Abstract
Prior to August 1914, the chapels of the Protestant Nonconformist denominations of Wales prided themselves on their anti-militarist credentials. Yet within weeks of the start of the Great War, the vast majority of chapel ministers had accepted the principle of the just war and were encouraging young men to enlist. The 52 months of fighting led to a variety of responses, as is evident in the memorials which these chapel communities commissioned. Some are clearly “war” memorials and have surprising imagery, such as depictions of tanks and warplanes; others are dedicated as “peace” memorials, with images of angels and declarations of brotherly love or have mixed messages. They tell us how much of a shock to the system the conflict was, shattering many preconceived ideas and heralding the dawn of an uncertain future.
The work of gathering information on diverse war memorials in Wales was facilitated by a grant from the Living Legacies 1914–1918 Engagement Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, which received its funding from the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council.
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- 1.
Catriona Pennell, A Kingdom United: Popular Responses to the Outbreak of the First World War in Britain and Ireland (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012); Toby Thacker, British culture and the First World War: experience, representation and memory (London: Bloomsbury, 2014); Meilyr Powel, “The Welsh press and the July Crisis of 1914”, First World War Studies, 8 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/19475020.2017.1385408.
- 2.
Ken Inglis, “War Memorials: ten questions for historians”, Guerres mondiales et conflits contemporains, 167 (July 1992); Catherine Moriarty, “Private Grief and Public Remembrance: British First World War Memorials”, in War and Memory in the Twentieth Century, ed. Martin Evans and Ken Lunn (Oxford: Berg, 1997); Jay Winter and Emmanuel Sivan, “Setting the framework” in War and Remembrance in the Twentieth Century, ed. Jay Winter and Emmanuel Sivan (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). The key work on Welsh commemoration is Angela Gaffney, Aftermath: Remembering the Great War in Wales (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1998).
- 3.
Alan Borg, War Memorials: From Antiquity to the present (London: Leo Cooper, 1991), 69.
- 4.
For comparisons with Protestant commemoration in Ireland and Scotland, see Heather Jones, “Church of Ireland Great War Remembrance in the south of Ireland: a personal reflection”, in Towards Commemoration: Ireland in war and revolution 1912–1923, ed. John Horne and Edward Madigan (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 2013) and William Kidd, “‘To the Lads who came back’: memorial windows and Rolls of Honour in Scotland”, in Memory and Memorials: The Commemorative Century, ed. William Kidd and Brian Murdoch (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004).
- 5.
Kenneth O. Morgan, Rebirth of a nation: Wales 1880–1980 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981), 123–155, 176–183.
- 6.
Gerwyn Wiliams, Y Rhwyg (Llandysul: Gomer, 1992), 1–22.
- 7.
Clive Hughes, “Arm to save your native land”: army recruiting in North-West Wales, 1914–1916 (Llanrwst: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2015).
- 8.
Peter Simkins, Kitchener’s Army: The Raising of the New Armies 1914–1916 (Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2007), 97.
- 9.
A sympathetic exposition of the world view of the denominations can be found in M. Wynn Thomas, In the shadow of the pulpit: literature and Nonconformist Wales (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2010), chapter 1, “A Bluffer’s Guide to Welsh Nonconformity”, 18–43.
- 10.
This chapter follows the Welsh convention of referring to the Nonconformists’ place of worship as a chapel. Although the congregation as a body may be referred to as a church, this has been avoided in this chapter to prevent any confusion with the Anglican Church.
- 11.
John Davies, A History of Wales (London: Penguin, 1994), 359.
- 12.
Lowri Angharad Hughes, “O M Edwards: Ei Waith a’i Weledigaeth”, Ysgrifau Beirniadol 29 (May 2010), 51–54.
- 13.
D. Densil Morgan, The Span of the Cross: Christian Religion and Society in Wales 1914–2000 (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1999), 23.
- 14.
In terms of their war memorials and commemorative practices, no striking differences have become apparent, and thus this chapter will simplify the discussion by considering the Nonconformist denominations as a homogenous grouping.
- 15.
John Harvey, The art of piety: the visual culture of Welsh nonconformity (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1995), 4–5.
- 16.
Matthew 5:9. See Robert Pope, “Christ and Caesar? Welsh Nonconformists and the State, 1914–1918” in Wales and War: Society, Politics and Religion in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, ed. Matthew Cragoe and Chris Williams (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2007), 169–171.
- 17.
“Defencist” means the acceptance that it would be necessary to bear arms to defend one’s home: see Paul O’Leary, “Wales and the First World War: Themes and Debates”, Welsh History Review 28, no. 4 (December 2017): 591–617. https://doi.org/10.16922/whr.28.4.1.
- 18.
Neil Evans, “‘A nation in a nutshell’: the Swansea disestablishment demonstration of 1912 and the political culture of Edwardian Wales”, in From Medieval to Modern Wales: Historical Essays in Honour of Kenneth O. Morgan and Ralph A. Griffiths, ed. R. R. Davies and Geraint H. Jenkins (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2004), 215–218.
- 19.
Robert Pope, “Welsh Nonconformists and the State”, 171.
- 20.
“Swansea”, Cambria Daily Leader, 25 September 1916, 3. This and the other newspaper reports cited here can be found in the online database. http://newspapers.library.wales/.
- 21.
Except where noted otherwise, images of all the memorials referred to in this chapter are available online via “Images of WW1 memorials in Welsh chapels”. http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/?p=438.
- 22.
For Zoar Presbyterian, see Ray Westlake, First World War Graves and Memorials in Gwent, Volume 2 (Barnsley: Wharncliffe Books, 2002), 109.
- 23.
Gethin Matthews, ‘“For Freedom and Justice’: The Responses of Chapels in the Swansea area to the First World War”, Welsh History Review 28, no. 4 (December 2017): 688–695. https://doi.org/10.16922/whr.28.4.4.
- 24.
J.M. Davies, “Welsh Nonconformists and the War”, Western Mail, 30 January 1915, 9.
- 25.
This quotation adapts two lines from Alfred Tennyson’s poem, “Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington”. This design can be found in other Methodist chapels in Wales and England.
- 26.
“Ymneillduwyr yn y Fyddin”, Yr Herald Cymraeg, 23 February 1915, 2; “Gwasanaethu eu Gwlad”, Yr Herald Cymraeg, 9 March 1915, 2.
- 27.
“Bridgend Churches”, Glamorgan Gazette, 19 November 1915, 8.
- 28.
“Brecon Free Churches”, Brecon and Radnor Express, 6 January 1916, 3.
- 29.
“Tabernacle Roll of Service”, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 24 October 1917, 3.
- 30.
“Died of wounds”, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 20 March 1918, 3.
- 31.
“A Roll of Honour”, Cambria Daily Leader, 6 March 1916, 6.
- 32.
“Brunswick”, Swansea and Gower Wesleyan Church Record, July 1916, 4.
- 33.
Note that despite their significant contributions to the war effort, the countries of the British Empire are not acknowledged with their own flags.
- 34.
For example, see “Swansea Memorial service”, Cambria Daily Leader, 20 November 1916, 4.
- 35.
“Adulam Bonymaen Roll of Honour”. http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/?p=25.
- 36.
He had drowned when his ship was sunk by a mine in June 1916.
- 37.
Probably the final one unveiled as the war was being fought was that at Zoar Congregational, Swansea, on 3 November 1918: see “Swansea”, Cambria Daily Leader, 4 November 1918, 4.
- 38.
Ray Westlake, First World War Graves and Memorials in Gwent, Volume 1 (Barnsley: Wharncliffe Books, 2001); Westlake, Volume 2.
- 39.
The collection as it stood in November 2017 was mapped by the Living Legacies centre and is available via: http://www.livinglegacies1914-18.ac.uk/CommunityResources/DigitalResources/DigitalMapping/.
- 40.
South Wales News, 25 May 1920, 4.
- 41.
For a study on the differences in English- and Welsh-language inscriptions on civic war memorials in South West Wales, see Gwenllian M. Awbery, “The language of remembrance: Welsh and English on First World War war memorials”, Folk Life 55, no. 2 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/04308778.2017.1376919.
- 42.
Westlake, Volume 1, 143.
- 43.
To give one exceptional example, 27 of the 96 men on the Roll of Honour of Seilo (Calvinistic Methodist), Caernarfon are named Jones.
- 44.
Gaffney, Aftermath, 119–122.
- 45.
One example which uses this phrase is the memorial to the dead of Merchant’s Hill Baptist, Pontnewynydd: see “Patterns of Memorialisation”. http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/?p=185.
- 46.
For example, the name of Ivor Wyn Roberts, who died on 23 July 1919, had to be added to the top of the marble memorial in Engedi, Caernarfon.
- 47.
The two fallen of Hermon, Pembrey, are memorialized as “Aelodau ffyddlon o’r Eglwys Hon” (“Faithful members of this church”).
- 48.
Examples are the memorial stone to the dead of Horeb chapel, Trinant, and the marble tablets incorporated into the walls of Penuwch, Ceredigion, and Bethesda, Mold.
- 49.
See the single name on the memorial at Tregeiriog chapel.
- 50.
Cf. James Lachlan Macleod, “‘Greater Love hath no man than this’: Scotland’s conflicting religious responses to death in the Great War”, Scottish Historical Review, 81, no. 1 (April 2002): 75–77.
- 51.
This quotation comes from a poem by John Ceiriog Hughes.
- 52.
The latter was the chapel attended by Lloyd George’s family: the soldier who fell at Mametz, Hywel Williams, was a family friend.
- 53.
For example, Alun Davies Jones at Deganwy Avenue, Llandudno, who died on 11 July 1916.
- 54.
For a summary of this viewpoint, see the description of the campaign as “the greatest series of victories ever won by the British Army” in the Preface to Peter Hart, 1918: A Very British Victory (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008), 1–6.
- 55.
For the latter, see Westlake, Volume 2, 71.
- 56.
For these, see “WW1 memorials in Morriston’s chapels”. http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/?p=421.
- 57.
Very few stained glass windows were to be found in Welsh chapels prior to the First World War: see Harvey, The art of piety, 17–19.
- 58.
http://imagingthebible.llgc.org.uk/. See also Martin Crampin, Stained Glass from Welsh Churches (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 2014).
- 59.
- 60.
- 61.
For an example of a pointed pediment, see Tabernacl, Barry; for a curved pediment see Bethesda, Mold; for a broken pediment, see Capel y Graig, Machynlleth; for a scroll, see Salem, Pentrechwyth.
- 62.
There were a very small number of statues to the great preachers of the past outside Welsh chapels: see Harvey, The art of piety, 40–43.
- 63.
Brynley F. Roberts, “Syr John a’r Eidalwr” in Ysgrifau a cherddi cyflwynedig i Daniel Huws, ed. Tegwyn Jones and E.B. Fryde (Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 1994), 186–187.
- 64.
Borg, War Memorials, 78.
- 65.
See Michael Statham, “Undocumented Sculptures by Sir William Goscombe John”. www.churchmonumentssociety.org/Goscombe%20John%20discoveries%20rtf.rtf.
- 66.
For this memorial, see Gethin Matthews, Gwrol Ryfelwyr Caersalem Newydd (Treboeth, 2014).
- 67.
For example, Rehoboth, Briton Ferry.
- 68.
Two examples are Caerphilly English Congregational and Deer Park Baptist, Tenby.
- 69.
“WW1 memorials in Morriston’s chapels”.
- 70.
Psalms 24:1.
- 71.
Deer Park, Tenby; Tabernacl, Pontypridd and Hengoed/Bryn Seion.
- 72.
Mark Connelly, The Great War, Memory and Ritual: Commemoration in the City and East London, 1916–1939 (Woodbridge; Rochester, NY: Royal Historical Society/Boydell Press, 2002), 72.
- 73.
In February 2017, the numbers stood at 25 out of 73: their distribution was mapped and is available via: http://go.qub.ac.uk/WelshChapels.
- 74.
For these see “Patterns of Memorialisation”.
- 75.
Westlake, Volume 2, 78.
- 76.
W.G. Lloyd, Roll of Honour (Cwmbran: W. G. Lloyd, 1995), 153.
- 77.
Westlake, Volume 2, 166–167, 11.
- 78.
Westlake, Volume 2, 13–14.
- 79.
For Tabernacle, Newbridge, see Ray Westlake, Volume 2, 122–123. Two Baptist chapels in Newport also have memorials photographs of the dead: St Mary Street (4) and Summerhill (14)—see Ray Westlake, Volume 1, 142, 164.
- 80.
“Roll of Honour”, Llanelly Star, 19 April 1919, 3.
- 81.
Laurence van Ypersèle, “Making the Great War great: 1914–18 war memorials in Wallonia”, in Memory and Memorials: The Commemorative Century, ed. William Kidd and Brian Murdoch (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004), 30–35.
- 82.
Jones, “Church of Ireland Great War Remembrance”, 77–80.
- 83.
Two examples in North Wales are the collection of chapel memorials from the local area to be found in Seilo, Llandudno, and the collection of local Calvinistic Methodist memorials in Seilo, Caernarfon. For comparisons with Ireland, see Jones, “Church of Ireland Great War Remembrance”, 79.
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Matthews, G. (2019). Angels, Tanks, and Minerva: Reading the Memorials to the Great War in Welsh Chapels. In: Kerby, M., Baguley, M., McDonald, J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Artistic and Cultural Responses to War since 1914. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96986-2_27
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