The Religious Community
Prioresses
1784-1812 Mother Mary Benedict Stonor
Mary Stonor came originally from Stonor House in Oxfordshire which has been in the hands of the Stonor family since 1150 and is thought to be one of only three places in England where Mass has been celebrated continuously since before the Reformation. The house became a centre of the Catholic underground movement during the Reformation. Bishop John Talbot Stonor, who was Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District from 1716 to 1756, did much to persuade Catholics to accept the Hanoverian monarchy, which resulted in greater tolerance towards Catholics. The present owner Thomas Stonor, the 7th Lord Camoys and a former Lord Chamberlain to the Queen, is proud of the role the family played in keeping the Catholic faith alive during the Reformation and of its role in furthering Catholic emancipation.
Mother Mary Benedict, the 10th prioress of St. Monica’s Priory had brought the community from Louvain and led them through their various moves but in 1812 she suffered a stroke, which resulted in her resignation after 28 years as prioress, and she died two years later on 14th May 1814 aged 78. She had made her will in 1806 (Appendix 25) leaving all her real and personal state and effects to Francis Witham and Margaret Tunstall, both sisters at St. Monica’s.
1812-1818 Mother Mary Frances Tancred
When Mother Mary Benedict resigned Sister Mary Frances Tancred, the sub-prioress, was elected in her place. According to the Chronicles “Her example was above all powerful, very mild, charitable, the regularity of keeping the order was her grand… Her exact attendance at choir, refectory, and above all at ‘common work’ can never be forgot. Every point of our holy Rule was her glory.” After 6 years as prioress the Rev Mother M. Frances Tancred died on 6th October 1818 aged 77. Catherine Tancred had made her will in 1814 (Appendix 26) leaving all her real and personal estate and effects to Barbara Tuite and Catherine Berington, also both sisters at the community.
1818-1829 Mother Mary Aloysia Joseph Tuite
Sister Mary Aloysia Joseph Tuite (Barbara Tuite) was elected to succeed Mother Mary Frances on 19th October 1818. In February 1829, after 11 years as prioress Mother Aloysia Joseph Tuite resigned due to ill health and she died three months later on 10th May 1829 aged 56.
1829-1848 Mother Mary Bernard Berington
Sister Mary Bernard Berington the sub-prioress (Catherine Berington) was elected to succeed Mother Mary Aloysia as the 13th prioress of the Canonesses Regular of St.Augustine on 11th February 1829. Of her we read, “Her government was firm but most gentle, kind and considerate; and she sought to be a mother rather than a superior. Her dearest aim was to promote the spiritual welfare of her subjects and make them happy….. whether by day or night, if she could help or console anyone, she was at their service. Seldom had she to reprove, but if necessary, a look, or a word or two would suffice.” “Under her government the school greatly prospered, and the convenient and spacious chapel was opened.” Mother Mary Bernard died of influenza in 1848 aged 59 “unexpectedly after one week of illness, to the great sorrow of all the community. She was loved and greatly esteemed by all who knew her.” Catherine Berington had been with St. Monica’s for 42 years, since she entered as a 16 year old pupil in 1806.
1848-68 Mother Mary Gabriel Poynter
Mother Mary Gabriel Poynter was elected prioress on 17th February 1848. Elizabeth Poynter had professed at St. Monica’s in 1825. She remained prioress for the next 20 years supervising the move to Devon in 1861 and dying there in January 1881. The Devon Express reported her funeral thus:
“Funeral at St.Austin’s Priory. Rev. Mother Gabriel (Miss Poynter), aged 80, for fifty-five years a Canoness of St. Austin, and for twenty years Prioress of her Community, was borne to her last home on the 13th inst. The venerable lady was a niece of Dr.Poynter, formerly Vicar Apostolic of the London District, and it was at the hands of the Bishop, her uncle, that she received baptism, confirmation, and the black veil. At 10 am solemn requiem mass was sung by the Very Rev. H. Canon Woollett D.D.V.G., whose deacon and sub-deacon were respectively the Augustinian Fathers F.Menchini and J.Giraud, who, exiled from France, are for the present staying at the Priory. There were also present the Right Rev. Monsignor Provost Brindle, Very Rev. John Canon Lapotre, D.D., Rev. Dom Ambrose Brindle O.S.B., Chaplain to the Convent, the Rev. J.J.Higgins was Master of the Ceremonies. After Mass Dr. Lapotre delivered a comprehensive and moving address relating to the deceased. Then came the burial Service proper, and clergy and religious, in slow procession, wended their way with plaintive though hopeful chants to the snow-clad yet sun-lit cemetery, there prayerfully to witness the lowering of the unadorned coffin into its holy and peaceful house. The bearers were Messrs. Fripp, Cox, Bully, and Chudleigh.”
Sisters
The numbers of religious in the community varied form time to time. In 1810 it was said that there were 33 nuns educating the young ladies.
From a letter written in 1804 by a resident boarder at the convent we know that the nuns at St. Monica’s had a wonderful choir and “sing most beautifully, especially Sister Mary Teresa who is Mistress of Musick and Sister Ann Joseph the Italian; the manner they sing the Litanies of our Blessed lady and different Motets and Hymns are finer than ever we heard.”
From the Chronicles we have a list of 38 sisters who professed at St. Monica’s between 1802 and 1859.
Martha was ‘always ready to please and assist any of her Sisters, to rejoice or
grieve with them as the case might be.’ She had a good voice. Bedridden for some
years, she was very careful to give as little trouble as possible. The day before
dying she asked for Holy Communion, saying : ‘It is now time that I should
receive it.’ She repeated vehemently: ‘I do believe,’ and told the bystanders that
never before had she known how sweet was the Lord.
Susan ‘discharged responsible offices with much prudence, order and care. . . in
all points relating to the Rule, she was resorted to as to an oracle.’ As Procuratrix,
she developed her zeal for economy to a pitch which some were tempted at times
to regard as excessive. For many years she was Novice Mistress, and, though
inclined to be severe, was greatly loved by the novices. When the term of her
office expired, the novices said they felt as if they were losing a real mother.
Towards the end of her life she suffered from her eyes, and had to live in a
darkened room. A few days before her death, Sister Anne Austin asked to be
taken to the chapel, as she ‘wanted to leave her heart in the tabernacle.’”
The Chronicles give us the names of all the 39 nuns who died at the convent between 1801 and 1860.
Presumably, all these nuns were buried in the Nuns’ Burial Ground but the burial register only exists for the years 1840 to 1848.
Of the 38 sisters who moved from St. Monica’s Priory at Spetisbury to St. Augustine’s Priory in Devon, 31 are recorded as having died in Devon.
Chaplains and Confessors
“The Augustinian nuns had always been accustomed to having two priests; a chaplain who was their confessor and a junior who said the second Mass. When they first arrived in England, after two hundred years in a Catholic country where there were priests in plenty, they did not realise that in England the scarcity was so great that Bishop Douglas had never dreamed of their having more than one. Father Catrow, who had come over with them, persuaded the Bishop to allow two priests for a short time.”
On 12th March 1804 the Rev. Charles Catrow died. He had been the first confessor to the monastery (for about 26 years). There were two confessors to begin with but when he died the Rev. Ralph Southworth became the sole confessor of the community. The confessor was independent from the chaplain who said the community Mass. Charles Catrow made his will (Appendix 29) a few weeks before he died, bequeathing ten guineas to Ralph Southworth. Apart from a few other small bequests (including £2 to Robert Easter the convent gardener) he left the remainder of his estate “to be given to the Community towards the common payment of debts”. He left all his books “both here and at Louvain” to his successor and “my wearing apparel that can be of service to the Sisters I request may be given to each one as the procuratrix thinks would be most to my will” The announcement of his death in a local newspaper stated that "he was a gentleman of irreproachable manners, beloved and regretted by all to whom he was known. He had been some time ill of the gout, but was in a state of convalescence, when a relapse suddenly terminated his life."
Father Southworth died in 1810 and both these gentlemen were buried in the burial ground on the northwest side of the house. There were at one time two upright stones with the following inscriptions: (The lines on Charles Catrow’s stone were composed by the Rev. Southworth.)
On census day in 1841 there were 30 members of the community in what was by now known as The Convent of St. Monica’s. Only two of the Nuns were born in Dorset and one was born in Ireland.
In 1850 according to the Chronicles “We had about this time 10 in the white veil, 7 choir novices and postulants and three for the kitchen. Five of the seven persevered” On census day in 1851 of the 58 residents at what was called The Nunnery, 34 were nuns, 18 of whom had been there in 1841.
Rev. Southworth had been confessor living with the community for 28 years. After his death in 1810, the Rev Mr. Duchatel, a French priest who had been the chaplain for many years received permission from the Bishop to act as confessor until “we could obtain another Gentleman for Confessor”. This happened on 24th August that year when Rev. Joseph Lee arrived as Confessor. Joseph Lee was born in 1765 and educated at Douay College.
Rev. Charles Jones was appointed assistant chaplain to the Rev. Joseph Lee but soon after his arrival was taken ill and died in 1827 aged 43 and buried in the conventual cemetery.
In October 1832 the Rev.Andrew Byrne is mentioned as being resident at Spetisbury House in the will of one of the boarders, Helen Sharrock. Andrew Byrne was born in County Kildare in 1798 and served Spetisbury between 1830 and 1833.
On 30th August 1837 the Rev. Joseph Lee, a chaplain at Spetisbury started to keep a Register of Christenings, Marriages and Burials. This register, which is somewhat disordered, has the following introduction – “A Register of Births, Baptisms & Marriages at Spetisbury, the Revd Joseph Lee being one of the resident priests, this book being for my use, will contain what the above events have fallen to my share, since the New Laws of the Land, respecting the said matters have taken place. Joseph Lee Chaplain at Spetisbury Aug 30th 1837” It must be remembered that 1837 was the year when civil registration of births, marriages and deaths was brought in.
In 1838 the Rev. Joseph Lee was no longer able to act as chaplain to the community owing to ill-health. In 1839 Sister Stanislaus wrote “Poor Mr. Lee, tho' much better than he was, cannot perform any of his duties - nay, can scarcely help himself at all.” He died in January 1840, aged 75, after 30 years with the community and was buried in the Nuns’ Burial Ground, so this register must have been taken over by someone else because it continues until 1866.
On 14th September 1838 the famous Dr. Gentili arrived to act as Chaplain to the community. “This saintly Father who had gained a world-wide reputation on account of his zealous efforts for the conversion of souls and his many virtues” belonged to the society of the Brothers of Charity organised by the Abbé Rosmini. Apparently his preaching was such that he “moved all his hearers to tears.” In a letter from Sister Stanislaus to her brother she writes “Dr. Gentili has been with us since the beginning of advent. He is a very clever, pious, and zealous man - quite a saint - and I am sure it will be our own faults should we not become saints too.” During Dr. Gentili’s stay at Spetisbury the Society received the approbation of the Pope for which favour he begged the nuns to sing the Te Deum and soon after (on the Feast of the Annunciation) he, together with Fr. Pagani, a brother of the same Society, made their vows in the church at St. Monica’s in a private Mass said at 6 o’clock. A few months later he was summoned to Rome and did not return to Spetisbury, to the great regret of the community.
After his departure in July 1839 till October 1840 the community was without a regular confessor. Fr. Lauernsow S.J. who had been their “extraordinary” confessor, helped out as did occasionally the confessor of “our good neighbours the Cistercian Nuns of Stapehill” For a short while the Rev. Basil Duck, a young Benedictine Father just ordained, was sent to the community “somewhat to our dismay”, and then in October 1840 Rev. Leonard Calderbank came to take up duty as Chaplain “although before his arrival it had been said that he was more calculated to direct a regiment of soldiers than a religious community, we found no reason to join in this assertion.” Leonard Calderbank was born near Wigan in 1809 and studied at Rome where he was ordained in 1832. He stayed at Spetisbury until November 1849.
The 1841 census shows two priests with the community Leonard Calderbank age 30 and James Dawson age 20.
In a biographical list of the clergy at Beckford Priory (near Tewkesbury), the Rev. Augustin Harrison, who died on 6th March 1846 aged 74 was described as “this excellent scholar” who had “rendered his valuable assistance at Beckford and Spetisbury.”
Another member of the community was the Rev. Henry Riley who was born at Burnley in 1794 and had worked at Westminster, Bristol, Axminster, Plymouth and Tiverton. Ill-health eventually forced him to retire in 1848 to the out-quarters at Spetisbury. He wrote his will (Appendix 30) that year leaving most of his (fairly considerable) estate to relatives but also leaving £300 to “my sincere and valued friend the Reverend Leonard Calderbank of Spetisbury House” and £150 to “my faithful servant Charlotte Bugdon.” He died the following year aged 54 and was buried in the Nuns’ burial ground “with every mark of honour; and a considerable dole to the poor of Spetisbury parish was distributed on the occasion.”
On 10th November 1849 the Chaplain, Rev. Leonard Calderbank, left for Prior Park and Rev. Thomas Lynch was sent to supply “but staid only three weeks being too timid to undertake the direction of religious”. Finally, Mr. Kenny, “a zealous and able Irish priest” who had been doing missionary duties at Spetisbury, was appointed Chaplain. According to the Chronicles, it appears he came “rather against his inclination”. However, both Mr. Kenny and Mr. Lynch were in Spetisbury for the 1851 census and the Catholic Directory for 1851 also gives the Rev. Edward Kenny and the Rev. Thomas Lynch.
On August 5th 1853 George Errington, who was the Bishop of Plymouth, wrote to Mr. E.Weld Esq. concerning a Trust for Amelia Pritchard of Spettisbury (the Catherine Amelia Pritchard who was a 20 year old Nun at the Convent in 1851). The Welds are an ancient family, long conspicuous for their zeal for the Catholic Church, whose main branch has been for many generations settled at Lulworth in Dorset. This letter (Appendix 27) concerned an annuity of £50 from the East India Company and an annuity of £72 from Miss Pritchard’s grandfather’s estate which were to be paid to the convent, “directing them to pay the same to the account of Mrs. Poynter of Spettisbury Convent.”
One of the nuns who came over to England from Louvain was Sister Stanislaus Haydocke, born Margaret Haydocke in 1767 in Lancashire, and professed in 1789 at Louvain. While at Spetisbury she wrote a series of letters to her brother, George Haydock, who was a parish priest at Penrith in Cumberland.(Appendix 28) She was obviously very fond of her brother and wrote him long gossipy letters. In January 1831 she wrote "I cannot omit just telling you that we have had some little share of alarm from the mob having been very near us, when they did a great deal of mischief. But all seems quiet now, and we only suffered from fright." (This must have been the agricultural labourers taking part in the 'Swing Riots' as it was too early in the year for the rioting that took place after the failure of the Reform Bill.) In 1844 she wrote “I wished to entertain you with some account of our good bishop, Dr. Baggs. He is nothing tremendous as to the exterior appearance, but very amiable in his manner of conversing. Rev. Mother told him I was the oldest in the house, so he made me sit by him in our recreation room, and said ‘you are my granddaughter.’ He is low of stature, not handsome, all the beauty is within….. The bishop is only 38; he may bury me in time. I find old age comes on apace - often tired with doing nothing.” As she grew older and her eyesight became very poor she had to make use of other nuns to write her letters for her. In 1845 Sister Mary Paul wrote for her “Sister Stanny thinks it high time that you should know that she is still in the land of the living, and that she is ‘as well as she ever shall be till she dies.’ She seems to me quite as well as she was before she was last taken ill, and goes about just as ever.” and “Sister Stanny sends a large quantity of love to be disposed of as you think proper, and if you keep it all to yourself, it will be quite right, for ‘George cannot do wrong in her eyes.’” Sister Stanislaus died on 11th April 1854 aged 87 years, the last member of the community that had come over from Louvain; she had been professed 65 years.
On census day in 1861 there were 39 Nuns in Spettisbury Convent. Elizabeth Poynter was still the Mother Superior and 26 of the other Nuns had also been there ten years earlier, including 14 who had been resident since 1841.
And an 1852 Dorset Directory notes two Catholic School Masters at Spetisbury, the Rev Edward Kenny and the Rev Joseph Padbury.
On 12th February 1853 the Chronicles mention “The Rev. W.S. Agar came to Spetisbury to supply for Mr. Kenny (as we thought) but after a few months it ended in his being appointed Chaplain.”
In an 1855 Dorset Directory we find two Roman Catholic priests at Spetisbury. the Rev Lawrence Smyth and the Rev William Agar.
One of the chaplains at Spettisbury for a short while in 1856/1857 was Philip J. Capron (1831-1902) who had been educated in France and for this year was the Blandford Assistant (Plymouth). He moved from Spettisbury to Camborne, Cornwall in 1857.
On 10th February 1859 during the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Foundation of St. Ursula’s, Louvain, the Chaplain, Fr. Agar was given permission by the Bishop to have supper with the community in their refectory.
The 1859 Dorset Directory shows only one priest at the convent, the Rev William Agar and so too, does the 1861 census.
William Seth Agar (1815-1872) after his ordination was first made incumbent at Lyme in 1845 where he “unquestionably added much to the improvement of the church.” His health was not good and after a break he supplied at Salisbury for a while. “Feeling much recovered he resumed his pastoral duties at Lyme. However, the place again disagreeing with him, the Bishop transferred him to Spetisbury, where he is rendering valuable service.” In 1856 he was made a Canon of Plymouth. He also translated “A Catholic Catechism, methodically arranged for the Use of the Uninstructed,” from the Italian of Dr. Rosmini Serbati and took the vows of his Institute. William Agar accompanied the nuns to Devon, along with the then second priest Mons. L’Abbé Deireckx. He was made chaplain to the canonesses at Newton Abbot and installed a canon of the Plymouth Chapter. He remained in Devon until his death in August 1872 aged 56 years.
Two of the Canonesses who appear in all these censuses were the sisters Susan and Martha Day. In a biography of Sir John Charles Frederick Sigismund Day (one of the first Catholic Judges to be appointed in England after the Reformation), who was their nephew, they are described as follows:
“The sisters, who became nuns, were Martha and Susan Day, born in 1787 and
1796 respectively. The younger sister led the way to St. Monica's Convent,
Spetisbury, Dorset, in 1817, being followed four months later by Martha. They
were both professed in 1819. Their names in religion were respectively Mary
Ignatia and Anne Austin. They both lived to venerable old age, died in the same
year, 1865, and were buried in the Convent cemetery near Newton Abbot,
(whither the Sisters had moved in 1861) being amongst the first to be buried there.
The community annals speak of them both as having been exemplary religious.