TIMES Past readers love a mystery – can you help track down details of a well-kent Glasgow wrestler and publican?

Tony Gee, a well-known prize ring historian and author, is hoping to include details of Charles Donaldson in his latest book but details are scarce.

Donaldson, a wrestler who ran The American Bar on Ardgowan Street and the New Coffin (or The Coffin) on Whitevale Street, has a special connection to the Glasgow Times – he was boxing editor of this newspaper in the 1920s.

In 1928 he had a book published entitled From Figg to Tunney, which is extremely rare.

Born in Lerwick in 1865, by 1911 Donaldson was reported to have been living in Glasgow for more than a quarter of a century. He died in 1930 in Cambuslang, where he also ran a photographic studio on Main Street. (He took his own photographs for his first book, Men of Muscle – which is dedicated to the then editor of the Glasgow Evening Times, Michael Graham, and includes his stories from the newspaper.)

Now Tony is appealing to Glasgow Times readers for any information and photographs that may assist his research.

His mother, Hazel, explains: “A few years ago, Tony was unfortunately taken extremely ill, and is now essentially bedbound and fighting two life threatening conditions.

“He had started work on a book on 18th and 19th century pugilism in Scotland at the time, given nothing has been written at length on the fascinating stories which today have been forgotten about bareknuckle fighting - Scotland’s great boxing heritage did not begin with Benny Lynch.”

She adds: “Tony has a strong interest in Glasgow (where most of the sport’s activity was centred). In his book, he is writing a chapter on the Britannia Music Hall, later the Panopticon, which has played such an important role in Glasgow’s entertainment history.

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“The Britannia seems to have been particularly well known for the famous pugilists who exhibited there. Although Donaldson was not a boxer, he was a competent wrestler, billed on occasion as a ‘champion wrestler of Scotland’ and consequently also appeared at the Britannia.

“Given that he went on to become a well-known boxing writer for the Evening Times, and his publication contains some unique references to one or two late 19th century Scottish pugilists, Tony has decided to include him.”

Donaldson’s pub in Whitevale Street was apparently a ‘mecca for boxers and wrestlers’ explains Hazel, with early 20th century heavyweight champion Jack Johnson said to have been amongst the visitors.

Glasgow Times:

“He would certainly have been a most interesting person to talk to and no doubt was an informed boxing writer for the paper,” adds Hazel.

“He appears to have been completely forgotten about, so I hope your readers can help.”

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Tony, whose publications include Up to Scratch: Bareknuckle Fighting and Heroes of the Prize-ring, is also hoping to hear from descendants of Scottish pugilists who fought pre-1900, and from anyone who has a copy of Donaldson’s rare book, From Figg to Tunney.

Can you help Tony and Hazel? Email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk or write to Ann Fotheringham, Glasgow Times, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow East Investment Park, Glasgow G32 8FG.