Relationship between St. Monica’s and the Village of Spetisbury
In 1899 the canons of St. Monica’s played a cricket match against the village which was described in their Journal The Palermian as follows. “It had been observed that the villagers of Spettisbury had been vigorously practicing and perfecting themselves in the national game. The object of these strenuous exercises was fully suspected, and FF Edward and Thomas might be seen at all hours practising with bat and ball. At last the villagers sent in a courteous challenge, which was accepted. On Saturday, September 16th at 2 pm. a respectable number of village cricketers entered the field, surrounded by a motley crowd of enthusiastic admirers. They went in first, and made a very fine score, 74, only 4 of which were extras. Thomas and Francis went in first for our side and played with great steadiness and care. But when Fr. P. joined Fr. Thomas, some fine slogging was seen, so much so that it soon appeared the villagers had no chance. The match was declared closed with three still to bat, and a total of 90, including 16 byes and a wide. Fr. P’s 29 not-out and Fr. Tom’s 23 were the highest scores.”
Map of Spetisbury 1901showing St. Monica’s Priory
Shortly after the arrival of the canons at St. Monica’s, Prior Belton issued a public invitation “To the people of Blandford, Stickland, Charlton, Spettisbury, Tarrant, etc. to a Corpus Christi Procession through the grounds of St. Monica’s Priory, with instrumental accompaniment. Open air Sermon by Very Rev. T.Belton at 3.30 pm. Books with Hymns sung during the Ceremony can be had at the door, Price 1d. Admission Free”.
According to Belton “it was estimated that between 1500 and 2000 took part, truly remarkable when it is considered that Spettisbury is but a small village with only about 50 Catholics”. One cannot help but think there is some exaggeration in the numbers quoted. The ‘about 50 Catholics’ in Spettisbury gave in their offertories on Sunday 26th June 1887 only 1s. 8½d. They must have been very poor or very much fewer than ‘about 50’.
For two years the Priory must have continued to run a school for the village children because the Spetisbury village school log books record:
Sept 1887 11 children admitted from the convent to the village school
17th June 1888 Convent reopened, 11 children went back to the convent
24th June 1888 2 children returned to the village school with mother’s
comment “they can’t learn nothing there”
22 Sept 1890 Convent school closed
In 1888 there was a winter of exceptional severity and Prior Belton ordered food to be distributed twice a week to the poor in the village.
In the summer of 1890 the weather was so bad and there was so much rain that the Bishop ordered the collect ‘For Fine Weather’ to be said at all Masses for the benefit of a good harvest. In August the children of the ‘helpers’ in the village had a day in the grounds and the meadow of St. Monica’s with the students helping out.
On 1st September 1890 the funeral Mass of Mr. Henry Lamperd took place: he was a parishioner of note, who used to witness professions, and who died while on holiday in Par. He was buried with solemnity and piety in the cemetery attached to the Priory.
1899 Priory v Village
In May 1905 the village bakehouse caught fire and was destroyed along with several adjoining cottages on either side of the road. The bakehouse stood almost where the roadway now leads to Sloper’s Mead. The Canons were the first to notice the fire and played their part in the rescue operation.The Rev. Field in Spetisbury Parish Magazine noted:
“About 11 o’clock on the morning of May 18th 1905 fire broke out in Mr. Andrew’s bakehouse, and spread so rapidly that before the fire engines from Blandford and Wimborne could get to work, the cottages next to it and across the road were in a blaze. The heat was so great that for a time one side of the village was cut off from the other, but everyone who could helped with a will to rescue as much of the furniture from the houses as was possible before the roofs fell in. The Gentlemen of the Priory were especially prominent in this good work, and if it had not been for their efforts the loss would have been more serious than is actually the case. But, as it is, Messrs. Andrews, Gillingham, Antell, Bridle, Foster, Hayter, Horlock, Kent and Powell have all suffered, some of them very heavily indeed. To all of them we offer our sincere sympathy, and we hope to show it in a practical manner. For this purpose a Committee consisting of Major-General Brenden, Mr. Erle-Drax, the Prior of St. Monica’s, and myself has been formed….”
St. Monica’s Cemetery
Drawing from the Catholic Standard
The Harvest Festival in the autumn of 1890 saw as large a congregation as ever.
On 21st October 1894 Bishop Graham arrived to make his first Visitation of the parish of Spetisbury. He arrived at 6.30pm and an “immense congregation” heard him talk about the purpose of a Visitation and about the nature and effect of Confirmation which he administered to 16 people, a number of whom were recent converts. Prayers for deceased parishioners were recited and solemn benediction celebrated. The following morning he also confirmed an aged couple, recently received, who were too infirm to attend the service in the church the evening before.
There was little pastoral ministry for the priests of St. Monica’s. Normally Fr. Higgins acted as pastor for the few Catholics in Spettisbury and Blandford. Over the years a clientele of people attached to St. Monica’s had grown up, a sort of ‘Friends of the Canons’. One such friend was Mr. J.B.Cullen of Blandford who at his own expense paid for the redecoration of the Priory church and provided the portable altar for St. Joseph’s chapel. A non-Catholic lady, Mrs. Kent, gave the marble altar for the Lady chapel and Mr. Cullen had erected the reredos for both altars.
In 1889 and 1895 Kelly’s Directory notes that the Canons let a hall in the Priory for public meetings.