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Author Topic: Convent in Bartestree  (Read 26546 times)

Offline ~Rachel~

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Convent in Bartestree
« on: Wednesday 11 March 09 11:33 GMT (UK) »
Hello,

I have found someone who is possibly an ancestor on the 1901 census.

She is living at the "The Convent of Sisters of Charity & Refuge" in Bartestree, Herefordshire.

I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about the place, especially why young women would end up there?

I'm guessing it'd be for the poor or unmarried mothers but anyone with any local info would be much appreciated!

Thanks  :)
Waite, Marchant, Nash, Goddard, Pocock, Hiles, Switzer, Larondie, Harris, Radford, Monger, Harper, Harris, Sixsmith, Fitzgerald.

Offline Arranroots

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 11 March 09 11:38 GMT (UK) »
The convent is now partly flats and partly a hospice (where they do wonderful work, incidentally!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartestree

The design, by Pugin was reputed to be a practice for the Houses of Parliament - it's still an impressive building!

I would suggest a visit to the Hereford Record Office might give you some clues - Parish Overseers records or similar.  Was the girl in question Catholic?  Can you find any corresponding birth recorded? 

Kind regards, Arranroots  ;)
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOM: BIRD, BURT aka BROWN - HEF: BAUGH, LATHAM, CARTER, PRITCHARD - GLS: WEBB, WORKMAN, LATHAM, MALPUS - WIL: WEBB, SALTER - RAD: PRITCHARD, WILLIAMS - GLA: RYAN, KEARNEY, JONES, HARRY - MON: WEBB, MORGAN, WILLIAMS, JONES, BIRD - SCOTLAND: HASTINGS, CAMERON, KELSO, BUCHANAN, BETHUNE/ BEATON - IRELAND: RYAN (WATERFORD), KEARNEY (DUBLIN), BOYLE(DUNDALK)

Offline Arranroots

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 11 March 09 11:43 GMT (UK) »
Oh dear!  Found this in the National Archives site:

HO 45/23592 1928-1932 BURIALS: Illegal burials at Bartestree Convent Hereford : prosecution of Mother Superior following several warningsThis file looks at the action taken against Bartestree Convent, Hereford, after several burials were conducted without following the correct procedures.

Worth Googling for other information ...

Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOM: BIRD, BURT aka BROWN - HEF: BAUGH, LATHAM, CARTER, PRITCHARD - GLS: WEBB, WORKMAN, LATHAM, MALPUS - WIL: WEBB, SALTER - RAD: PRITCHARD, WILLIAMS - GLA: RYAN, KEARNEY, JONES, HARRY - MON: WEBB, MORGAN, WILLIAMS, JONES, BIRD - SCOTLAND: HASTINGS, CAMERON, KELSO, BUCHANAN, BETHUNE/ BEATON - IRELAND: RYAN (WATERFORD), KEARNEY (DUBLIN), BOYLE(DUNDALK)

Offline Arranroots

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 11 March 09 11:44 GMT (UK) »
Genuki is always a good place to start

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/Bartestree/Kelly1913.html



Quote
..............the objects of the institution, which is conducted by ladies, are the reformation of fallen women and the preservation of those who are in danger of falling into bad courses: the establishment is supported partly by the revenues of the foundation and partly by the labour of the inmates in laundry work and the manufacture of underclothing:.............
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOM: BIRD, BURT aka BROWN - HEF: BAUGH, LATHAM, CARTER, PRITCHARD - GLS: WEBB, WORKMAN, LATHAM, MALPUS - WIL: WEBB, SALTER - RAD: PRITCHARD, WILLIAMS - GLA: RYAN, KEARNEY, JONES, HARRY - MON: WEBB, MORGAN, WILLIAMS, JONES, BIRD - SCOTLAND: HASTINGS, CAMERON, KELSO, BUCHANAN, BETHUNE/ BEATON - IRELAND: RYAN (WATERFORD), KEARNEY (DUBLIN), BOYLE(DUNDALK)

Offline ~Rachel~

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 11 March 09 11:54 GMT (UK) »
Hiya, thanks for the replies!

There are 11 Fitzgerald births registered in Hereford over a 10 yr period so it's possible one of them may have been her child, I'll do some investigating! Also, 20 years later she adopted a baby girl from the area - maybe to make amends for one she had to give up??

The place sounds pretty grim though - inmates, laundry and illegal burials...  :o
Waite, Marchant, Nash, Goddard, Pocock, Hiles, Switzer, Larondie, Harris, Radford, Monger, Harper, Harris, Sixsmith, Fitzgerald.

Offline francella

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #5 on: Monday 13 January 14 17:04 GMT (UK) »
Hi Rachel,  I have just come across your question.  Many children were evacuated to the convent during the wars and sadly some were never collected.  The convent was a wonderful place and all the old ladies I knew were very happy to be there.  They spent their whole lives ther.  The laundry was hard work but fun.  i have never heard of ilegal burials that certainly didn't happen when I was there in the late 60's.  I see also that you are interested in the fanily name Harper which is my married surname!

Offline mccatgirl

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 30 January 14 01:58 GMT (UK) »
Hello
new to this site but found it as I was trying to find the address for bartestree convent for my CV I was placed in the convent in 1977 until 1980/81 by social services I would love to be able to contact anyone who would like to chat x as for tbe ladys who worked the laundry they sere beautiful people as a young girl in the convent we used to help the nuns look after the ladys who were then in there 60/70/& 80's after the laundry clossed down the nuns took in peace work one of the things the ladys did were Chicken bags and we used to do them with the ladys we had to put stickers onto the plastic bags which had the price and weight of what would go in the bags.
Could chat all day would love to discuss this more if any one was intrested. Thank you for reading Rainey

Offline francella

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 30 January 14 08:24 GMT (UK) »
Hi Rainey,

How wonderful to hear from someone else who was at Bartestree!  I actually came back to visit in 1977/78.  For me it was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Were Mother Magdalen, Mother Immacultate and Sister Bernadette still there.  It was still laundry work when I was there but I had heard that the ladies did bags for Sun Valley Poultry.  Do keep in touch.  So many memories and so many questions.  Francella

Offline mccatgirl

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Re: Convent in Bartestree
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 30 January 14 12:32 GMT (UK) »
Oh am so excited to get a reply yes all 3 nuns were there and sister Francis and Scottish sister Cristina sister magdeoln was mother superior x x I have to go out so will respond better later x x
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