon’s premier inn during the 18th century, it gave its name to Lion Street. The Inn occupied a wide frontage with stabling for 60 horses at the rear.
In 1755, it was the venue for the first meeting of the Brecknock Agricultural Society, the oldest Agricultural Society in Britain.The inn yard was the show area and auction mart, and the Society gave awards for stock improvement, particularly of stallions.
In 1756 Thomas Longfellow, the owner, was principal agent in launching the first commercial coach service from London, via Gloucester, into Mid-Wales.
The inaugural meeting of the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal Company was held here in 1793.
An important social venue,The Golden Lion housed civic functions, balls and theatrical performances.
Eventually it was eclipsed by the new Castle Hotel, and by 1834 it was serving as a barracks for the 11th Regiment.
In 1843 the Golden Lion site was purchased by the Calvinistic Methodists, at first for education, and then building Bethel Chapel in 1852.
Later, the Lion Street frontage was rented to the Post Office and various commercial activities.
In 1994 the entire property opened as the Bethel Square shopping precinct.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
November 2022
Thomas Longfellow [1727-1814].
He was landlord of both the Bell Inn in High Street Superior and the Golden Lion Inn, in Lion Street. From 1792, he held the Golden Lion Inn only.
He lived at a house called the “Private Lion” obviously attached to the Inn. In 1798, an adjoining neighbour, Anna Maria Hughes, gave notice that Thomas Longfellow, his family, servants, and “others” should stop throwing water or any other thing from the windows of their house onto any part of her premises.
There is evidence that he was quite a character. One dissatisfied customer etched the following poem onto the window shutter of the Inn.
“Tom Longfellow’s name is most justly his due,
Long his neck, long his bill, which is very long too;
Long the time ere your horse to the stable is led,
Long before he’s rubbed down, and much longer till fed. Long indeed may you sit in a comfortless room,
Till from kitchen, long dirty, your dinners shall come. Long the often-told tale that your host will relate, Long his face while complaining how long people eat, Long may Longfellow long ere he see me again,
Long ‘twill be ere I long for Tom Longfellow’s inn.”
He is buried, with his family in Brecon Cathedral.
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society
December 2022
Brecon Postal Arrangements for Christmas 1930.
‘To ensure delivery by Christmas Day, parcels and packets should be posted no later than Monday, 22nd December. Letters and cards should be posted no later than mid-day on Tuesday 23rd December. Anything posted after these times (unless for delivery locally and in neighbouring towns) may not be delivered until after Christmas.
The latest time of posting at the Brecon Head Office will be 6pm. Christmas Eve for local delivery and 11am. 24th for neighbouring places.
Christmas Day - Morning delivery only to all places, but no dispatches. No collection from town letter boxes. A collection will be made in rural areas on delivery, but will not be despatched until Boxing Day.
Boxing Day - No delivery. A collection in the town area only about 4.30pm, to connect with the night mail despatch at 7.15pm.
The Brecon head office and sub offices will be open on Christmas Day as on Sundays; 9 - 10.30am for the transaction of Telegraph business and sale of postage stamps.
On Boxing Day, the head office will be opened from 9am to noon for all classes of business. Sub-offices as on Sunday, 9 - 10.30am.”
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© Breconshire Local & Family History Society