At church and Sunday School as usual. Spoke to Hector MacDonald about Ranald1. Mr Chadwick preaching. Had long talk with Willie Peake about Chadwicks. Talked to Arthur Marshall about the Debating Society. Wet day. Short walks. Bought special Echoes and heard about the 5 to 6000 English being lost, also that the Germans were withdrawing some men from Belgium to send to Prussia2.
Tag Archives: Chapel
23 August 1914; Sunday
At chapel and School as usual. Mr Blott preaching and preached very well. I had Arthur Mullens’ class. Grand day. Newspapers out telling of the loss of Danish and Dutch vessels on mines. Sam† Chadwick spoke to me about the Debating Society. Collections at chapel for the Prince of Wales Fund and £4.11.0 collected.
Japan declared war on Germany 1.
18 August 1914; Tuesday
Busy all day Finished rather late. 60 tons gone out.
Heard of Gen. Grierson being died 1 [sic]. He died of heart failure in France. French capture Saarburg2.
Went down to play for Mr Lawson’s meeting. Shook hands with him at the close of the meeting. He is leaving on Thursday for home in Leeds. Felt very much off form.
Scarcely any soldiers left in Sunderland.
Haig and Sir James Grierson commanded 1 and 11 Corps respectively, and crossed to France together on 16 August. Grierson died of natural causes on the 17th; replaced by Gen. Smith‐Dorrien. ↩
Saarburg: then in Rhenish Prussia, just N. of Lorraine, near the (then) French border; an early and somewhat deceptive French success. ↩
16 August 1914; Sunday
At church and School as usual. Got on very well. Had short walk in the day and long walk at night. We looked in the new park and had to climb over the gate at the top.
Nothing startling from the front. Sir John French1 arrived at Paris. Mr Lawson spoke in the pulpit. His last Sunday at So. Durham St. Mr Blott & Mrs & Joyce at Church.
Sir J. French: Field Marshall, Commander‐in‐Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, replaced by Haig in December 1915. ↩
9 August 1914; Sunday
At chapel and Sunday School as usual. I had Esther Mullens’ class and played for the last hymn. My turn for the children’s service. Mr Riddell preaching in the morning and Mr Victor Ingleson at night. Willie Marshall playing again. Had special prayer meeting at the close of the service for the war. Cruiser “Birmingham”1 sunk German Submarine U15 in the North Sea.
“Birmingham”: Tyne-built 1914, scrapped 1931; U15’s engines had failed off Fair Isle, Birmingham shelled her but missed, so rammed her and she sank with all hands: the first submarine ever sunk by an enemy warship. Birmingham was later at the battles of Heligoland and of the Dogger Bank. ↩
2 August 1914; Sunday
At chapel and Sunday School as usual. Showery day and some very heavy rain. My Sunday School class got the award for obtaining the greatest number of new scholars.
Germany invades France without declaring War. British Fleet reserves called out. Cabinet sitting.
26 July 1914; Sunday
At chapel and School as usual. Mr Chadwick preaching. Managed very well in both places. Went to Willie and Lily’s to tea. Mr and Mrs Peake there. Willie playing the organ. Blaikie on his holidays. Miss Hunter away too. A few hail showers and we didn’t walk far. Mr Chadwick announced that we would commence with the new hymns old hymn books next month and that Mr Flood will be preaching one day in August.
Conference of Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain proposed by Sir Edward Grey1 but Germany declines. 27th2.
See also Wikipedia: Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon ↩
“27th” perhaps means that this last sentence is overflow from the next page (28 July), which is full. ↩
19 July 1914; Sunday
Got up about 9 o’clock. Had bath. At chapel and Sunday School. Managed very well in Sunday School. Mr Chadwick preached a good sermon in the morning on quietness. Some very heavy showers. Mrs McPhail very ill and died at night. Talked to Dora’s Charlie a long time at the top of Vine Place. Had short walk round with our Charlie. Played a bit and read a very good article on philosophy.
5 July 1914; Sunday
Got up late. Had walk by Spital Way with Father and Charlie. Stayed in in the afternoon and read and wrote up diary. Rather dull. Went to Wesleyan chapel at night. Better services but much smaller choir and congregation. Preacher not so talkative and apparently more sincere. Had short walk afterwards. Fine night.
23 June 1914; Tuesday
Not very busy at work. Went down and played at class meeting at night. Played ping pong until late. Had hair cut. Joe, and Willie Whittaker down helping to take down platform. Received letter from Ernie with regard to the insurance question.