Tag Archives: Chapel

Arthur Linfoot was a member of the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church in Sunderland, and a regular church-goer elsewhere when not in Sunderland. He records his attendance at chapel and church services of many kinds throughout his diaries.

17 November 1918; Sunday

Up at about 7 o’clock. Had bath at Cauroir1 in the morning. Wrote letters in the afternoon and went to Cauroir to the service at night. Got a bit of a cold and a sore throat.

Received a letter from Father and letter from Mother dated 11th inst. telling me of the doings in Sunderland.


  1. Cauroir (B): written only in shorthand, but seems fairly certain; about 1km SW. of Cagnoncles (A). 

6 November 1918; Wednesday

Up at about 5.30. Wet morning. Heavy barrage. Marched off at 8 o’clock. Rained heavily and <wet> bed sheets. Went across country part of the way. Arrived at Jenlain1 about mid-day. Put on guard at night and did 9 – 1 and 5 – 9. Went round to church in the afternoon, with Wood, Jones and Tresand and party of 57th men. Rained all the while. Heard that the Americans and French are doing well.


  1. Jenlain (B): 12km NE. of Vendegies-sur-Écaillon (A) and 10km SE. of Valenciennes, N. of D649 to Maubeuge; Michelin square N6. 

27 October 1918; Sunday

Up shortly after 7 o’clock. Moved from Avesnes to Cauroir1 by lorry along with the bath people. Parade in cellars but worked hard all day and got a fire in there and made them comfortable by night. Walked out and tried to find the service but failed. Wrote letters.


  1. Cauroir (B): 7km W. of Avesnes-les-Aubert (A); ALL now 5km E. of Cambrai centre; Michelin square L6. 

6 October 1918; Sunday

Up about 8 o’clock. The air full of rumours. Went to nonconformist service with Billy Truman and enjoyed it. Stayed round the fire in the afternoon and stewed apples. Walked out with Billy Truman at night and had long talk. Heard that the Central Powers1 had asked for an armistice and the air full of rumours.


  1. The Central Powers consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. 

15 September 1918; Sunday

Up about 9. At the Madeleine church in the morning to a service and walked through the Tuileries Gardens1. Had lunch at the Y M near the barracks. Went up to the Invalides2 in the afternoon and had a hurried look at Napoleon’s tomb and then back, tea and to the train. Moved off at about 4.40. Had an A S C man in the carriage who †had been south†. He spoke French and was rather enlightening†. Arrived at Rouen3 about mid-night.


  1. The Tuileries Garden is a public garden located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It was created by Catherine de’ Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564 and is famously the subject of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, No. 3, “Tuileries (Children’s Quarrel after Games)”. 

  2. Les Invalides is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans. 

  3. Rouen (B), about 120km NW. of Paris (A).