Starting an Olympic Movement
it is due, not to a Greek, but to Dr William Penny Brookes’.
Wenlock to National Olympic Games 1850
How games started by Brookes in Wenlock developed into Olympian Games
Making The Greek Connection 1859
The Wenlock prize is awarded at the first Athens Olympian Games
Brookes Inspiring Coubertin 1889
How a young Frenchman was inspired in Wenlock to grow the games internationally
Wenlock to National Olympic Games 1850
1850 - Brookes founds the Wenlock Olympian Class
In 1841 William Penny Brookes founded the Agricultural Reading Society, an early lending library for “the promotion of useful information”. From this Society evolved various classes including, the Art, Philharmonic and Botany Classes and in 1850 the Wenlock Olympian Class.
The Wenlock Olympian Class (later called Society) held its first Games in 1850 to “promote the moral, physical and intellectual improvement of the inhabitants”.
From the beginning most events were open to all comers or as Brookes said “every grade of man”. The first Games were a mixture of athletics and traditional sports such as quoits, football and cricket. They sometimes included a “fun” event to entertain the crowds: once a blindfolded wheelbarrow race and another year an old women’s race for a pound of tea.
Linden Field. Wenlock Olympian Games June 1867. One of the oldest known photographs of a sporting event
The Wenlock Olympian Games attracted considerable crowds of spectators, growing from a few hundred at the early games to thousands by the 1860’s.
“Numbers unprecedented upon the grounds and the adjacent hill, from which an excellent view of the sports is to be obtained, there were in the afternoon some 10,000 spectators and a very interesting scene was presented.” – Exert from newspaper report 1876
Pageantry was an important element from the outset.
A band led the procession of flag bearers, competitors and officials as they marched through the decorated streets of the town to the Games Field – at either the Racecourse or the Windmill Meadow (later called the Linden Field) and now the Games permanent home.
The Wenlock Games continued to go from strength to strength to become an important event in the sporting calendar. Silver cups, medals and prizes attracted competitors from London in the south and Liverpool in the north.
Programme for the Wenlock Olympic Games of 1867
As this programme for the Wenlock Olympic Games of 1867 shows, a variety of athletic events were held. The leading athletes of the day from across the country came to take part winning substantial cash prizes. Men like H.W. Brooke from the German Gymnasium in London, while a William Snook won 14 guineas (£14.70) on one day.
Meet The Athletes
The most popular and exciting event at the Wenlock Games was ‘Tilting at the Ring’
Tilting at the Ring required skill and expert horsemanship to unhook a small ring, hanging from a cross bar, using the tip of a lance.
The forerunner of the Modern Olympic Medal
A Pentahlon was added to the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1868. The prize was a handsome ‘first class silver medal’ of an elaborate design.
It was the first time a medal featured the image of ‘Nike’ the winged Goddess of Victory, which has since appeared on every Olympic medal ever presented.
It was made by Queen Victoria’s Silversmith, Hunt and Roskell at a cost of £84.4 shillings.
The medal encompassed every aspect of the Wenlock Olympian Games competitions. It was an oval medallion on a Maltese Cross which bares the winged figure of ‘Nike’, standing on an orb, holding a tiny crown of olive leaves and surrounded by a further crown of olive leaves with an inscription from Pindar’s Olympic Ode: “there are rewards for glorious deeds”
The cross is suspended from an Emblematic Bar decorated with the motto ‘Arte et Viribus’ (skill and strength) across four shield. The first shield has a scroll and lyre representing literature and music; the second a bust and palette representing sculpture and painting; the third a tilting ring and lance, a quoit and a cricket bat and ball representing sporting skills; and the fourth a rifle and sword representing military skills.
Along side competitions in running jumping and throwing the Wenlock Olympian Games held competitions in the arts – prizes were awarded from the best poem, painting, handwriting and music. Special prizes were also given to children for writing, reading and number, as well as for sporting events.
Pictured here is the medal awarded for first prize in crayon drawing 1864.
1861 - The Shropshire Olympian Games were founded
Through the initiative of Brookes the Shropshire Olympian Games were founded in 1861. Significantly these Games were hosted in different towns and the host town took responsibility for their finance – a new idea and model later adopted by Baron de Coubertin for the Modern Olympic Games.
1865 - National Olympian Association Founded
In 1865 this model was also used by Brookes, along with John Hulley of Liverpool and Ernst Ravenstein of the German Gymnasium in London, in establishing the National Olympian Association (NOA), as a ‘union for different Olympian, Athletic and Gymnastic, Boating, Swimming, Cricket and other similar societies’
Their first Festival, a three-day event held in 1866 at Crystal Palace, attracted 10,000 spectators and competitors. Interestingly, the winner of the 440 yard hurdle race was the eighteen-year-old W.G.Grace, who had been excused fielding for the England XI versus Surrey cricket match at the Oval in order to compete.
A reaction to the success of the NOA was the formation of the Amateur Athletic Club (later to become the AAA).The AAC were determined to restrict sport to“amateurs and gentlemen” from the public schools and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The NOA faced powerful opposition but its existence forced the AAA to open its doors to what Brookes termed “every grade of man”.
William Penny Brookes
Greek Connection 1859
1859 - Athens Olympian Games
In 1859, the Athens Olympian Games were held for the first time.
These were funded by Evangelis Zappas, a wealthy Albanian living in exile in Romania. On hearing about the Games, Brookes sent £10 on behalf of the Wenlock Olympian Committee. The Wenlock Prize was awarded to the winner of the ‘Long’ or ‘Sevenfold’ Race which was ‘numerously and warmly contested’.
The Wenlock Olympian Society elected Petros Velissarios, winner of the Wenlock Prize in Athens as its first honorary member. This was Brookes’ first contact with Greece.
1877 Queen Victoria Jubilee
To mark Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1877, Brookes requested an Olympian prize from King George of Greece who sent a suitably inscribed silver cup, which was presented at the National Olympian Games held in Shrewsbury.
This brought Brookes into contact with His Excellency J. Gennadius, the Greek Charge’ d’Affaires in London, and a life-long correspondence and friendship began.
Ever aware of an opportunity, Brookes again tried to persuade the Greek Government to revive the Olympics on an international level. The Greek newspaper Clio in June 1881 reported that ‘Dr Brookes, this enthusiastic Philhelline is endeavouring to organise an international Olympian Festival, to be held in Athens….’
However, the Greek nation was still in political and economic uncertainty, and despite both Gennadius and Brookes enthusiasm, the Government politely declined.
Inspiring Coubertin 1889
1889 - Brookes makes contact with Coubertin
In 1889, Baron de Coubertin, organiser of the International Congress on Physical Education, was in England seeking information on sports education practised in schools. Brookes wrote to the young Frenchman and invited him to come and see his Wenlock Olympian Games the following year.
So began a dialogue between the two men who were to set the Modern Olympic flame alight.
1890 - Coubertin Visits Much Wenlock
Intrigued, Baron Coubertin came to Wenlock in October 1890 to see the Wenlock Olympian Games.
At this time, the two men discussed their similar ambitions and the eighty-one-year-old Brookes then shared with the twenty-seven-year-old Baron de Coubertin his dream of an Olympic revival, an international Olympic Games to be held in Athens.
On his return to France, Coubertin gave a glowing account in the ‘La Review Athletique” journal of his stay in Much Wenlock and referred to his host’s efforts to revive the Olympic Games.
1895 - Brookes dies just 4 months before first International Olympic Games
Although Brookes was listed as an honorary member of the 1894 Congress Congress of Paris that established the International Olympic Committee, he was unable to attend because of ill health. Sadly, he died in December 1895, and so did not see his dream – an international Olympic Games – come to fruition just four months later in April 1896.
THE COUBERTIN MEDAL PRESENTED TO WOS, THOUGHT TO BE THE ONLY PERSONAL AWARD EVER MADE BY COUBERTIN.
Following Brookes death
Following Brookes’ death, the Wenlock Olympian Society kept the tradition going, although the loss of the old doctor’s driving enthusiasm was greatly missed.
From 1896 onwards, there have been some gaps in staging the Games, notably during the two World Wars. However, one of the highlights between the Wars was the 67th Wenlock Olympian Games in 1923 when 3,000 spectators attended.
Of particular note was the ‘Shrewsbury Chronicle’ report
“The chief event of the day was the competition for the much-coveted Wenlock Pentathlon Gold medal, the winner of which has to prove superior ability in five distinct and separate events, won by H. A. Langley of Sparkhill Harriers, a young fellow and a fine all rounded athlete, for whom a great future can be predicted.”
That great future for Harold Langley included representing Great Britain in the Paris Olympics of 1924 alongside Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddle, immortalised in the film “Chariots of Fire”. He then went on to be a Field Judge at the London Olympics of 1948.
1950 - Post Second World War Revival
The first Games revival after the Second World War was in 1950.
These celebrated the centenary of the very first Games, and were a great success. Quite unlike the Games we have today, it was a spectacular one day event which began with the crowning of a carnival queen, followed by a carnival procession, the judging of the carnival participants followed by an afternoon of sport which attracted nation-wide competitors.
1981 - Alison Williamson - Fulfilling Brookes Dream
At the 1981 Wenlock Olympian Games ten year old Alison Williamson won a silver medal for archery. So began an illustrious career which culminated in a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games held in Greece.
This fulfilled William Penny Brookes dream of a Wenlock Olympian winning an Olympic medal at an Olympics held in its traditional home, Athens.
1994 - Tributes to Brookes
To mark the centenary of the Congress of the Sorbonne, when the International Olympic Games was officially founded, in 1994, his Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the IOC, came to lay a wreath at the Brookes family grave. He stated to the world’s press. “I came to pay tribute and homage to Dr Brookes who really was the founder of the Modern Olympic Games”.
2012 - Much Wenlock and the London Olympic Games
After London was awarded the Olympic games of 2012 in 2005 the attention of the world turned to Much Wenlock.
In 2010 the mascot for the London 2012 Olympics was launched in Much Wenlock. Its name “Wenlock” was in recognition of the history of the Wenlock Olympian Society and its links to the origins of the international Olympics.
Pictured: Wenlock at the 2012 Wenlock Olympian Games.
30 May 2012 - Completing the Olympic Ring
On 30th May 2012 the London 2012 Olympic Torch came to the place where it first flickered in 1850.
It was one of the greatest days for Much Wenlock in living memory.
The Future
The story of the Wenlock Olympian Society and its founder William Penny Brookes continues to inspire.
Tokyo 2020 organisers visited Much Wenlock stating; “The vision of Tokyo 2020 involves sport, education and culture and we in Japan recognise the importance of the legacy of Brookes and the Wenlock Olympian Society.”
The Paris Olympics 2024 are a continuation of the story of Brookes inspiring Coubertin to revive the modern Olympic movement. They would be proud to see that their shared Olympic vision is still flourishing, over a hundred years later.
To find out more about our history or if you would like access to a digital book covering the history of the Society, please get in touch.