The Manager of the American Cycling Team

A Notable Goytrey Boy – 20^th January 1888

The following sketch of the career of Mr W.J., the son of Mr W. Morgan, The Wern Farm, Goytre, who has earned distinction both in this country and America, will be read by many friends in this district.

William J. Morgan, long distance Champion of America, and Manager of the American team, was born in Goytrey, Monmouthshire in 1863. After a British school education, and an apprenticeship of four years, when thirteen years old, to the grocery business in Dudley, Staffordshire, he returned to Wales and put in two years more behind the counter in Newport, Monmouthshire.

Here he learned to ride a bicycle and became a member of the flourishing Newport bicycle club.

In 1880 he sailed for Canada and settled in Toronto, Ontario. Bicycling was just beginning to attract public attention in the dominion, and Morgan was the first man to introduce bicycle riding into Canada, having brought a racer from England with him.

Forming the St Catherine bicycle club Mr Morgan was soon known as a celebrity on the road and path. In 1882 he crossed the line into the States and raced against John S. Price, Rollinson, Harrison brother, and others with varying success, being particularly fortunate in long distance riding.

In Chicago in 1883, out of a field of seven in the championship 12 hours per day (72 hour) race, he rode second to Prince, defeating Higham, Woodside, Shuck and others.

In 1885 he defeated Prince and a large field in the 48-hour Memphis, Tenn., six-day contest, winning by over 20 miles. In 1886 Morgan defeated Prince, who was then champion of America, ten races out of an actual twelve on the circuit, winning an 8-hour per day race a month later, and establishing professional tandem records for the world from 1 to 250 miles inclusive.

A month later he defeated a field of seven in Minneapolis in the eight hour per day international championship race, making the world record of 780 miles in 48 hours, riding the first five days without dismounting. Three weeks later he was matched for 144 hours, six-day (night and day) contest for $1000, against Albert Schock whom he defeated three weeks previous in the 48-hour race.

In this race Morgan astonished cycling America by riding 235 miles (world’s record) without stopping or making one dismount. Leading until Friday, the fifth day, with a score of 1098 miles, he was attacked with sickness, which compelled him to leave the track for six hours, which lost him the race.Mr Morgan is not only a busy rider, but also a writer of cycling renown and his letters to all the cycling and sporting press of America on sporting matters under the Nome-du-plume of “Spokes” and “Coventry” have earned for the Anglo American distinction.

Mr Morgan was for some time connected with the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean and Sporting Journal as a writer on sporting matters; and in turn he not only manages the affairs of his team and takes part in contests, but is also the special correspondent for the Chicago Journal, Lynn Item, and the Bicycling world and will also write for a number of other American papers on “what he sees on his travels”

Mr Morgan stands 5 feet 7 inches high and weighs 145 lbs.

Mr Morgan’s performances in England have been somewhat limited, as his managerial duties have curtailed his practises to such an extent that he cannot find time to practise for any event that he is booked for.

His running a dead heat for second place in the Easter Handicap at Leicester in 2 mins, 36. 1-5 secs., from the 80 yards; and his win of the mile at Bridlington Quay in 2mins., 37 secs., from the 90 yards is the best work he has accomplished in Great Britain.

In Edinburgh, last October, in company with Batenby, Dabois, and Lumaden, he succeeded in beating the best 50 mile record, doing the distance in 2 hours and 41 mins.

Mr Morgan is responsible for the Edinburgh, London and Newcastle six day races, where at each place the public were turned away owing to the crowds who sought admission. The public evidently appreciated the good entertainment the Anglo-American manager provides for them.

Friday 3rd May 1940 – Theft from Goytrey Farm

Delwyn Price, aged 35, an unemployed Merthyr collier, pleaded not guilty at Pontypool on Saturday to stealing two pairs of brass bearings, a steel casting and an index number plate, with red rear lamp attached, value £3 –5-0, the property of Joseph Edwin Edgar, garage proprietor.

Edgar said Price and another man called him on April 20^th at his farm to pick up some sheep. Later he missed the articles from the farm yard.

P C Taylor, Little Mill, said Price denied all knowledge of the theft when he interviewed him at Merthyr, when he found the articles under some hay Price admitted taking them and said “The old man at the farm told me they were of no use”.

Edgar’s father said he did not know the articles were on the yard of the farm.

Superintendent E Casey said Price had been ill for a considerable time.

Price was fined £2

Friday 3^rd May 1940

19^th May 1899 – Theft of Coal

John Davies was charged with stealing 1s worth of coal at Goytrey on the 4^th May. Defendant pleaded guilty. Arthur Pugh, waggoner, in the employ of Rosser & Payne, said he was taking coal to Nantyderry and left the coal [1cwt] under a hedge where requested by the purchaser, in a sack.

Witness identified the sack produced as the one containing the coal. He asked the prisoner the following day if he had seen anything of the coal, and he said he had not – Margaret Evans, Gwilym Evans and P.c. Davies also gave evidence.

Defendant said he found the coal where it had been placed by the first witness, and took it, not knowing whom it belonged to, but the constable said that at first defendant denied any knowledge of the coal.

This was his first offence and a fine of 10s was imposed.

To the Overseers of the Poor of the Parish of Goytrey, the Superintendent of Police for the District of Pontypool and to all whom it may concern

11^th August 1877

I, John Harris, now residing at Penpellenny in the parish of Goytrey in the county of Monmouth, beerhouse keeper, and for six months last past having resided at Penpellenny in the said parish of Goytrey

Do hereby give notice that it is my intention to apply at the General Annual Licensing meeting to be holden at the Town Hall, Pontypool on the 25^th August next ensuing, for a license to sell excisable liquors by retail, to be drunk or consumed in the house or premises thereunto belonging, situate at Penperllenny:

Said which I intend to keep as Inn, Alehouse or Victualling House

Given under my hand this 3^rd day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seventy seventy.

18^th August 1877

As above:

George Howard for Nantyderry

28^th July 1877 – Wanted

Strong Active Lad Indoors; accustomed to farm housework;

Apply:

Mr John Powell,

Walnut Tree Farm Goytrey