Historical information

The bell tower is one of the oldest surviving parts of the Chapel and remains its most recognisable feature from the lane.

Unlike the blue-painted corrugated walls of the Chapel the bell tower looks, from a distance, to have green finish.

This contrast has often led visitors to assume the tower was added later but this is not the case. The exposed roof and frame have taken the full force of rain, wind and air, leaving the surface with the familiar green patina associated with aged copper-based sheeting.

Today the bell tower remains an important part of the Chapel’s character even though it hasn't been used since the Jenkins family (last house on right, number 14) registered noise complaints against the chapel in May 2017.

The bell was ringing freely for 100 years before they moved into the village but it's not worth the fight.

A Short Biographical Note

The following account has been compiled from available family-history sources, including civil registration indexes, census returns, electoral rolls and parish material.

George Banks was born in this Parish during the spring of 1868. The civil birth index records a George Henry Banks, registered in the second quarter of 1868, and this is believed to be the same man, though the middle name is used inconsistently in later records. His parents were Thomas Banks, a carpenter, and Eliza Banks, formerly Prowse, who appear together on the 1871 census at a small cottage nearby. George was 3 years old at this time.

By the time of the 1881 census, George was living with his widowed mother and two younger sisters. His occupation is given as “errand boy”, though a later family recollection describes him as being “connected with chapel work from a young age”. In 1891, he appears as a lodger at 61, High Street, occupation “clerk / mission assistant”. This is the first record suggesting his move toward public/community duties.

A marriage record from the General Register Office index shows a George Banks marrying Martha Ellen Squire in the third quarter of 1894. The couple are found in the 1901 census living in modest accommodation with one daughter, Edith, aged 4. George’s occupation is recorded as “lay preacher”, though the enumerator appears to have first written “teacher” and then corrected it. This has caused some confusion in several online family trees.

By 1902, George Banks is known to have been heavily involved in the establishment of the Chapel of St Letus Salata. No formal appointment record has yet been found, but his name appears in connection with early meetings and his private scrapbook contains a record of the subscription lists.

He is usually referred to as Mr George Banks, occasionally G. H. Banks, and once, rather grandly, as “Father Banks”, though there is no surviving evidence of formal ordination so this could have been written by his daughter.

The 1911 census gives George’s occupation as “speaker and registrar of accounts”. Martha is listed as assisting with “meetings and linen,” a phrase that deserves further investigation.

A death registration for a George H. Banks appears in 1937, aged 69. No probate entry of significance has been found. His legacy appears instead in chapel records, where he is remembered as a practical organiser, a regular speaker, and a man whose handwriting became noticeably firmer whenever money was involved.

Transcription of the The County Chronicle, Saturday, 17 May 1902. Page 14, Column 3.

The newly erected Chapel of St Letus Salata was opened on Thursday afternoon in the presence of a small gathering of residents from the surrounding district. The building, which stands beside the lane near the parish boundary, has been provided to meet the needs of a scattered local population for whom regular attendance at more distant places of worship has often proved difficult.

The chapel is of corrugated iron construction, a form of building which has come into wide use in recent years where speed of erection and moderate cost are important considerations. The structure was supplied in sections and assembled on site upon a prepared base. Though modest in scale, it is neatly finished, with pointed windows, timber framing, a small bell-cote, and accommodation sufficient for ordinary services and local meetings.

The undertaking has been made possible through local subscription, private gifts, and voluntary labour. Several residents have contributed materials or assisted with the preparation of the ground, while others have undertaken to help with the upkeep of the building and its fittings. A small adjoining room has been provided for storage and for the use of those conducting services.

At the opening, Mr George Banks gave an address in which he spoke of the value of a local place of worship and assembly, particularly in rural districts where distance and weather may prevent regular attendance elsewhere. He expressed the hope that the chapel would serve not only as a place for services, but also as a centre of fellowship and practical assistance among neighbours.

The proceedings included hymns and a short reading, after which those present inspected the building. Favourable comment was made on the lightness of the interior and the simplicity of the arrangements.

The Chapel of St Letus Salata is expected to be of considerable benefit to residents in the immediate neighbourhood, and its supporters hope that it will become a valued part of community life.