Carlton Welsh Chapel 1902-1984

This weeks blog is a little 'off topic' as I have taken a break from writing in recent months to complete my AMA with the Museums Association, (which I am thrilled to say I was awarded in March this year). I have also been doing some family research. Now back in my writing routine, I thought I would share with you some words on a little lost chapel.  

In 1891 two of my ancestors Thomas and William Cunnah, were lodging at 36 Carlton Terrace (also known as Long Row), in the small village of Carlton, within the town of Barnsley. The village was originally a small settlement with a modest population, with no more than 400 people calling the village home. It gained prominence due to the opening of two collieries in the late 1800s, Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery and Carlton Main Colliery. This marked the beginning of an influx of workers and their families, seeking employment opportunities and a new life. By the late 19th century, the village had come to be locally referred to as "Little Wales" due to the significant increase of Welsh families.

In the book ‘South Yorkshire Mining Villages: A history of the region’s former coalmining communities’, the author Melvyn Jones writes about the events of 1884 in Whitford, Wales, that changed the lives of many. On the Welsh side of the Dee estuary, a colliery called Mostyn Quay Colliery suffered a disaster when water flooded the mine.

 ‘South Yorkshire Mining Villages: A history of the region’s former coalmining communities’, by author Melvyn Jones. 

This event led to a closure of the site and over 200 men became unemployed. This would have had a massive impact on the local community, leaving many families struggling. The Mostyn Colliery disaster was sadly the main reason for much migration to Carlton. People were looking for work and the local collieries needed workers. Coal miners and their families were drawn to Carlton, after the autumn of 1884 when a man named Evan Parry moved from Flintshire to Carlton to take up the position of Manager at Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery, he encouraged others to join him.

Once settled into jobs and homes, a Carlton Welsh Chapel committee was formed, the first services were held in people’s homes and then in a local school, a fixed meeting place was needed. It was around this time that my ancestors Thomas Cunnah, aged 21, and William, aged 19, relocated to Carlton from Fordisa Penrywilfa Road, Melidan, Flintshire.

Welsh Chapel Church class book (adults), 1895. Thomas and William Cunnah are  both listed. ©Barnsley Archives.

Originally from Prestatyn, the brothers would reside near Carlton Main Colliery. The owners of the Colliery were the Yorkshire and Derbyshire Coal and Iron Company. It had opened in 1973 and was later renamed Wharncliffe Woodmoor 4 and 5. It closed in 1970.

Thomas would be closely involved with the construction of the new Welsh Chapel in the village, and his younger brother William, would also join as a member. In 1899, Thomas with Ithel McDonald went to Sheffield to inspect the Welsh Chapel on Paradise Square which the Welsh community had built there. The building would be a tin tabernacle, a simple yet charming structure. These prefabricated buildings, known for their corrugated iron sheets were a common sight in many growing industrial towns during that era.

They were affordable, quick to erect, and could accommodate the pressing need for communal spaces in burgeoning communities. We can only guess that the tin tabernacle stood as a beacon of hope, symbolising the community's determination to preserve their heritage and keep it closely with them in their new Yorkshire home. It would serve as a spiritual haven for the Welsh community.

Rev. B .Menai Francis, a Welsh speaker from Anglesey, was appointed as the pastor of the Chapel. He had met Thomas Cunnah during the inspection of the Welsh Chapel in Sheffield, and their shared vision for a place of worship in Carlton solidified their partnership. A building fund was established to start raising money to build the Chapel. The minister chaired the first meeting, David Davies served as Secretary, and Thomas Cunnah was the Treasurer. By the end of the first meeting, £85 was pledged. A choir was soon formed, and they travelled around Barnsley and Wakefield, performing at venues including the Public Hall to raise funds. It is also said that they took part in the gymanfa ganu, the annual West Riding Welsh Chapels’ singing festival.

 Chapel Building Fund Book. ©Barnsley Archives.

In 1901, together they leased a piece of land from the Earl of Wharncliffe at a rental price of 5s (25p) per annum. Edward Montagu Stuart, the 1st Earl of Wharncliffe (who was a British peer and railway executive), had died in the May of 1899. It was his successor, his nephew, Francis Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie who was the man who oversaw the deal. He would also be known as Viscount Carlton. 

 The Lease. ©Barnsley Archives.

The Earl of Wharncliffe, recognising the importance of community and spiritual well-being, played a pivotal role by leasing the land needed for the Chapel. This generous act at a nominal rental price of 5s per annum showed his support for the burgeoning Welsh community in Carlton.

The Earls contribution was instrumental in providing a foundation upon which the Chapel could be built, fostering a sense of unity and belonging. After inspecting the land, the committee contacted a Sheffield contracting firm, with the goal of opening by July 1902. The committee, fuelled by their shared vision and support from the Welsh community, worked tirelessly to see their dream come to fruition. The Chapel was successfully built on Carlton Road and was ready to open on July 6, 1902.  It is believed it was one of four Welsh Chapels in Yorkshire.

 The finished build. ©Barnsley Archives.

The opening ceremony, conducted by Rev. B. Menai Francis, marked the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. The total cost of construction was £200, a significant sum at the time, but the investment was invaluable to the flourishing Welsh community. Services attracted around 200 people and were held in Welsh until 1940 when once a month an English sermon was introduced. It is believed that every year, a colliery excursion was organised to Mostyn so that families could visit friends and relatives back home.

Sadly, not everything ran smoothly, the Chapel faced some challenges, including the threat of bad weather, in February 1910, during a storm with high winds, the Chapel was very nearly damaged and could have been blown away. Luckily someone spotted the threat early and the community's resilience shone through as locals rallied to fortify the structure with timber.

In 1921, Dame Margaret Lloyd George, wife of the then Prime Minister, visited the Chapel to deliver a speech and lay a wreath on the Carlton War Memorial. In 1923, nine more trustees were appointed, ensuring the Chapel's governance remained robust. The Chapel thrived for many decades, serving as a cornerstone of the Welsh community. It was a place of worship, social gathering, and cultural preservation, where the Welsh language and traditions were celebrated and kept alive. A Sunday school was formed and the congregation enjoyed many years of weekly services, community events, and choir performances.

 

The cast of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Gondoliers’, taken outside the Chapel itself, c.1920s. ©Barnsley Archives.

St David's Day leaflet, 1957. Written in English for the benefit of the non-Welsh residents of Carlton. ©Barnsley Archives.

However, in the 1960s and 1970s the congregation numbers started falling, the building was beginning to fall down and the dwindling number of worshippers were unable to afford the costs for the many repairs. Sermons began to be read in English, with the prayers and hymns remaining in Welsh.

By the 1980s, it is believed there were only around 10 – 12 people attending regularly. The last service was held in December 1983. Sadly, the building was badly vandalised around Christmas time, that upsetting event had accelerated the closure. The Chapel eventually closed its doors in 1984, the last church secretary was Mrs Megan Thompson.

 Press clipping showing the last service. ©Barnsley Archives.

Although the building was demolished over 40 years ago, I am immensely proud of my relative's contribution to building this Chapel and its prominent role within the community.

Its legacy continues to inspire, during some family research I undertook in 2024, I discovered an intriguing project called "Songs from the Tin Tabernacle: A Roots Romance" that was underway in Sheffield. Musician Tony Francis Bowring was composing songs inspired by his Welsh heritage, including one titled "No Clogs in the Chapel," which draws inspiration straight from the Carlton Welsh Chapel. In another happy coincidence, in my day-to-day job at Barnsley Museums, I was thrilled to be contacted by a Barnsley resident who wished to donate a cup and saucer from the Chapel, which is now in the Experience Barnsley Museum Collections.

 Original Chapel Stamp. ©Barnsley Archives.

Barnsley Archives and Discovery Centre hold a number of original documents from the Chapel which they have kindly allowed me to view and photograph.

The archives include membership class books dating from as early as 1895 and account books from 1909 to 1979. There are also handbills, receipts and letters. You can find them under the reference number A-2-N/44 (please note some are written in Welsh).  

Barnsley Archives’ entire holdings of nonconformist church records have recently been fully catalogued and made available for research through the financial support of ‘Archives Revealed’, a partnership programme between The National Archives and The Pilgrim Trust, which is the only funding stream in the UK dedicated to cataloguing and unlocking archives.

All photos have been used with the permission of Barnsley Archives.  With thanks to Paul Stebbing and the Barnsley Archives team.

Further reading: Melvyn Jones, ‘Welcome to Little Wales’, in Memories of Barnsley, issue 25 (Spring 2013).