Chester-le-Street

Willard’s first area was in an old city called Chster-le-Street in northern England.  His first companion was Elder Cottrell, a middle-aged man from Farmington, Utah.  After a few days in his area, he gives an overview of the area and its people.  I've numbered some of the areas he mentions in his journal entry from 1 to 11.

Map of Willard Neeley's first area in his mission.

Tues. Nov. 15, 1904. Chester le St. 

It might be in order here to give a description of my field of labor, now being here a few days, I have an idea of the country and conditions.

First of all, the town we are lodging in known as (1) Chester le St. has a population of nearly fourteen thousand.  It is located on the main Railway Line between London and Glasgow, Scotland (North Eastern railway), also the main wagon road between these points—which was built by the Romans.  In Chester-le there is a church dating back eleven hundred years.  Also out from the town a half mile the (2) Lumly castle, same age.  The castle is now owned by the lady Scarborough.  Principal occupation of Chester le is commercial trade, jam factories, and coal mining.  Our labors are not confined to this town alone, but encompasses about twenty small towns and villages ranging from two miles to twenty miles from here.  The main industry of these towns is coal mining and two thirds the number of towns named can be classed as mining camps or towns.  A person walking along the road, when a shift comes off work, can see nothing but black muge [sp?] dirty smutty miners, jabbering away in their fulmatic [sp?] twang. 

The majority of the Saints live in the town of (3) Grange Villa while others live in the following: (4) Ebchester, twenty miles to the west; (5) Spennymoor fourteen miles to the south; (6) Sacriston, four miles to the south; (7) Burn Hope, eight miles to the southwest; (8) Crag-Head five miles west; (9) Stanley, six miles northwest; (10) Birtley, three miles north; (11) Waldridge Fell, two miles southwest; (3) West Pelton, three miles northwest.  Much walking is required.  Many of the roads and lanes we walk leading to these towns are clothed with grandeur.  In regard to the coal mining in the County of Durham, there is an employment of one hundred seventy thousand mend and boys ranging from 12 years to 65 years old. 

Today we called on Mr. Wilson, the tailor.  I tried on my prince albert [a dress coat fashioned after Queen Victoria’s husband Albert’s coat].  Went on to Grange Villa.  Elder Cottrell did some tracting.  I remained at Sister Wisemans while he was gone.  He returned.  We called on Sister Lizzy Warren who was ill.  Then returned to Bro. Wiseman’s for supper.  After supper we went to West Pelton.  Found Tommy Warren sick.  We administered to him while there.  Word came for us to return to Grange Villa to administer to Lizzy Warren which we did.