Take them with a pinch of salt but fascinating nevertheless!
Did you know ?
Welsh claim on first car...?
In 1805 Oliver Evans, American of Welsh descent drove his steam powered digging machine to work! -
Not only the first automobile but a company car too! - The hook to hang his jacket on came a lot later :-)
In 1805 Oliver Evans, American of Welsh descent drove his steam powered digging machine to work! -
Not only the first automobile but a company car too! - The hook to hang his jacket on came a lot later :-)
Declaration of Independence!
The largest ethnic group of signatories (16 in all) on the original draft of the American Declaration of
Independence were Welsh! Thomas Jeffersons' family who came from Snowdonia spoke Welsh too!
The largest ethnic group of signatories (16 in all) on the original draft of the American Declaration of
Independence were Welsh! Thomas Jeffersons' family who came from Snowdonia spoke Welsh too!
Manhattan connection!
Descendants of the West Wales adventurer Robert Edwards fight it out in court to prove their ownership
of Wall Street, the world famous financial centre at the heart of New York where the World Trade Centre
was brutally attacked on September 11th 2001.
Descendants of the West Wales adventurer Robert Edwards fight it out in court to prove their ownership
of Wall Street, the world famous financial centre at the heart of New York where the World Trade Centre
was brutally attacked on September 11th 2001.
The Edwards family claim when the property; pasture land at
the time, was leased to the brothers 'Kruger' the terms stated
the lease would expire in about 100 years. The Kruger
brothers in turn allowed the Catholic church to use the land
as it saw fit. The church has controlled the land since,
building on it themselves and renting to other parties too,
hence the Manhattan we know today. The rent for this use is
stored in a vault in Manhattan itself, now estimated at over
$800,000000,00!
Robert Edwards died childless, leaving his property to his
sister in Wales and her decedents who are estimated now to
number some 3000. If they win that means a payout of over
$26m EACH!
the time, was leased to the brothers 'Kruger' the terms stated
the lease would expire in about 100 years. The Kruger
brothers in turn allowed the Catholic church to use the land
as it saw fit. The church has controlled the land since,
building on it themselves and renting to other parties too,
hence the Manhattan we know today. The rent for this use is
stored in a vault in Manhattan itself, now estimated at over
$800,000000,00!
Robert Edwards died childless, leaving his property to his
sister in Wales and her decedents who are estimated now to
number some 3000. If they win that means a payout of over
$26m EACH!
America named after Welsh entrepreneur!
Richard Amerik was a Welshman based in Bristol as a British customs official (there were lots of taffs in
Bristol in the 15th century). Amerik invested in the explorations of John Cabot, who arrived in the 'New
World' in 1497, becoming the first recorded European to do so. This predates the Amerigo Vespucci
claim. The name "Amerik" would have appeared on maps and documents used by these early adventurers,
those used by Vespucci too.
The custom of naming a place after the discoverers surname means that if the 'New World' had really been
named after Amerigo Vespucci it should now be known as 'Vespucciland' or something similar!
Ole' Ma Garibaldi
Apparently, the Italian leader Garibaldi was partly Welsh.
It seems his grandmother was from the village of Cerrig y Drudion.
Yorks' Penn friend...
The Duke of York gave Penn (who was more Irish than Welsh) the parcel of land now known as
Pennsylvania as payment for a debt he owed his father, the Admiral Penn. William Penn wanted to name it
'New Wales' but by the time he got his act together his secretary (another Taff) had called it 'Pennsylvania'
- the local, newly established Welsh community were already calling it 'pen this and pen that'.
Welsh Elvis debate continues...
Many people now believe the great (greatest?) rock & roll singer to swell his lungs on the planet Earth, the
one and only Elvis Presley, may be of Welsh descent. The surname Presley actually comes from the world
Preseli - a chain of mountains in mid-Wales! And to make the story more believable there is an ancient
Celtic church in the area called St Elvis's Church!
An apple a day?
We all know of the old proverb 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' - well it's thought to have
originated in Pembrokeshire. Another form is 'Eat an apple before your bed and keep the doctor from his
bread'.
Keep the fires burning...
The word 'glow' is from the Welsh 'glo' meaning coal.
Ghostly canine for best seller...
The Hound of the Baskervilles may be based on a Mid Wales tale of a ghostly canine. And There is a
Baskerville Hall near Brecon.
One reader said "Conan Doyle wrote "Hound" when he stayed there but the family didn't want loads of
tourists so he set it on Dartmoor. The family crest above the door is a great hound
Richard Amerik was a Welshman based in Bristol as a British customs official (there were lots of taffs in
Bristol in the 15th century). Amerik invested in the explorations of John Cabot, who arrived in the 'New
World' in 1497, becoming the first recorded European to do so. This predates the Amerigo Vespucci
claim. The name "Amerik" would have appeared on maps and documents used by these early adventurers,
those used by Vespucci too.
The custom of naming a place after the discoverers surname means that if the 'New World' had really been
named after Amerigo Vespucci it should now be known as 'Vespucciland' or something similar!
Ole' Ma Garibaldi
Apparently, the Italian leader Garibaldi was partly Welsh.
It seems his grandmother was from the village of Cerrig y Drudion.
Yorks' Penn friend...
The Duke of York gave Penn (who was more Irish than Welsh) the parcel of land now known as
Pennsylvania as payment for a debt he owed his father, the Admiral Penn. William Penn wanted to name it
'New Wales' but by the time he got his act together his secretary (another Taff) had called it 'Pennsylvania'
- the local, newly established Welsh community were already calling it 'pen this and pen that'.
Welsh Elvis debate continues...
Many people now believe the great (greatest?) rock & roll singer to swell his lungs on the planet Earth, the
one and only Elvis Presley, may be of Welsh descent. The surname Presley actually comes from the world
Preseli - a chain of mountains in mid-Wales! And to make the story more believable there is an ancient
Celtic church in the area called St Elvis's Church!
An apple a day?
We all know of the old proverb 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' - well it's thought to have
originated in Pembrokeshire. Another form is 'Eat an apple before your bed and keep the doctor from his
bread'.
Keep the fires burning...
The word 'glow' is from the Welsh 'glo' meaning coal.
Ghostly canine for best seller...
The Hound of the Baskervilles may be based on a Mid Wales tale of a ghostly canine. And There is a
Baskerville Hall near Brecon.
One reader said "Conan Doyle wrote "Hound" when he stayed there but the family didn't want loads of
tourists so he set it on Dartmoor. The family crest above the door is a great hound
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