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Post by loes on Sept 5, 2011 20:18:45 GMT
Walter Foulkes aka Walter Nolan, born in Eccles had been a jockey, had been in the Grand National, even won it! That's what two of his grandsons remembered from family stories.
I now discovered what this must have been about:
In WWI his rank was Driver (Absent Voters List Hulme, I don't see it in his service record).
Today I found out Drivers actually rode the horses that pulled the wagons, guns etc. A dangerous job!
Walter's children must have thought it must have been great fun, riding horses, and drawn their own conclusions.
So, no glamour, no prizewinner in the family.
But a hero instead.
Loes
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Post by shred on Sept 6, 2011 18:53:35 GMT
Very interesting piece. Do you know in which year he won the National?
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Post by loes on Sept 7, 2011 22:51:01 GMT
LOL, family stories!
I'm afraid part of it was what children make up when they hear something that excites them.
I've searched the winners of the Englsih Grand National, but no Foulkes, Collins, or other familiat names that could have been a "grandfather".
There was a gt grandfather Collins who came from Ireland, but before 1914 only winning horses and their owners were listed, no jockeys.
The thing about horse racing cane from two cousins, that had never met, so I'm sure there was a connection with horses.
Finding this about their granddad Foulkes' service record (using the name Nolan), I could imagine his children heard about the horses, and they passed a nicer story to their children. And they made it into something even better.
I thought that was it. But then, to make sure, I phoned an old cousin of their mothers, someone I had found not long ago. I asked her about it. And to my big surprise she said "Well yes, I think one of my dad's brothers was into horse racing, some big ones too ..." Her brother might remember more. He'll be the next one I'll phone. It would have been a Collins, a brother in law of Walter.
Stories in families, I heard another one from that same cousin. I told her about a gt grand uncle of hers who had gone to Australia in the 1850's, done very well for himself and seemed to have been pretty important in Sydney. She was flabbergasted. Her dad was a good story-teller and often told them about this relative who had been the Mayor of Sydney. Between them the children had decided that this story must ahve been a joke.
And then, about 70 years later there's someone on the phone telling them about Alderman John Eccles!
Loes
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Post by loes on Sept 8, 2011 14:39:22 GMT
The biggest suprise today!
Got hold of the other cousin 1st removed or whatever it's called.
He told me that John Collins the Irishman, Walters father in law, had been racing horses. He did indeed ride for an Irish stable, and rode in the Grand National (liverpool) in 1904, 1908, someting like that. In a snowstorm. The first time it had ever snowed at the day of the GN, but it wasn't called off. No, he didn't win.
A race in the snow, it's a great lead.
One of his sons had been an upcoming bicycle racer. Mentioned some important races in Blackpool. A quick stop to his fame though, riding in the cold rain he caught pneumonia, and got TB. I had already found myself he died in 1912, just 18 years old.
For another son there's a military record to start looking for too now.
And on top of that, research to be done about the Fenians in Manchester.
I've struck a goldmine!
Loes
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Post by shred on Sept 8, 2011 19:42:10 GMT
All sounds absolutely fascinating.
Shame he didn't win the National but to have even ridden in such a race proves that he must have been a rider of exceptional skill. I will do a bit of research and see if we can find a year for the snowy National.
In the meantime... please keep us posted.
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