A Shropshire man who has devoted 55 years of his life to researching the history of Wellington is stepping down.
Allan Frost, who is 70 next month, started collating information on Wellington when he was 15, as well as documenting the history of his ancestors who first moved to the area in the 1730s.
Founder chairman of Wellington History Group, he has edited 28 issues of the group’s magazine as well as writing more than 40 books on subjects including Wellington’s pubs and breweries, the Great War and The Wrekin.
“I feel it is time to retire from researching and archiving Wellington’s history but have enjoyed all the work I have done over the years,” said Allan, who is a retired civil servant and now lives in Priorslee.
Amongst his achievements, he was instrumental in creating history boards in Market Square, showing the location of the seventeenth century Market House, and instigated an archaeological dig in Walker Street which produced evidence of Medieval tanning and horn-working and identified the oldest known building in Wellington as part of Edgbaston House.
He has given countless public talks on a range of topics, helped many with family research, contributed to film scripts, radio and tv programmes and newspaper articles and was awarded a Wellington Town Council plaque in 2010 for his services to the town.
“At present, I’m compiling a history of Wellington which should be published later this year but after more than five decades I feel it is time to channel my research and writing away from local history towards family matters which have taken second place for far too long.
“My interest in local and family history began when I discovered a headstone in the parish churchyard recording the death by explosion of four of my great-great-grandfather’s children in 1839. My great grandfather Ebenezer survived – if he hadn’t, I shouldn’t be here today. It made me realise that history doesn’t just happen…people make history.
“My final gift to the people of the town is a free 40-page booklet called ‘Wellington Back in Time Walk’ which features a short route around town highlighting places of historical interest and showing what they once looked like,” Allan added.
The booklet will be available at the town’s Charter Day on March 7 inside Wellington Library and afterwards other outlets decided by Wellington Civic Society and Wellington History Group who have paid all printing costs.
Wellington’s Mayor Anthony Lowe commented: “Allan has become a Wellington institution in his own right and his 55 years of research and curiosity about our town has resulted in a considerable body of published work for us to read and enjoy.
“His final lecture will be in the library on March 19th and we would urge as many people as possible to attend to give Allan a full-throated send-off into retirement.
“As a teenager at Wellington Grammar School, Allan’s history teacher wrote that Allan was ‘keen but blithely inaccurate’.
“Allan took this message to heart and has spent his life remaining keen on our local history but forensically accurate and we all owe him a considerable debt of gratitude.
“Thanks go to him from all Wellington residents and we wish him every happiness for the future.”
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