Alfred Neobard Palmer facts for kids

Alfred Neobard Palmer (born July 10, 1847 – died March 7, 1915) was a smart chemist and a great historian. He wrote many books about the history of Wrexham and northern Wales.

About Alfred Palmer

Alfred Neobard Palmer was born in Thetford, Norfolk, England. This was on July 10, 1847. His parents were Alfred and Harriet Palmer. He had two younger siblings, John and Catherine. In June 1878, he married Esther Francis. They called her Ettie. They got married in Salford, Lancashire. Alfred and Ettie did not have any children.

His Early Life and Learning

Alfred went to Thetford Grammar School. He was there from 1855 to 1860. After that, he went to a private school. This was from 1860 to 1862. At this school, he found he loved natural science.

His Work as a Chemist

Palmer worked as a teacher for a short time. This was in Cambridgeshire. But in 1863, he started working for a chemist. This job was in Bury St. Edmunds. In 1874, he became an analytical chemist. This means he tested chemicals. He worked for a company in Manchester. This is where he met and married Ettie.

Later, he moved to Wrexham. In September 1880, he started a new job. He worked for the Zoedone Mineral Water Company. He stayed there until 1882. He also worked for the Brymbo Steelworks Company. There, he became the main chemist. But he had to leave after two years. This was because he became unwell. Some say he was at Brymbo from 1882 to 1884. Others say it was from 1884 to 1886.

After leaving Brymbo, he started his own business. He was a private analytical chemist. His office was in Chester Street, Wrexham. Later, he worked at the Cambrian Leather Works. This was from 1891 to 1904.

His Passion for History

Alfred Palmer's first history book was The Town, Fields and Folk of Wrexham in the Time of James the First. He wrote it in 1883. This book was based on an old survey from 1620. It was about the area called Bromfield and Yale.

He went on to write ten books. He also wrote many articles. These were all about local history and archaeology. His best work was The History of Ancient Tenures of Land in the Marches of North Wales. He wrote this in 1885. Both he and other experts thought it was his most important book.

Later Life and Legacy

As he wrote more books, his health got worse. His money also became a problem. This was especially true after he wrote a novel. The novel was called Owen Tanat (1897). It was not very successful. However, his money situation got better later. He received some money in 1892 and 1894. In 1905, he also received a special pension.

Alfred Palmer died on March 7, 1915. He passed away in Wrexham. He was buried at Wrexham Cemetery.

To remember his important work, the Wrexham County Borough Council named their local history center after him. It is called the A.N. Palmer Centre for Local Studies and Archives. There is also a special plaque for him there. This plaque was first shown on November 29, 1922. It was at the old Wrexham Public Library.