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.
Bethesda Chapel, Hanley in Staffordshire

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.

Project Evaluation