geraint Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 I was recently given a small Welsh medium publication Rhol Anrhydedd -Roll of Honour of the Welsh Calvanistic Methodist Chapel, Stanley Road, Bootle Published in 1917 it contains photos and information on every member of the congregation serving in the war. The members would originally have come from all parts of Wales - Liverpool and its environs being a major source of employment. All were Welsh speakers. The following breakdown is fascinating and your comments appreciated. January 1917 - 915 chapel members. Of which 462 were male and 453 female. 214 serving in war activity of which 156 are in the army with 12 of that number killed, 1 died in training and 3 missing. 51 serve in either the Royal or Merchant Navy with 1 missing 7 of the women are serving as nurses. The publication is proud to inform us that members are busy raising funds, preparing comforts, and sending numerous parcels to the front. A tea is prepared every Sunday afternoon to Welsh soldiers in the neighbouring camps. The congregation ensures that every member serving will receive a letter every month personally written by individual members of the congregation. Units KLR 35 men RWF 43 men RE 12 Artillery 15 RAMC 5 MGC 6 The others are scattered individually in various units and regiments. I meant to ask - can any Bootle member inform me as to whether the chapel is still standing today? And if so - in what capacity? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 It's a few years since I've been there but Strand Road is a pale shadow of its former self. the 'New Strand' shopping centre did for a lot of it and a lot was knocked down. I'm pretty sure it's gone. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 Geraint, Image can be seen on Genuki site if you google "Welsh Chapel Stanley Road Bootle" Built 1876, destroyed in blitz 1941. The Memorial to WW1 dead was outside the building and survives, with WW2 names added later. Rebuilt and reopened 1956. Closed 1996, now seems to be Council-owned offices? if you also have a look at the Merseyside Roll of Honour website http://www.merseysiderollofhonour.co.uk/memorials/southsefton/bootle/bootlewelshpresbyterian.php, there is a listing for this church's war dead incl photos, based on a history of the church Camau'r cysegr: sef hanes eglwys y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, Stanley Road I think this may be a different publication to the one you have. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Bootle/StanleyRdWelshCalvinistMethodist.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 6 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2014 Ian and Clive. Thank you both for that link and for the extremely useful information on the chapel. How far away would Litherland Camp be? At least 3 of the men are placed at that camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 It's about one and a half miles away as the sooty sparrer flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 6 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 6 March , 2014 Thanks Ian. (Not the crow road? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 6 March , 2014 Share Posted 6 March , 2014 Geraint Ian is pretty close regardless of which bird you choose to fly the route - 1.62 miles according to Google Earth. It's not a lot more on foot. The camp in 1915 looked like this (a photo from the very detailed litherlandtown.co.uk website) Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 7 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2014 Excellent Pete. Thanks for the Litherland web link as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 7 March , 2014 Share Posted 7 March , 2014 I meant to ask - can any Bootle member inform me as to whether the chapel is still standing today? And if so - in what capacity? Hi Geraint, I was down near the docks picking up some coffee today so I took a drive up to the chapel on my way to Tesco (which is opposite the old Litherland Camp). The chapel has been turned into offices with a new block built onto the back in keeping with the architecture. The new block houses a council department of some form and the chapel itself appears to be the offices of a private firm. An access ramp has been constructed at the front all in the same stone. Let me know if you would like some photos. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tullybrone Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 Hi, I understand that Litherland Barracks/Camp occupied the area roughly between the modern Church Road (A5036?), School Lane (where English Martyrs RC Church is situated) and Sefton Road, Litherland. St Phillips Church C of E church is in the background of the photo. Steve Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 8 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2014 Thanks lads. A modern photo would be good. Looking at the KLR units - would any particular battalion be perhaps more informally associated with the Liverpool Welsh more than other KLR battalions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 I'm pretty sure not. There were Irish and Scots battalions but not a Welsh one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 8 March , 2014 Share Posted 8 March , 2014 There was a Liverpool Welsh battalion at some point in the history of the King's Liverpool Regiment, although I can't remember when (pre-WW1). It didn't exist for long as I recall, probably because of Liverpool's proximity to Wales. You can hardly consider yourself an exile when 'home' is so close by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 9 March , 2014 Share Posted 9 March , 2014 When Lloyd George's Welsh Army Corps was being raised in November 1914 there was a recruiting meeting at the Stanley Road Church, addressed by Brigadier-General Owen Thomas of Anglesey and the influential Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Rev. John Williams "Brynsiencyn" as part of a series held around Merseyside. Not sure how many men might have joined up as a result: but the idea of a "Liverpool Welsh" (along with a Manchester Welsh and London Welsh) battalion was built into the first raising plan, and the meetings might possibly have taken place in connection with that. The units would have formed most of a brigade, but only the two London Welsh battalions succeeded in getting off the ground. The Liverpool unit allegedly got only one recruit before Lord Derby and the local "Pals" movement firmly squashed the idea; and the Manchester authorities weren't at all interested. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 9 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2014 There was a Liverpool Welsh battalion at some point in the history of the King's Liverpool Regiment, although I can't remember when (pre-WW1). It didn't exist for long as I recall, probably because of Liverpool's proximity to Wales. You can hardly consider yourself an exile when 'home' is so close by. Yes - and the RWF figures support your view Ken. Clive -send me the Anglesey names and I'll scan the photos. The John Williams/ Owen Thomas campaign did, as you say, occur in November.14. The booklet was published in October 1917 and it would have been most interesting to see the full extent of conscription on the chapel membership figures. I don't know what the full death figure was for the chapel. That, in comparison to what we know by Oct 1917, would be most interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 10 March , 2014 Share Posted 10 March , 2014 Geraint, See the chapel list on the Merseyside ROH page in post #3 ! Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 10 March , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 March , 2014 Duhhh! I'm a thick bloke with an addled brain. Thanks Clive. Back to reading that link again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 13 July , 2020 Share Posted 13 July , 2020 With regards to the Welsh Methodist Chapel on Stanley Road Bootle. i attended this chapel when I was a child in the 50s and 60s. I was married there in 1975. It is still standing although turned into offices about late 70s early 80s. It was bombed in WW2 but restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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