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Book 1 covering Period 1850 - 1861
At a public meeting in Much Wenlock on Monday 25th Feb 1850, held in the Reading Room - see web page on Agricultural Reading Society - it was Resolved unanimously ;
"That it was desirable that a class should be established in connexion with the Agricultural Reading Society for the promotion of the moral, physical and intellectual improvement Of the inhabitants of the town & neighbourhood of Wenlock and especially of the Working classes, by the encouragement of out-door recreation, and by the award of Prizes annually at public meetings for skill in Athletic exercise and proficiency in Intellectual and industrial attainments." (Mb1 p2)
The Minutes continue;
"That this section of the Wenlock Agricultural Reading Society be called " The Olympian Class". (Mb1 p2)
A Committee was then established to (promote) the first annual Meeting held on the Race-course on 22nd + 23rd of October 1850.
The financial statement covering the first Meeting shows an Expenditure and Income of £10.15.00. (Mb1 p5)
A graphic account of this historic event was subsequently printed in "Eddowes's Journal" Shrewsbury, Wednesday, October 30th 1850. (Mb1 p6a)
Minutes of subsequent annual Meetings of the Members of the Olympian Class are chronicled along with editorials from local newspapers reporting on the sporting spectacle.
On the 10th anniversary of the (sports) Meeting in 1859 the Shrewsbury Chronicle stated,
"Never, probably, in the history of Wenlock has such a pageant been witnessed as that which took place on Wednesday last". (Mb1 p53a)
"The preparations which had been making for weeks, if not for months, for the celebration of the Olympian Games, were that day to be consummated". (Mb1 53a)
Following a celebration dinner at the Wynnstay Arms for " 50 gentlemen members of the body corporate and friends present", it is recorded that ;
"Mr Alderman Nock, in an appropriate speech, proposed the health of the mayor, which his worshipfull gratefully acknowledged, expressing himself happy at meeting them on that occasion. He proposed success to,
"The Working Mens Recreation and Olympic Society". (Mb1 p54a)
The prizes for the 10th Anniversary meeting were distributed at the Corn-market and the days Gala was brought to a close.
The article concludes:
"Long will the Olympian Games of 1859, in Wenlock, be remembered". (Mb1 p56d)
At a meeting in the Reading Room Mr W.P. Brookes read portions of a correspondence between himself and Sir Thomas Wyse, H M Plenipotentiary at the Court of Greece, with reference to a prize of £10 which the Wenlock Committee had forwarded to be competed for at Athens.
The extract is as follows;
"Athens, February 2nd 1860. Dear Sir, - I have the satisfaction to transmit to you the accompanying papers, copies from those of the Greeks, in Greek and translation, which will put you in possession of the manner in which this first attempt at the renewal of Athletic Exercises in Greece has been conducted, and how the contribution which you and the Members of your local Institution, for similar purposes, at Much Wenlock, have requested me to present to the Greek committee, has been disposed of ….". (Mb1 p64a)
It was also recorded at the Meeting " that Olympian Games took place at Athens last November - the winner of the Wenlock prize being Petros Velissarios, a native of Smyrna". (Mb1 p64b)
An article in The London Review, September 15th, 1860 refers to "Revival of the Olympian Games" stating:
"….At the revived, that is the modern, Olympian Games …. The largest prize was contributed by a committee of gentlemen in England, and in their honour was designated "The Wenlock Prize". This prize was assigned to " the best runner in the longest race". (Mb1 p74c)
Further documents are archived relating to the close relationship developed between Dr W. P Brookes and the Greek authorities in promoting Olympianism. (Mb1 pp 82b - 95c)
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