Dear List,
Whilst scouring the Welsh Newspapers on line I found this interesting
article. Bethany Chapel was purchased by Howells Dept Store and
incorporated into the interior.
Cardiff Times 18^th Aug 1864
...The memorial stone was a large slab of freestone, which was lowered
into its place by pulleys, immediately over the keystone of the arch
surmounting the principal entrance to the
new chapel, facing St. Mary-street. The walls had already been erected
to a corresponding height. M. GRIFFITHS, in presenting a silver trowel
to Mr. Hopkins, stated that he had been
selected to lay the foundation stone as being the only surviving member
of the church from its formation. He read the inscription on the trowel,
as-follows Presented to
Thomas Hopkins, Esq., on the occasion of the laying of a memorial stone
in the New Bethany Chapel, Cardiff, August 16th, 1861; he being the sole
surviving member of the church at its
formation, and now in the 85th year of his age, and the 57th of his
deaconship, and the 58th of his membership.
Mr. Hopkins then, taking the trowel, proceeded to lay the stone in its
place, and to give it the customary taps with a mallet after which the
workmen completed the job of fixing it in its place.
Mr. Barry meanwhile had placed in a recess formed in the stone a glass
jar containing the following articles Carte de visite portraits of the
Revs. W. Jones, A. Tilley, and R. Griffiths, Messrs. J. Edy,
T. Hopkins, T.Rees, sen., D. Jotham, J. T. Barry, T.Jenkins, T. Rees,
jun., T. Price, David James, Thomas Jones, R. Benjamin, T. Tiist, R.
Evans, and Mr. W. P. James and P. Price, the builders of the chapel.
A copy of the Cardiff Times and of the Cardiff News of May 27th, 1864,
containing a report of the closing service in the old chapel; Cardiff
Times of October 23, 1863, with a report of the Sunday School Jubilee,
Cardiff Express of August 16, 1864; The Times, August 16, 1864; The
Freeman, August 10, 1864; Baptist Magazine, August, 1864; Baptist
Messenger, August, 1864 and The Church, August, 1864.
A printed list of the members for 1863; an admission ticket in
connection with the recognition services of the Rev. Rees Griffiths; and
a document prepared by Mr. Griffiths, containing a sketch of the
history of the rise, progress, and formation of the church......
Seren Cymru 5 Nov 1902
I also read Siloam Chapel Docks Cardiff and the new Chapel in Roath -
the old stone from the old Chapel was brought to the new Chapel placed
in a bottle was History of the old chapel . Name and Designer
Contractors and the price of
the new chapel, and a copy of a fellow Baptist Times and Seren Cymru ,
and badge coronation of Edward VII.
There was a lot more written in Welsh, so I may have missed quite a bit.
Was it customary to bury a time capsule in Baptist Chapels??
Regards
Jane ( W. Auss)