Bentalls

Article summary

Bentalls was a British department store chain based in Kingston upon Thames. The well regarded department store began as a drapery shop, founded by Frank Bentall in 1867. The business expanded significantly throughout the 20th century and operated a group of department stores in southern England. The company was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange, but in 2001 was purchased by the private Fenwick group. The Kingston upon Thames store continued to trade under the Bentalls name until 2023, when it was renamed Fenwick.

Key claims

1. date of establishment: 1867 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of establishment: 1947 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of foundation: 1867 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of foundation: 1995-07-29 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of establishment is "1867". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of establishment is "1947". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of foundation is "1867". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of foundation is "1995-07-29". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1357564689