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.

18 April 1915; Sunday

April 1915, , ,

At chapel and Sunday School as usual. Played organ in the chapel in the afternoon, and managed rather badly. Had usual walks. A boy sang at night, and a lady, and Charlie sang in the anthem. Both the other turns were off. Fine night.

Submarine E 15 lost in Dardanelles1.

  1. On 16 April 1915 E15 sailed from her base at Moudros and attempted to break through the Dardanelles to the Sea of Marmara. Early in the morning of 17 April, the submarine, having dived too deep and become caught in the current, ran aground some ten miles (16 km) in near Kepez Point directly under the guns of Fort Dardanus. E15 was (after some difficulty) eventually sunk by allied forces in order to ensure that she did not fall into enemy hands. ↩

11 April 1915; Sunday

April 1915, ,

At chapel all day and at Sunday School as usual. Mr Chadwick preaching and preached pretty well. Came up with Willie Peake at night and talked a long time. Played a bit and read. Fine night. Rumour of the loss of the Queen Mary and big sea fight1.

  1. “Queen Mary…”: If referring to HMS Queen Mary, the last battlecruiser built by the Royal Navy before World War I, this rumour was clearly unfounded. Queen Mary was in fact sunk at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. ↩

2 April 1915; Friday

April 1915, , , , ,

Went down town to meet Willie and went to Durham Road Wesleyan church. Didn’t care much for it. Went to Penshaw Hill1  2 in the afternoon with Willie Whittaker and Charlie and hurried back to go to the chapel tea. In time for the second sitting down. Mr Scroggie† preached in the afternoon but we didn’t hear him. Stayed to service. Reverend W. T Harding preached and was very good. Mr Hood spoke and was rotten. Had short walk round last thing.

Anniversary Services & Tea at Chapel.

  1. Penshaw Hill: landmark 4 miles from Sunderland on the Chester-­le-­Street road; referred to in the folk song “The Lambton Worm”; since 1844 crowned with a replica of the temple of Hephaestos in Athens, built as a tribute by his tenants to John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham and 1st Governor of Canada, known in his time as “Radical Jack.” It is said that it was to be completed with an equestrian statue of the Earl (a life-­size maquette which was formerly in the Baron’s Hall at Lumley Castle), but that the tenants changed their mind after the Earl’s agent put their rents up. ↩

  2. Some descriptions of Penshaw monument, for example that at Wikipedia, state that it is a half scale copy of the temple of Hephaestos and others, for example at the web site of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, that it is twice the size of the original. In fact neither is true, although the topological similarity between the two buildings is deliberate and undeniable. ↩

28 March 1915; Sunday

March 1915, , , ,

Went to the Royalty Church in the morning. Nice church, good music and pretty good sermon. At Sunday School in the afternoon and had 3 classes. At North Bridge Street at night to hear Penitence, P[ardon] & Peace1. Miss Brackwill took the soprano and Tom Leyden the baritone solos. Billy Marshall and Billy Whittaker with me and Charlie in the choir. Had usual walks. Rather wild weather and some snow. The Falaba2 torpedoed and over 100 lives lost.

  1. “Penitence, Pardon & Peace”: oratorio by John Henry Maunder (1858-­1920), organist in Sydenham and Forest Hill; better known for oratorio “Olivet to Calvary.” ↩

  2. RMS Falaba was the first passenger ship torpedoed in WW1, and an American engineer L C Thrasher was among the 104 lives lost, causing an international incident as the Kaiser had declared British waters a war zone as recently as 18 February; but Falaba was carrying explosives, which duly exploded. The submarine was U28. Location probably S. of Ireland, as Thrasher’s body is said to have been found after the Lusitania sinking. ↩

25 March 1915; Thursday

March 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Went to recruiting office at night arranged to call in tomorrow night to see the doctor. They say I can arrange to go to Haltry† on Easter Tuesday. Went down and saw Mrs Furley about Luke who was not at Sunday School last Sunday.

U29 announced as sunk1. Father at the Court and the case settled.

  1. U29 was sunk with all hands on 18 March 1915 (i.e. a week earlier than this diary entry) in the Pentland Firth after being rammed by HMS Dreadnought, the only German submarine known to have been sunk in this way. ↩

15 March 1915; Monday

March 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Called at George’s at dinner time to mend tyre. Rode up home. Did summary. George received a reply to a job and went away soon to see about it. Went down to teachers’ meeting. Mr Chadwick made a proposal about a procession on Anniversary Sunday and I squeezed it with the assistance of Joe. Anniversary business done. Fine day. Received news of the sinking of the Dresden1.

  1. Dresden: See footnote yesterday. ↩