Project Description
Bethesda is a disused Methodist chapel in Hanley, Staffordshire, owned by the Historic Chapels Trust. We received funding of £5,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with a £500 grant from the city of Stoke-on-Trent, to mark the First World War centenary. Run by the Friends of the Chapel, our project sought to tell the story of local Bethesda individuals, focusing on where and when they were born and grew up, where and when they enlisted, where their regiment fought, when they returned or died ending in what happened to them after the war ended. We collected photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, letters and photographs of family keepsakes as part of our research. This then formed the content of an exhibition inside the chapel, to enable residents to preserve the memories and heritage of local people who experienced the conflict. The project also highlighted the role played by the Chapel during the conflict, in the way of parcels and knitted items that were sent to the front line. The project group consisted of approximately ten friends, under the guidance of a First World War expert, John Booth.
Organisation
Organised by
Friends of Bethesda Chapel Hanley
Region
West Midlands
Location
ST1 1QF
Event
Date
2014-05-01, 2018-05-01
Venue
Bethesda Chapel Hanley, Staffordshire.
Location
ST1 1QF
Focus and Research
Resources used for research
Chairman of the Friends John Booth conducted research into individual local soldiers, and had also written several books on Bethesda which were used for research purposes. Supplementary information was additionally sourced from personal recollection and local archives.