Howard Winstone – The Melting Pot

Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: Howard Winstone

by Keith Lewis-Jones

Howard Winstone

Plaque sited at CF47 8EG

Howard Winstone, 1939-2000, was born in Merthyr Tydfil. He lost three fingertips in a factory accident which meant that he was never a great puncher, but won a Gold Medal at the 1957 Commonwealth Games followed by the ABA championship.

He turned professional in 1959 and became the undefeated British & European featherweight champion from 1961 to 1968. He fought three times for the World Championship losing each time before, after the retirement of Vincente Saldivar, winning the World Title in 1968. Having passed his best, he lost the title in the same year.

He was made a Freeman of the Borough in 1969.

Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: Eddie Thomas

by Keith Lewis-Jones

Plaque sited at CF47 8LR

Eddie Thomas, 1925-1997, was born in Merthyr.

He was a miner who won the Amateur Boxing Association lightweight title in 1946. He turned professional and became the British, European & Empire welterweight champion from 1949 to 1951. His weight difficulties and injury forced his retirement in 1952.

He became a very successful manager and took both Howard Winstone & Ken Buchanan to World Championships.

He was Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil in 1994 and later became a Freeman of the
Borough.

How well do you know Merthyr? The answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed you last week. How did you do?

What was the name of St Tydfil’s father?

King Brychan Brycheiniog

Who founded the Cyfarthfa Ironworks in 1765?

Anthony Bacon

Who was Merthyr’s first Labour M.P.?

James Keir Hardie

What was the name of the first chapel to be built in Merthyr town?

Ynysgau Chapel

What was the name of the pub that Lord Nelson stayed in when he visited Merthyr in 1800?

The Star Inn in Caedraw

Nixonville in Merthyr Vale is named after whom?

John Nixon, the founder of Merthyr Vale Colliery

Who has ‘God Forgive Me’ inscribed on his grave?

Robert Thompson Crawshay

Where was the Olympia Skating Rink?

In Pontmorlais, just further up than the Theatre Royal

Which Merthyr-born boxer won the WBC World featherweight title in 1968?

Howard Winstone

Where would you find St Matthias Church?

Treharris

The Bwthyn Bach Inn is missing from the Old Merthyr Tydfil list of pubs, where was it situated?

At the corner of what was known as the Broad Pavement, opposite was the name given to a street built behind the Palace Cinema.

Where was Tai Harri Blawd?

Behind the Theatre Royal and bordering the old Tramroad

What is the area known as Daniel’s Waterloo?

The area now known as the Grove

Where was the Merthyr Tydfil clay pipe factory?

In Vaughan Street, Caedraw

What did the factory next to Factory Cottages make?

Factory Cottages were alongside the old Drill Hall and given this name as they adjoined a flannel factory.

How did Storey Arms get its name?

The first landlord there was a Mr Storey

Where was Pendwranfach?

A narrow street by the Fountain …… turn left at the bottom of the High Street

What is the real name of the pub often called The Spite?

The Farmer’s Arms, Mountain Hare

Who was Miss Florence Smithson and what building is she associated with?

A famous actress associated with the Theatre Royal

Why was an area by St Tydfil’s Church named Lle Sais?

Its name is derived from the fact that most of the English people brought in to the area to work in the Penydarren Ironworks lived here

William Cuthbert Taylor – 1909-1977

WILLIAM CUTHBERT TAYLOR – 1909 – 1977
A matter of black and white.
A Merthyr Tydfil story of racial exclusion.

by Irene Janes

Now there’s a name to conjure and in a way it was as his first name of William was dropped, and he was known as Cuthbert Taylor. He was born to Cuthbert Taylor and his wife Margaret Anne in 16 John Street, Georgetown, in 1909. By 1920 the family had moved to Mary Street, Twynyrodyn.

Merthyr boxing enthusiast may recognise his name others for racial discrimination. During his career, Cuthbert fought two hundred professional bouts. He won one hundred and fifty one. Lost sixty-nine and drew twenty two times and only knocked out once, a worthy opponent for anyone.

He was selected to represent Britain in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam but was defeated in the quarterfinals of the flyweight class to the potential silver medallist Armand Apell. At this time, the Olympic Games competitors were strictly amateur status.

Cuthbert may not have won a medal but was and still is celebrated as the first black boxer to compete for Great Britain in an Olympics. He was only the third black British Olympian. The others were Harry Francis Vincent Edward and Jack London, both athletes.

After the Olympics Cuthbert returned home and turned to the professional side of the sport. On 29 December 1929, his first professional match was in Merthyr, the contest was a draw. Nevertheless, his next fight was a win over Armand Apell. By the middle of this year, he moved up a weight division to Bantamweight. He went on to defeat defeated Dan Dando to gain the Welsh Bantamweight Championship.

Although being recognised as one of the best in Britain there was one hurdle that his perfection at his craft could not overcome. He could not fight for the British title, and why? The colour of his skin.

His father was of Caribbean decent, his mother white welsh, the championship was closed to non whites regardless of their established good character, record and skill. As an amateur, he was good enough to represent Great Britain in the Olympics but not as a professional to claim the title of British Champion.

Later he passed on his boxing expertise onto another great Merthyr boxer Howard Winstone.

Cuthbert died on 15 November 1977 and still living in the town of his birth.

N.B in 1911 the then Home Secretary Winstone Churchill succumbed to pressure when Jack Johnson an American black boxer was billed to fight British white boxer ‘Bombardier’ Billy Wells in London. There was uproar that a black boxer and a white boxer would compete on British soil. At this time, there were anxieties over the future of the ‘white race’ and concerns over how a coloured fighter defeating a white opponent would affect the colonies. This rule of racial exclusion was not reversed until 1948. In June of that year boxer Dick Turpin defeated Vince Hawkins, in Birmingham, to win the British middleweight title. So not only did Dick win the title fight but is credited to be the first non- white man to win it since the ban was lifted.

The central library in Merthyr Tydfil holds a black file containing photocopies of many letters sent to Cuthbert Taylor him from agents.

A book has been written about our Champion think it is titled ‘Just a Little Bit of Brown’. I don’t know the author but would love to find a copy.

Merthyr’s Boxers: The First Boxing Champion of Merthyr

by Lawrence Davies

Along with the town of Pontypridd, Merthyr could rightly claim to be one of the foremost hubs of Welsh boxing history. Although many would no doubt prefer that his name had been forgotten altogether, Redmond Coleman was one of the first men to put Merthyr ‘on the map’ as a town capable of producing gloved boxing champions, whose names will no doubt ring down the ages, men like Eddie Thomas, Howard Winstone and the never to be forgotten Johnny Owen.

Redmond had ended up fighting for recognition at the Blue Anchor in Shoreditch, his well known reputation with the knuckles or ‘raw ‘uns’ having convinced the lightweight Welsh boxing champion, Patsy Perkins to step up and act as Redmond’s manager. Not too long afterwards Coleman floored challenger Curly Howell at the National Sporting Club in Covent Garden before an appreciative crowd of well heeled gents.

Coleman took out the Bristol man in less than a round, a devastating right hand to the jaw sending Howell to the boards, his head making a sickening crack on contact. Curly was out for the count. A promising boxing career appeared to be on the cards, but the ‘Iron Man’ of Merthyr apparently found London was not to his liking, and travelled home.

Although Redmond fought with gloves, it was with the knuckles that he was thought to be virtually unbeatable, and there were plenty of Merthyr men who were willing to step up and meet the challenge. Knuckle fighting had always been how the men had settled their differences, and it was ‘on the mountain’ that contests were usually fought.

The first Welsh boxing champion to receive widespread national recognition was Ned Turner, in the early 1800’s, and was thought to have been the second greatest lightweight in the country, showing such cleverness and skill in the ring he might be thought of as the very first ‘Welsh Wizard’.

There can be no doubt that his example inspired a number of his countrymen to seek recognition between the ropes of the old prize-ring soon afterwards.

It seems that one of the very first prominent fighting men of Merthyr was a pugilist named John Thomas. London was the centre of the prize-ring in those days, and it is in London that the appearance of Thomas was first noted, when he appeared at a benefit event held to raise funds for a veteran fighter. Thomas decided to ‘step up’ and meet an unnamed ‘Sawney’ or Scottish ‘champion’ who had previously appeared before the audience. Considering that Thomas had not sparred on the stage of the Tennis Court before, he did exceptionally well. The ’round hitting’ of the Scotsman was ‘well met’ by the ‘straight muzzlers’ of the ‘Welchman’. Thomas got the better of the ‘Scotch Champion’, and at the end of the contest ‘Taffy retired as proud as one of his native buck goats…’

This unexpected turn of events led to something of a rivalry between the two Celtic warriors, with it having been noted that the Welsh and Scottish ‘Champions’ met a number of times afterwards with both knuckles and gloves. Thomas would appear to have had a great deal of support from his backers at Merthyr, and boldly threw out a challenge to any man in England of his weight to meet him for anywhere between £50 and £100. One person who was greatly irritated by the challenge was Thomas’ Scottish rival, who quickly stated his desire to draw Thomas’s ‘…hot Welsh blood on the earliest occasion’, and claiming to have been in bad condition when they had first sparred. So sure was the Scotsman of his victory over the Welshman that he had also planned to travel to Merthyr to meet Thomas with the knuckles and hand him a beating, and was prepared to throw down a £20 deposit on the contest at the Bell Inn at Merthyr Tydfil…

Lawrence Davies

You can find out what happened next in ‘The Story of Welsh Boxing, Prize Fighters of Wales’ published by Pitch Publications, today, 1 June 2019.

An interview with the author can be read at the link below:

https://americymru.net/ceri-shaw/blog/5057/the-story-of-welsh-boxing-an-interview-with-lawrence-davies

The book can be ordered from Amazon, and is also available at branches of WH Smith, Waterstones and other bookshops. To read more about ‘The Story of Welsh Boxing’, please visit;

https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/story-welsh-boxing

Professor Julie Williams C.B.E.

by Irene Janes

Here is a name to remember – Professor Julie Williams C.B.E, world leading Figure in the research of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Julie Williams is still very much alive, kicking and still researching, and her research is making a huge difference worldwide but I am just so afraid like other famous women if her works are not recognised in Merthyr they will never be heard of let alone forgotten.

Well I am not sure about you, but when I was about seven I read The Famous Five and my weekly magazine, Princess. Perhaps this is why I have not and ever will receive a Royal honour.

At the age of seven, little Julie (then Baker), would be professor, from Cefn Coed, loved horse riding, ballet and playing football. However, between scoring goals and pirouetting around on horses Julie may have missed the fact Richard Burton had married (for the first time) Elizabeth Taylor or the Welsh Office was established. It was more likely her pin up poster would not be of Howard Winstone but that of the great British Physicist and Chemist Michael Faraday. This was because one day in W.H.Smiths Julie picked up a leaflet about Faraday which she admits she did not understand but piqued her interest. In addition to this, a B.B.C. programme, “The Ascent of Man” (1973), set her on a journey and where others now follow her.

Her schooling at Vaynor and Penderyn Grammar School served her well, and when The University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, in Cardiff beckoned, Julie welcomed the opportunity to make the most of the many horizons now open to her. The one horizon we celebrate here is her studying psychology to PHd level. Her fascination of how a human brain works is as strong now as it was as an undergraduate. The idea of ‘How molecule changes can produce some sort of thought processes’ became and still is her focus. After her research work with schizophrenia, Julie turned her attention to Alzheimer’s, which is more prevalent today than ever. We all know someone inflicted by it.

In Wales 2,500 people under the age of 60 have this disease and that figure is expected to rise.

Julie’s academic and research successes could fill pages and I salute them all, alas, there are too many to mention here. The details are on the internet for you to read at your leisure. Here are just some of the professors’ academic achievements:

March 1991 – April 1992 – research Assistant.
August 1999 – October 2001 – Reader in Neuropsychological Genetics at the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine
2010 – 2011 – Member of the Welsh Government Advisory group on Dementia.
October 2012 – September 2013 – Dean of research at Cardiff University School of Medicine.
September 2013 – September 2017 – as Professor of Neuropsychological Genetics. Chief Scientific Advisor for Wales Julie and her team were successful in winning the largest Marie-Sklodowska Curie Fellowship grant plus funding from the European Structural Funds, thus bringing to Wales over £60m for research so amounting to over £23m.

Now Julie and her team, with funding from the U.K. Dementia Research Institution, are concentrating on thirty genes that pose the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Such is the importance of eradicating or controlling this disease £250m made available by the U.K. Medical Council.

Today she acclaimed as a world leader in her field of research.

It is hardly surprising that in 2012 Professor Julie Williams, in recognition of her dedication and research was awarded the C.B.E.

Away from Royal recognition now, and back to Merthyr and Julie’s roots. Out of general interest, her father Eric Baker had a Ford dealership. For twenty years her mother Terry ran the W.R.V.S. shop and coffee shop, in Prince Charles Hospital.

Here is a link no matter how tenuous but one that makes my imagination bridge the years. Her grandfather Henry Edwards worked and lived as caretaker in Cyfarthfa Castle. I like to think Rose Mary Crawshay, (wife of Robert Thompson Crawshay) who fought for the education and advancement of women (see my previous article – http://www.merthyr-history.com/?p=1934) and founded Vaynor School, where Julie became a pupil, is smiling down with pride on Professor Williams.

Merthyr’s Boxers: Howard Winstone

The series on Merthyr’s great boxers continues with arguably Merthyr’s greatest champion – Howard Winstone.

Howard Winstone was born on 15 April 1939 in Penydarren, the second of four children. He attended Penydarren and Gellifaelog Junior Schools and, encouraged by his father, showed early enthusiasm and aptitude for following Merthyr’s rich boxing tradition. He started boxing aged eleven, and in 1954 joined the gym opened by the former welterweight champion Eddie Thomas, a short walk from the Winstone family home. He won three Welsh schools titles, and one British title.

After leaving school he worked at a Lines Brothers Toy Factory where on 19 May 1956 his right hand was crushed by a power press, leaving him without the tips of three fingers. As a result of the accident he lost much of the punching power in his right hand and so had to change his style developing one of the fastest left hand jabs in the sport. Far from hampering Winstone’s career, in 1958 he won the Amateur Boxing Association’s featherweight championship, a gold medal (Wales’ only gold) at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, and the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year Award – an honour he would receive on two further occasions, in 1963 and 1967.

Winstone won 83 of his 86 amateur bouts and hoped to box at the 1960 Olympics, but instead turned professional under Eddie Thomas’s management. He made his professional debut in February 1959 at Wembley Stadium, London, when he beat Billy Graydon on points over six rounds. He then proceeded to win his first 24 professional fights, at which point he was considered ready for a shot at the British featherweight title, and in May 1961 he fought Terry Spinks the holder of the title, and the 1956 Olympic gold medallist at the Empire Pool, Wembley. He out-boxed Spinks, forcing him to retire after ten rounds, and so claimed the British title.

He continued to win all his contests, and in April 1962 he defended his title against Derry Treanor, at the Empire Pool, winning by a technical knockout in the fourteenth round. The next month he defended his title against Harry Carroll in Cardiff forcing him to retire after six rounds.

His first defeat came in November 1962 – his 35th fight after 34 straight wins. He was beaten by Leroy Jeffery, an American featherweight, by a technical knockout in the second round after having been knocked down three times. In January 1963, he defended his British title for the third time, defeating Johnny Morrisey by a technical knockout in the eleventh round, and won the European title the same year, defending the title in May 1964, January 1965, and March, September and December 1966.

Winstone now set his sights on becoming the World Champion. In September 1965 he challenged for the WBA and WBC world featherweight titles held by the Mexican left-hander, Vicente Saldivar. The fight was held at Earls Court Arena, London and Saldivar won on points over fifteen rounds.

He challenged Saldivar again in June and October 1967, but was defeated on both occasions. Following the defence of his title in October 1967, Saldivar announced his retirement leaving his world title vacant. In January 1968, Winstone fought the Japanese, Mitsunori Seki for the vacant WBC world featherweight title at the Royal Albert Hall. Winstone won the contest and finally gained the world title.

In July 1968 he defended his newly won world title against the Cuban, Jose Legra, at Porthcawl, Wales. Although Winstone had beaten Legra twice before, he was knocked down twice in the first round. He continued fighting, but unfortunately he sustained a badly swollen left eye, which caused the bout to be stopped in the fifth round. Having lost the world title in his first defence, Winstone decided to retire at the age of 29.

He continued living in Merthyr Tydfil after retirement. In 1968 he was awarded the MBE. Later, he was made a Freeman of Merthyr Tydfil due to his boxing accomplishments. He died on 30 September 2000, aged 61.

In 2001, one year after his death, a bronze statue of Winstone by Welsh sculptor David Petersen was unveiled in St. Tydfil’s Square, and in 2005, he beat many other local luminaries to be named “Greatest Citizen of Merthyr Tydfil”, in a public vote competition run by Cyfarthfa Castle and Museum as part of the centenary celebrations to mark Merthyr’s incorporation as a county borough in 1905.

Merthyr’s Boxers: Cuthbert Taylor

Cuthbert Taylor was born in John Street, Georgetown on 11 December 1909 to an English father of Caribbean heritage and a Welsh mother. After winning Amateur Boxing Association’s flyweight title in 1928, he was selected to represent Britain in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He became the first black boxer to compete for Great Britain, and only the 3rd black British Olympian (after Harry Edward and Jack London). He defeated Juan José Trillo of Argentina, but he was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the flyweight class after losing his fight to the potential silver medallist Armand Apell.

On returning to Wales he turned professional fighting Manchester’s Jackie Brown at Merthyr Tydfil on 29 December 1928. The contest ended in a draw, which was followed by his first professional win, over Lud Abella and a loss to Phineas John. By May 1929 Taylor was invited to fight at the National Sporting Club in London, losing by points in a 15 round match against Bert Kirby.

On 29 July 1929, Taylor had moved up a weight division, and challenged Dan Dando for the Welsh Bantamweight Championship, defeating Dando on points. His reign was short lived when he lost the title just over a month later to Phineas John. Taylor challenged twice more for the Welsh Bantamweight belt, failing on both occasions, both against Stanley Jehu, first for the vacant title in 1930 and then an unsuccessful challenge in 1931. Although having been Welsh bantamweight champion, and being recognised as one of the best in Britain in his weight category, Taylor was denied a chance to fight for the British title due to a rule that prohibited non-white fighters from challenging for the championship.

cuthbert-taylor-and-francois-machtens-1932 — Cuthbert Taylor and Francois Machtens in 1932

Cuthbert Taylor retired from boxing in 1944, but made a brief, unsuccessful comeback in 1947.

In a distinguished career, Taylor faced four world champions, including the great Freddie Miller who beat the Welshman on points after a 12-round battle in Liverpool. In total Taylor fought 247 professional bouts, with 151 wins, 69 losses and 22 draws. In all his fights he was knocked out only once, by Tommy Hyams at Selhurst Park in 1932. None of Taylor’s fights were conducted outside Britain. Including amateur fights he recorded over 250 victories.

In his later life, Taylor was a fan of Howard Winstone and he offered the youngster valuable advice. Cuthbert Taylor died on 15 November 1977.

Merthyr’s First Boxing Champion

Most people know of Eddie Thomas, Howard Winstone and Johnny Owen, but how many of you know anything about Jimmy Wilde?

Jimmy Wilde, or “The Mighty Atom,” “Ghost with the Hammer in his Hand” and “The Tylorstown Terror” as he was nicknamed, was born on 15 May 1892 in Quakers Yard, but by the time he was 12, Jimmy’s family had moved to Tylorstown in the Rhondda. The son of a miner, Jimmy followed his father into the colliery, and being so small, he was able to crawl through gullies impassable to most of his colleagues, which undoubtedly helped develop his renowned strength.

He started boxing at the age of 16 in fairground boxing booths, where crowds were amazed by his toughness and ability to knock down much larger opponents, most of which were local toughmen weighing around 200 lbs. He left Tylorstown Colliery in 1913, and in 1916, Wilde joined the British Army and was sent to Aldershot as a PT instructor.

The record books often show that Wilde started boxing professionally in 1911, but it is widely assumed (and later confirmed by boxing analysts), that he had been fighting professionally for at least four years before that, and his officially listed debut was on 26 December 1910, when he fought Les Williams to a no-decision in three rounds. His first win came on 1 January 1911, when he knocked out Ted Roberts in the third round.

Managed by Teddy Lewis, reserve captain of Pontypridd RFC, Wilde went undefeated in 103 bouts, all of which were held in Britain, and on 14 February 1916, he won the British flyweight title by beating Joe Symonds by a knockout in round twelve at the National Sporting Club in London. On 24 April 1916, Wilde beat Johnny Rosner by a knockout in the eleventh round at Liverpool Stadium to win the IBU World Flyweight title. In December of that year Wilde became recognised as the first World Flyweight Champion (the IBU title was only recognised in Europe) when he defeated Young Zulu Kid of the United States whose corner threw in the towel during the eleventh round of their bout at the Holborn Stadium.

During the First World War, Jimmy Wilde served as a Sergeant Instructor, fighting professionally only twice in 1917, and three times in 1918. Following the War, Wilde went to America in 1919; he toured the States beating an assortment of mainly much heavier opponents. The Americans grew to love Wilde and to this day he is revered by American boxing fans.

By 1921, Jimmy Wilde was 28 years old, had fought in hundreds of contests (possibly up to a thousand including booth fights) against bigger men and had held his world title for four years. Now he was to suffer only his third defeat (in 128 fights) when matched in a non-title fight against Pete Herman, who weighed in at 121 pounds to Jimmy’s 108 pounds. Wilde returned to the ring out of a sense of obligation to defend his title against Pancho Villa on 18 June 1923. After losing by a knockout, Wilde announced his retirement.

Jimmy Wilde lived the last few years of his life in the Cadoxton district of Barry, South Wales. With his final boxing winnings, Wilde entered into several business schemes, including a Welsh cinema chain and partnership in a cafe at Barry Island that was named ‘The Mighty Atom’ cafe. None was successful and he spent his final years in poverty. In 1965, Wilde suffered a serious mugging at a train station in Cardiff, from which he never recovered. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1967, and two years later Wilde died in a hospital in Whitchurch. He was buried in Barry Cemetery.

Wilde had a record of 139 wins, 3 losses, 1 draws and 5 no-contests, with 99 wins by knockout, which makes him one of the most prolific knockout winners of all time. Ring Magazine, a publication which named him the 3rd greatest puncher of all time in 2003, has twice named him the greatest flyweight of all time (March 1975 and May 1994). In 1990, Wilde was elected into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame as a member of that institution’s inaugural class, a distinction shared with all-time greats such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Harry Greb, Benny Leonard and Henry Armstrong. In 1992 he was also inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and one of his prize winning belts is part of the organisation’s display. Wilde was ranked as the number 1 flyweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization in 2006.

william_howard_robinson_a_welsh_victory_at_the_national_sporting_club_1919 — The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, congratulates Jimmy Wilde after his defeat of Joe Lynch in 1919

If you wish to read more about Jimmy Wilde, check out the following website:

http://www.johnnyowen.com/jimmy_wilde.html