Presbyterian Chapel, Llandrindod Wells

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Link to Welsh translationIthon Road Presbyterian Chapel, Llandrindod Wells

The first chapel on this site opened in 1870 for the Calvinistic Methodists, also known as Presbyterians. They had held their first services in Llandrindod a few months earlier in a wooden structure where Gwalia Buildings now stands (east of the chapel).

The present chapel contains memorials to members who died in the First and Second World Wars and whose details are shown below. They include Fred Jamieson, who emigrated in 1913 and was one of the first to enlist in Canada and travel to Britain for the war effort. Our page in his memory is here.

The original war memorial was presented to the church in 1918 by Mr and Mrs William James Powell, who had lost two sons. Another memorial lists the 93 chapel members who served in the First World War.

Land for the 1870 chapel was donated by Henry Hurst, who had moved to the area in 1868. His brickworks supplied Llandrindod’s construction boom, and he was described as one of the town’s founders after his death in 1878

As Llandrindod grew, the chapel’s size proved inadequate. In 1896 the Albert Hall was built on the next plot to the west. Welsh services were held there in summer, when the influx of tourists – many of whom were Welsh-speaking Methodists – brought extra demand.

The old chapel was replaced in 1904-1905 by the one we see here today. This was the period of the great Methodist Revival, and the building accommodated 630 worshippers. Galleries were provided inside for extra seating, because the new building had to fit into a small area of ground. The architect was Cardiff-based William Beddoe Rees. The interior features intricate décor in Art Nouveau style.

The new chapel cost £4,500, which would be c.£500,000 in today’s money. It took many years to raise the necessary funding, which mostly came from chapel members. In 1918 there was still £1,300 of debt to repay. Subsequently membership of the chapel declined gradually, from 222 in 1923 to 27 in 2016. In the early 1950s the chapel disposed of the Albert Hall, now a community theatre.

With thanks to Stephen Roderick

Postcode: LD1 6AA    View Location Map
To continue the Llandrindod Wells in WW1 tour, go to the Albert Hall, the building next door
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First World War

  • Betts, Francis (Frank) Arthur, Private 25706. Died 02/11/1918 aged 26. King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Buried Reading Cemetery. Son of Thomas and Lydia Betts of 2, Penrhiw Villa, Wellington Road.
  • Botwood, George Lewis Gilford, Private 203690. Died 05/04/1917 aged 31. Gloucestershire Regiment. Buried Unicorn Cemetery. Son of M and A Botwood.
  • Bufton, Edward Evan, Second Lieutenant. Died of pneumonia, following influenza, at Sunderland Military Hospital on 20/11/1918. York and Lancaster Regiment. Buried Llandrindod Wells Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs Evan Bufton, of “Teviot”, Temple Avenue. Was an auctioneer, estate agent and town council official. Also played football for the town’s team.
  • Bufton, Garnet, Gunner 74067. Died 05/05/1918 aged 26. Royal Garrison Artillery. Buried Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No.3. Son of Edward and Sarah Bufton, of Ithon Terrace, Penybont; husband of EA Bufton, of East Ham, London. Attended Llandrindod Intermediate School. Worked for General Post Office in London before enlisting in April 1916.
  • Davies, John Morgan, Private 38513. Died16/08/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Thiepval Memorial.
  • Evans, Fred. Lived at Ashby House.
  • Farr, Thomas.
  • Jamieson, Frederick Victor Gilbert, Private 21285. Died 19/09/1916 aged 29. Canadian Infantry. Vimy Memorial. Son of William and Orcilla Jamison of “Hazlehurst”, Llandrindod Wells. Fred Jamieson/Jamison was nephew of councillor Gilbert Eadie of Builth Wells and played for Llandrindod Wells football team before emigrating to Canada c.1913.
  • Jones, Hugh, Second Lieutenant. Killed in action on 27/09/1916 aged 29. South Staffordshire Regiment, attached to Leicestershire Regiment. Commemorated on Arras Memorial. Son of Owen and Sarah Jones, of Bryn Hyfryd, Croesor, near Porthmadog. Worked in the grocery department of the Central Wales Emporium, where he fell in love with colleague Elizabeth Ellen Roberts. They married in her native Colwyn Bay on 12 April 1916.
  • Jones, Nairn Pelham, Serjeant 37581. Died 26/07/1916 aged 20. Royal Army Medical Corps. Buried Flatiron Copse Cemetery. Son of Albert George and Fanny Jones of 23, High Street, Clun, Shropshire. Was an apprentice to pharmacist WW Johnson before the war. Played for Llandrindod Wells football team, also played cricket and chess.
  • Langford, John James, Private 19856. Died 31/08/1916 aged 24. King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Buried Heilly Station Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs J Langford of 2, Denham Terrace.
  • Lloyd, Allan, Lance Corporal 31068. Died 26/09/1917 aged 29. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Tyne Cot Memorial. Lived at Granby House with wife Alice. Awarded the Military Medal in 1917. Worked at town’s gas works before the war.
  • Lloyd, Edward, Driver 219597. Died 28/07/1917. Royal Engineers. Buried Llandrindod Wells Cemetery.
  • Pugh, Thomas Lewis, Serjeant 7297. Died 04/04/1915 aged 28. Welsh Regiment. Buried Howey (Providence) Baptist Chapelyard. Son of John and Mary Pugh; husband of Eleanor Pugh of Bewdley House, Llandrindod Wells. Born at Garddu, Howey.
  • Price, Sidney, Private 18813. Died 22/08/1918 aged 27. King's Shropshire Light Infantry. Buried Merville Communal Cemetery. Adopted son of Mrs E Price of Denham Terrace.
  • Price, Thomas, Wheeler 146068. Died 05/12/1916 aged 32. Royal Field Artillery. Buried Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs Josiah Price of Brookland Road; husband of E Mary Price of 40, Margaret Street, Ammanford.
  • Pritchard, Robert O.
  • Powell, Arthur Clifford, Private 204356. Died 24/08/1921 aged 27. Somerset Light Infantry. Llandrindod Wells Cemetery. Son of William James and Clara Elizabeth Powell of The Croft, Montpellier Park. Brother of William Percival Wetherley Powell, below.
  • Powell, William Percival Wetherley, Private 4330. Died 21/07/1917 aged 20. Herefordshire Regiment. Buried Llandrindod Wells Cemetery. Son of William James and Clara Elizabeth Powell of The Croft, Montpellier Park.
  • Rogers, David, Private 239004. Died 09/03/1918 aged 22. Herefordshire Regiment. Buried Jerusalem War Cemetery. Son of Mr and Mrs Price Rogers, of Garter Hall, Llanyre, Llandrindod Wells, Radnor. His identity badge was kept by a comrade after his death and is now in the Radnorshire Museum.

Second World War

  • Bufton, John Raymond, Flying Officer 74328. Died 28/10/1940. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Buried Llandrindod Wells Cemetery.
  • Hair, Alastair, Lieutenant 131316. Died 15/04/1941 aged 37. Royal Army Medical Corps. Athens Memorial. Son of the Reverend James Hair and Catherine Hair; husband of Dora Bannatyne Hair of Ashtead, Surrey. MB, ChB (Glasgow).
  • Jones, Arthur.
  • Williams, Charles L.

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