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WREXHAM THEATRICAL REMINISCENCES. INTERVIEW WITH MRS RICHARDS.
Very Shortly the Bangor Christy Minstrels (of whom report speaks in high terms), assisted by local artistes and professional talent, will give an entertainment in the Public Hall, for the benefit of Mrs F. C. Richards. This lady, who is more widely known as Mrs Marie Hannan, has in her day given many benefits for deserting objects, and we hope the public will not forget to attend the entertainment or liberally to purchase tickets. It may be news to many readers, but it is nevertheless true, that Wrexham once possessed a theatre, built for the express purpose of play-acting, designed in the familiar horseshoe shape, with pit, boxes, and gallery all complete. It stood where Mr J. E. Powell's implement warehouse now is. This ware- house succeeded a temperance hall, and the temperance hall took the place of the Old Theatre, probably about 1872. Mrs Richards, to use the more familiar name Mrs Hannan, has a very interesting story to tell. Her connection with Wales has been of considerable length, for it was on Easter Saturday, thirty-two years ago, that she came from the Princess' Theatre, Sadler's Wells, to Wrexham, being starred to play in •' The Lancashire Lass." Her first view of the theatre was one of dismay, for the stage was covered with damp saw- dust. As she went to her dressing-room she saw an old woman bearing an open umbrella. The actress asked who she was, and what she wanted with the umbrella. The old woman (whose name was Aston) explained she was the cleaner, and that she had been ordered to follow the leading lady about with the open umbrella, because the roof was so bad that the rain came in freely. Mrs Richard's first view of the house was very amusing, for the people in the pit and gallery sat with collars turned up and umbrellas open. The staging of the play was as crude as the state of the roof. A police-officer is one of the characters, and Inspector Lamb (a terror to evildoers in those days) had kindly lent a suit of uniform. Now Lamb was well favoured, and the actor was lean. Making up was necessary, and it was done with cushions. When the prisoner (in the play) learned of the arrival of a telegram which was to give him freedom, he sprang towards the bearer, and in doing so dragged the inspector with him. He upset the " Post office," and the inkbottle poured its contents over his face and Lamb's uniform. It is said the audience thought it part of the fun, but Lamb lamented. Mrs Richards was very successful l remained in Wrexham for about nine weeks. The lessee of the theatre was Mr Aston, who came from Birkenhead. There seems to have been a theatrical connection between Wrexham and Aberystwyth, for at this sea- side resort Mrs Richards attained a great and permanent popularity. After Mr Aston left Wrexham, the theatre passed into the hands of Mr Hannan, who had married the subject of this article. Mr Hannan was a man of good family, and his father was the owner of some large saw mills in London. His family name was Phillips, and he was educated for the Bar at Furnival'a Inn. The stage attracted him and he appeared at Drury Lane. His father objected and threatened to cut him off with the proverbial shilling. The youth was dejected, but met his cousin James, afterwards Sir James Hannan, of the Divorce Court, who told him to use his. Mr Phillips became Mr Hannan and was successful in heavy parts as " lago," and especially in " The Heir at Law and " Caste." He was a particular friend of Mr Charles Matthews, who was born at Coed Talon, near Mold, a fact which not many people know, perhaps. Mr Hannan took the Wrexham Theatre and it’s auxiliary at Aberystwyth. He did good work on the stage, and but for his death (about 1870) the Wrexham Theatre would have been a flourishing institution to this day. Mrs Richards was particularly strong in " Leah," and her first appearance in this great part was under- taken at very short notice owing to tbe actress cast for the part," falling ill. Gifted with a fine musical voice, Mrs Richards certainly made the most of this task, and always won the hearty applause of her audiences. Another part which she impersonated with great skill was that of Pauline in “Tbe Lady of Lyons," and was once playing it in Wrexham to the " Claude Melnotte " of Morgan Smith, a man of colour. This curious conjunction of colour attracted the attention of the original Pauline (the late Lady Martin), who very kindly attended at the theatre, and afterwards wrote Mrs Richards a most kind letter of congratulation and praise. Mrs Richards has played with Buckstone, Compton, J. L. Toole, Madame Beatrice, Miss Neilson, and Mr and Mrs Charles Keene. She came from London to Wale, upon the suggestion of her brother-in-law, Mr Watts Phillips, the writer, chiefly to recruit her health. She liked the place and people and has remained since. In addition to being an actress of power and ability, Mrs Richards arranged a play. " Jo," from " Bleak House," which was given in 1877 in aid of Mr. White's Orphan Home.

It was a charity match arranged by D. J. Williams of Rhydybill (Ruthin) and Barnsley, and the Vice Chairman of Barnsley FC - W. B. Gittus. The game was reported in the press as being arranged in aid of local charities but was almost certainly also arranged to raise funds to erect a memorial for Arthur Owen Vaughan (The Owen Rhoscomyl Memorial). https://archives.library.wales/downloads/arthur-owen-vaughan-owen-rhoscomyl-papers-2.pdf
Later that year, Barnsley FC Director- Lieutenant Colonel Charles Fox, also visited D. J. Williams in Ruthin.
D. J. Williams owned properties and businesses in both Ruthin and Barnsley.

The Ruthin team included guest appearances from the Welsh internationals Billy Meredith and Lloyd Davies
Barnsley won the game 5-2 with goals for Barsnley from Newton, Halliwell (2) and Fletcher (2) while Meredith scored 2 for Ruthin.
Both Mayors from Ruthin and Barnsley attended the reception, which was held at The Wynnstay Hotel in Ruthin. The Barnsley team and club officials stayed at the hotel until Monday morning.

They seem to have first appeared for the start of 1891 football season. and by the 1892 season they were playing teams like Wrexham Olympic (now Wrexham AFC), with players such as Sisson, possibly the ex international Herbert Sisson who had previously played for Wrexham Olympic from 1884-86. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4593641/4593644/21/

In this game against Wrexham Olympic, the Wrexham Old Boys team was Whitehouse, goal; Walker and Ralph, backs; A. Evans, Gratton, and Fraser, half-backs; Jones, Meddicott, Fraser, Sisson, and Powell, forwards. 
Other Internationals such as Llew Davies and Arthur Davies had also played for Wrexham Old Boys.
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4246712/4246716/8/


https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4245492/4245494/3/

By 1895, Wrexham Old Boys also had their own Reserve Team
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4594117/4594122/45/
 
Wrexham Old Boys had been founding members of The Welsh Junior League in 1896
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3753154/3753159/47/
and in 1897 Mr. Harold Davies, secretary of the Wrexham Old Boys' Club, said it was their ambition to become the second (feeder) team of the Wrexham Football Club. It was decided to hold a meeting between representatives of the former club, and the committee of the latter, with a view to that suggestion being put into practice.

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3662056/3662064/115/

Horace Blew was also a Welsh International who had played for Wrexham Old Boys. Blew played for the old boys in his first season after leaving Grove Park Grammar School and an interview with Blew, reported in The Wellington Journal on 9th December 1905, stated 'Horace showed some of the qualifications which make for success as a full back, and he was accordingly transferred to that position where he did yeoman service for his school. Having entered upon the serious business of life, the subject of this sketch allied himself with the Wrexham Old Boys, a club which was then in a flourishing condition'.
It seem highly likely that Wrexham Old Boys were 'Grove Park Grammar School' Old Boys.
I can find no mention of Wrexham Old Boys Football team after 1919, but found Wrexham Old Boys Polo team (associated with Grove Park School) in 1936 and from 1942 found an article about a missing soldier who had been a well known rugby player in Wrexham and Chester but had also been a prominent member of Grove Park Wrexham Old Boys Association.

However, the format of the races appears to have changed over time, as a number of advertisements for race meetings in Wrexham had appeared in The London Evening Post, dating from as far back as January 1739. The articles advertised a two-day meeting for The Wrexham Races ‘on the new course’ for Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th April 1739, with a considerable purse of £30 for the winner of the first days meeting and a £20 purse for the winner of the second day. The following year, the same newspaper also advertised another, well organised three-day meeting ‘on the new course’ from the 8th to 10th April 1740, which also offered a purse of £30 for the winner of the first days meeting and a £20 purse for each of the winners of the following days meetings. It was also published in a book in 1845 that a horse named Black Chance was the winner of one of these meetings. The advertisements from both of these years each stipulated rules and regulations akin to those which were later adopted in races in the 19th Century, which seems to suggest that The Wrexham Races were indeed an ancient custom that stretched back deep into history, and whilst occurring at least once a year, the races seem to have been sometimes better organised, and better rewarded, than at other times, when the format appears to have reverted to a more rustic meeting, which incorporated more of the traditional community activities, as identified in the reports from the 1790’s.
While initially it had seemed that Sir Watkin Williams Wynn -the 5th Baronet (1772-1840) had been responsible for the founding of The Wrexham Races, further investigation has shown that although he may have built or upgraded The Racecourse to a better standard, as well as promoting and financially supporting the races, he wasn’t really a lover of the turf, preferring instead to spend his days hunting, whereas his predecessors, at least as far back as Sir John Wynn, were more enthusiastic regarding the sport of kings.
Sir John Wynn (1628-1719) who had inherited the Watstay (Wynnstay) Estate was believed to have bred racehorses, and it was Sir John who had bought the Plas Coch Estate (where The Racecourse is now situated) in 1709. Sir Watkin’s grandfather- the 3rd Baronet then inherited the family estates when Sir John Wynn died in 1719 and his family continued to breed horses, with the 3rd Baronet having established The Ruabon Hunt, before he died when he fell from his horse while hunting at Acton Park in 1749. But it was during his lifetime that The Wrexham Races appeared in The London Evening Post (1739/40) along with an adage that there would be cockfighting at The Three Eagles in the mornings, before the races, and as The Three Eagles was owned by the Wynn family at that time, then it seems probable that The Wrexham Races were already being funded and promoted by the 3rd Baronet in the first half of the 18th Century.
When we consider where the racing took place in Wrexham, during the 18th Century, we are told by The London Evening Post that The Wrexham Races were held on ‘the new course’ in 1739 and 1740. Likewise, we also know that the races were also held on ‘the new course’ (Y Cae Ras) in 1800. It might therefore follow that there were two different racecourse locations; unless, that is, the location remained the same (Y Cae Ras) but the course was revamped as a new course in both the 18th and 19th Centuries. The latter appears to have been the case, due to the remarkable research of Alfred Neobard Palmer.
Palmer, who is regarded as the finest Wrexham historian of his time, published a series of 10 books on the local history of the area, at the end of 19th Century. There are a number of references to The Racecourse in its current location in his books, but only in the context of the 19th Century, which in itself seems to confirm that the location of The Racecourse had never been any different, as Palmer had specifically researched the fields and Streets of Wrexham
In his work ‘The Town, Fields and Folks of Wrexham in The Times of James The First’ Alfred Palmer had translated the oldest Latin records available to him since the early medieval period and made no reference to any racecourse. His research was based on a survey for Charles- Prince of Wales by John Norden, in 1620, although Norden’s Survey did not include land which had been previously owned by Valle Crucis Abbey, such as Stansty, which was not a part of the Prince’s estate. However, his book also gave commentary on those same areas up to the 19th Century and Palmer would most certainly have made reference to a racecourse, if another course was present in the town, as he was specifically providing a social history of the town in his work. In fact, of all of the known, main, published works on the history of Wrexham, no one has ever identified, or even suggested another location for a racecourse in the town, other than its current location. Therefore, it seems logical to deduce that the current racecourse has been a venue for community and sporting activity since at least 1739. Moreover ‘The Welsh history Review’ which is an academic paper from The University of Wales, has previously identified that the Myddleton family of Chirk Castle had been paying subscriptions to race meetings at Wrexham, since before 1700, and so the history of Y Cae Ras may well be pushed back into the 17th Century, at a later date.