The rise of Mr Lascelles Carr

Near neighbours, The Western Mail was published in St Mary Street for many years and today is still only a stone's throw away from the hotel. Here is the street in the nineteenth century

Mr Henry Lascelles Carr, the Chairman of the Royal Hotel Company (Cardiff) Ltd, was also the proprietor of the Western Mail.  Lascelles Carr was one of the most prominent figures of 19th century Cardiff and links the Western Mail firmly to the history of the Royal Hotel.  He was the first sub-editor of the newspaper which was founded in 1869 by the Marquis of Bute.  

He rose to become editor and later proprietor of the Western Mail.  He then became Chairman of the Royal Hotel Company (Cardiff Ltd) and led the company to the extension of the hotel in 1893. As well as a journalist, he was also a councillor.  He later went on to become proprietor of The News of the World and appointed his son as editor.

Western Mail - October 16 1882 (excerpt)

"On Saturday (previous) a portrait of himself was presented to Mr Lascelles Carr, the editor and one of the proprietors of the Western Mail, by the employees of that journal at a dinner given by them at the Royal Hotel, Cardiff. At the dinner there was a full muster of the subscribers to the testimonial who numbered nearly 100, and consisted exclusively of perosns actually in the employ of the proprietors of the Western Mail.  

The chair and vice-chair were occupied by Mr. Ho. Mackenzie Thomas (manager of the Western Mail) and Mr. Churchill C. Osbourne (acting editor of the Western Mail) respectively.  Amongst the guests present were Mr. Henry Howell (Daniel Owen, Howell & Co.), Mr E Fletcher (Theatre Royal,Cardiff), Messrs. Laughlin, R.E. Jones, E.J. Smith, and Moore.

The dinner, which was of an excellent kind, wsa most admirably served by Mr. E. Williams, the new proprietor of the Royal Hotel...

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