CoedPoeth

From Sawiki

Coedpoeth is a corps in Wrexham, and meets at the Roman Catholic Church in the village. The corps previously met at 2 High Street, Coedpoeth.

History of Coedpoeth Corps

The Coedpoeth corps was opened 19/20th May 1923 in what was formerly Bethesda Baptist Chapel. Presiding was Major Cecil Rees, Divisional Commander of the North Wales division. The new officers were Captain Grace Miller, C.O. Lieutenant Zillah Escott & Lieutenant Gwen Moremon. For ten days prior to the opening of the corps the whole village had been visited by the officers to acquaint the people with the fact that the Army as going to 'Open Fire' in Coedpoeth. It was a time of continual prayer and visitation. Every house received a handbill announcing the opening.

For six weeks the officers laboured but without a spiritual breakthrough. Adjutant Starbuck the Divisional Secretary said 'The Salvation Army work seems not to be taking on here and maybe the Divisional Commander will be sending you to someother place.' That drove the officers to pray more earnestly and then it happened the very next weekend 20 souls came to the mercy seat of their own free will to find the Saviour at the Army's mercy seat

Some years later in 1976 Mrs Lieutenant Colonel Grace Andrews neé Miller was to write of those early days as follows- 'Some time later on a piece of ground near to the local pub where many open airs were held was a fire lit and into it were thrown wordly things that had fettered the souls of the converts before conversion, packs of playing cards, pipes, cigarettes, dress adornments. Also bottles of drink were smashed and forsaken there. Drummer Pat Jones would put down his drum to be a 'mercy seat' for repentant souls to kneel at and claim God's forgiveness and receive salvation.'

One convert was a notable drunkard called Nuttall. Two policemen suggested to Captain Miller that the Army put Mr Nuttall at the front of their marches as he was their best advert better than a poster as the two of them now had nothing to do since the Army got hold of him. That was what she did afterwards.

The people were very very poor and the pit had been on a three day week where most of the men earned their living. The first quarters for the officers were some furnished rooms one room up and one down that accomodated the three women officers at 12 Hyfrydle with a Mrs roberts. Some time later much prayer went up for more permanent quarters. A house in the Talwrn became available which was owned by a landlady in Liverpool. The C.O. went to Liverpool to visit the landlady only to be told two or three other people had already offered key money. However, the officers made it an urgent matter of prayer and the landlady eventually offered the Army the house. Ensign Miller later said 'That just goes to prove the strongest force in the world is prayer' Unfortunately, the Divisional Commander had no money for furnishings for the new quarters so the comrades donated articles to make up the new home. One young lass in tears because she was so poor was asked to bring just twelve pegs. All the articles were collected at the hall and a brother Hanmer who had a van transported everything to the new quarters in the Talwrn.