The Baroness Diana Barham of Kent was a very remarkable Lady on several levels. Firstly,she had seventeen children. It was whilst visiting one of these, her daughter Lady Welhan,that her unique qualities found a niche where they could flourish. Arriving in Taunton, Bristol,to stay with her daughter, she was met, not by her offspring but by a message detailing the curious fact that Lady Welham could not court her company for a further two weeks! There are no records detailing the cause of this delay in Lady Welham accepting her mother's company but this turn of events led to Lady Barham finding herself with an unscheduled fortnight on her hands. Having one of her entourage of servants bring her a map, it is said that the Baroness' interest was immediately piqued by the varied outline of the Gower Peninsulat. And so it was that Lady Barham came to visit Gower, a land that both delighted and troubled her and a place where she would soon decide to settle down and make her home for the rest of her life.
Upon arriving on the peninsula, Lady Barham, a devoutly religious woman - in a distinctly
non-conformist tradition - accompanied by her faithful private secretary, William Hammerton,
and her flock of servants, were immediately struck by the lack of spiritual backbone to Gower
life. Deeply troubled by this 'sorry' state of affairs, the Baroness decided to make it her life's
work to bring the glory of God to the various communities of the area.
From her new home at the mansion of Fairy Hill, now a hotel, Lady Barham built 5 chapels
over a period of 10 years: Bethesda in Burry Green; Port Trinity in Cheriton; Paraclete in
Newton, Mumbles; Mount Pisgah in Parkmill and Bethel in Penclawdd. Each of these chapels
were also endowed with Trusts to aid the education and spiritual wellbeing of the younger
members of their communities.
A particular feature of the chapels financed by Lady Barham was the addition of a manse,
more commonly known in Gower at the time as Barham Houses. Of these 5 new chapels, the
most notable was that of Bethesda at Burry Green, which was located close to her Gower
home of Fairy Hill. As well as her most notable chapel, it was also the first to be built in Gower
by her and was her preferred place of worship. It would have been quite a sight to see Lady
Barham attending chapel at Bethesda as she was carried to and fro from Fairy Hill in a Sedan
chair by 2 of her servants! Lady Barham died at Fairy Hill on 12th April 1823 and was
honoured at her death by having a sermon read in her honour at each of her Gower chapels.
Her body was returned to Kent for her burial and the procession back to her ancestral home
brought large flocks amongst the Gower populace to pay their respects.
Lady Barham
