History

Pembroke Farmer's Club is the second oldest in the UK, older than the Royal Agricultural Society of England and even older than the Royal Welsh. It was formed after the Pembrokeshire Agriculture Society faded out of existence in 1813 (and lay dormant for 31 years). Many members claim that it is indeed the oldest as the Breconshire Society, which was formed earlier, lapsed during World War 2.

During those wartime years the Pembroke Farmers' Club kept the Red Cross going by raising considerable sums of money, over £1,000 on one occasion.

The Club was formed on August 9th.1817 at The Green Dragon, Pembroke. Lord Cawdor of Stackpole and Sir John Owen of Orielton were its leading promoters, but no copy of the Club rules can be found.

However, the rules of 1839 stated that membership should not be less than 1 Os 6d and not exceed 21 s Od. Every member, whose residence was within 10 miles of Pembroke town was fined 2s 6d for each non - attendance. The meetings were held alternately in The Green Dragon and Golden Lions Inns.

The Club was formed for "The encouragement and improvement of agriculture" and held many competitions, including incentives to farm workers. Some of the competitions, were for instance for the best ploughman, the greatest number of acres and best turnips cultivated on the drill system, more than five years service by male and female servants and to the labourer in husbandry who had reared the greatest number of children without parish aid.

Over the years several prizewinners at Pembroke have gone on to win national awards in all classes of livestock e.g. the Champion Welsh Ox at Pembroke, December 1850, raised by Captain Kindersley of Kilpaison, went on to win the supreme championship at Smithfield in December 1851, when it took a fortnight to take the animal by bullock cart to Smithfield.

In August 1902 King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited Pembroke and stayed at Brownslade; a reception was held at Monkton Priory in their honour. However, the vicar (a man of high principle) would not attend as the King had brought his mistress: Mrs. Keppel. Whilst travelling up the Dark Lane a carnage horse dropped dead, but another was quickly exchanged. It was said that the King did not notice as he was engrossed with Mrs. Keppel; believe it or not an ancestor of Camilla Parker-Bowles. After the King's death, some years later, the Club received a letter of thanks from Mr. Winston Churchill, then a lowly minister at the Home Office, for its letter of condolence.

Another encounter with Royalty was during World War 2, when two prominent members of the Club, the late Mr. E.C.Roberts of Loveston, (grandfather of three existing members) and the late Mr. George Woods of Wogaston (uncle of the current President of South Pembs YFC) were enjoying a night out at the Kings Arms Hotel in Pembroke. The landlord told them that there was a very important guest on the premises that evening from Castlemartin Camp : Major Bowes-Lyon, the then Queen's brother. Whereupon, George, with his large hunting horn in one hand, went across and put his other arm round the Major's shoulder and said "How's your sister?" Major Bowes-Lyon took it very well, saying "Very well thank you", adding, "How are your things on the farm?" "Oh" said George "my men have all been conscripted and I have only two land maids, and I have to get in a field of hay tomorrow. How ever we will manage I don't know". Next day, at midday, three flat bottomed army lorries and thirty soldiers appeared in the yard and soon had all the hay in!

There was great excitement in 1905 when a local horse, Kirkland won the Grand National. It was trained in Lawrenny by Mr. E. Thomas and had walked to Narberth station, prior to the race, en route for Liverpool. On its return it had to be stabled overnight at the Commercial Inn kept by Mr. Fred Thomas who charged the enthusiastic crowd 6d to see the horse, many of whom had won a fair packet on the horse at 6-1. The landlord later changed the name of the Kirkland Arms in the horse's honour.

The two grooms were George Legge, who won at the Olympic Games with his horse: Foxhunter. The other was Billy Smith, who got so drunk and knowing he would be sacked, turned his horse loose at the turn of Lawrenny hill and disappeared up the 'valleys' for a few years, before coming back to be mine host at the Railway Inn, Pembroke.