Letters from Sister Stanislaus Haydocke to her brother George Leo Haydock, priest at Penrith.
Dec. 27, 1828. Rev. Mother's respects, and desires me to tell you that she does not wish to distress you by contributing anything towards our chapel, as she knows priests have many calls for their money. . . . We have had a sad advent. A good lay-sister has received the last sacraments, but thank God, is at present better. . . . She is one that is very useful. We are a very distressed community, plenty in number, but not many to do much for one reason or another. . . . Adieu, my dear brother. I hope we shall meet in a happy eternity, if not in this world - I should be sorry to put you to the expense of the journey to Spetisbury. Mrs. Preston, our Superioress, sends her respects.
Written across this letter is one from Sister Catharine Berington. Allow me to thank you (which I do most sincerely) for your good will to assist us towards our chapel, and, in the present case, I must request you will let the will stand for the deed, as I know a good missionary has many calls for his money. I never wished your good little sister to mention our building to you, but she could not be satisfied without doing so. Allow me, dear Rev. Sir, also to observe that the community has never been wanting in our gratitude to any member of your respectable family for past donations. The names of your two uncles and dear mother and sister, with their several benefactions, are on record. Yours also will, in due time, be added to them, without your contributing anything to our chapel. So your little sister need not be uneasy on that head.
Spetisbury House, Jan. 24, 1831 I have selected the enclosed little emblem from amongst my treasures, which I feel much pleasure in begging your acceptance of, only requesting you will put it in your breviary, that it may occasionally remind you to pray for your affectionately attached sister. (This was the picture of St Monica which she had brought with her from Louvain.) I was much pleased to tell our dear Sister Mary Joseph Cowban that you had been drinking tea with her brother (Mr. James Cowban of Westby, who died May 29, 1838, aged 62). She is, I assure you, a most valuable and worthy member, much liked by us all; the cloth is indeed good, and if you have any in your congregation like her, we shall make them truly welcome. Should you see the Rev. Mr. Berry, of Cottam, you can tell him that Mary Crook appears to be going on very well and happy, with my best respects. Mr. Lee requests his kind regards; also Rev. Mother and community unite in respectful compliments. I thought your seal very a propos, and liked it much.
She then refers to the illness of Sister M. Frances and Sister Monica, and concludes her letter with the following postscript: 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. I trust it is useless to beg you to say mass for me on the 2nd, our holy profession day. Adieu, Adieu.
For some time Sister Stanny, as she was generally called, had complained of her eyesight, which was now very bad. On Apr. 2, 1839, she commissioned Sister Mary Paul to write to her brother: We have had a most splendid Holy Week; all the ceremonies in grand style, such as she has not seen since she left Louvain. Poor Mr. Lee, tho' much better than he was, cannot perform any of his duties - nay, can scarcely help himself at all (he died at the convent, Jan. 20, 1840, aged 75). 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 our retreat, he preached to us every day.
Appended to this letter are a few lines from Sister Stanislaus : I have thanked Sister Mary Paul for her charity in writing this letter for me. . . . We had most grand doings this Easter. Dr. Gentili, all solemnity, and most respectful in the church; he is a good preacher, in fine, he is everything that is good and holy. Pray for us that we may become such. Adieu, my dear brother.
June 28, 1840 Now about our dear cousin Sister Philomina Lupton; she died May 23rd the death of the saints, regretted by her whole community. They doubt not but that she is in heaven, dear creature. She sent me two pictures, one of which I send you, begging you to keep it as a relic for her sake; the other, a beautiful one, the death of St Stanislaus, which I shall not part with. Her father and sister were at Stape Hill a little while before she departed this life. ... A letter to-day informs us that Dr. Weedall is gone to Rome to get off ye heavy burthen of a bishop's charge, so your supposed superior may perhaps fail, tho' I don't think he will gain his point. They say he is a very clever man, tho' little, like you, and timid ... We have sung a Te Deum for thanks for the Providential preservation of the life of our young queen. Adieu, my dear George.
Feb. 2, 1841. Sister M. Paul writes to Mr. Haydock for Sister Stanny, who scribbles a few lines on the letter, though nearly blind. This 2nd of Feb., you know sans doute is her profession day, and she was looking woefully about to find a charitable sister to write to you, when I, not having a better present to offer, offered her my pen for the occasion, and the more willingly as I find you have not forgotten M. Paul. I hope you have proved to their cash that (W)right's bank was the wrong one. We (tho' happily, thank God, not very considerable sufferers) have been inconvenienced by the failure, and ready money this Xmas has been a very pleasant sight (in allusion to Mr. Haydock's remittance, and the failure of the Catholic bankers). . . . She thinks you will not be able to collect enough to build a new chapel (at Penrith), so thinks you must make the old one do a while longer. But I shrewdly suspect that as you are on such intimate terms with the greats you will besiege their hearts and pockets to the benefit of your poor flock. I wish you success. . . . Rev. Mother and Mr. Calderbank present their compliments; they and the community are well. We have a stove now in the chapel, which makes it very comfortable. Mr. Hardman of Birmingham made us a present of it . . . How do you like your new bishop? Bishop Waring paid us a visit soon after his Consecration; he has a niece who is a nun here.
Spetisbury, Dec. 28, 1843. A letter to Thomas Haydock, Liverpool, from Sister Stanislaus, written by a scribe for she cannot write herself on account of her eyes, with four lines endorsed: In my own handwriting, but am obliged to trouble others to help me. 2nd Feb. my profession day, the 6th after my jubilee. Pray, for I always do for you.
July 9, 1844 My dear George, I suppose you have accused me of neglect, but don't judge from what seems like it. 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. Mr. Calderbank is gone to Bath with him to bring some of the bishop's relations to board here. The bishop is only 38; he may bury me in time. I find old age comes on apace - often tired with doing nothing. I am glad you have given the Tagg the pleasure of a visit. I suspected you would about the time you did. . . . Have you yet fixed the spot for your intended chapel? Does Mr. Howard continue his former kindness towards you? . . . I have said my Matins since Pentecost, which is a great comfort to me. I renew our engagement frequently. Do you the same, the 17th of this month, the 50th year of our arrival in our native kingdom of old England and our jubilee. Alas I am the only nun left professed at dear Louvain. . . Have you heard of the wonderful conversion of Captain Trafford? I suppose one of ye sons that poor James had to do with of that family. It's better late than never. . . . I do not write to any one but yourself. . . . The superior of Stape Hill is dead; pray for her and me. Adieu, Stanislaus Haydock.
Sep, 12, 1845. M. E. Smith (Sister Mary Paul) writes to Mr. Haydock 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. . . . We have been celebrating the jubilee of one of our nuns, Sister Magdalen Howell. She is, I assure you, quite a brisk old lady, younger than Sister Stanny, who remembered her a scholar. . . Probably you have heard that our bishop had a paralytic attack in the very same chapel at Bristol that our late bishop had the same unfortunate memento mori. Dr. Baggs is, I believe in a very poor way, but at present somewhat better than he has been. . . . 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.’